Balazuc, France 🇫🇷 2023

Date: 12th September 2023

Travelled: 60 kms from Viviers to Ruoms  

Visited: Viviers and Balazuc  

Stayed: Ruoms Aire CC, €14, N44.45240, E04.33660  

Budget: 113 days @ €96 per day

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We enjoyed a quiet night in Viviers. The aire is another old campsite the local municipality has lost interest in and handed over the Camping Card Aire, who run the. Boom gate. Whilst the €14 is a bit steep, these sites have electricity and all the service including WIFI and there generally relatively secure.

Enough about the housekeeping, Pam’s up and wants a walk so we go off to explore Viviers, which to our surprise was well worth a walk.

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It’s become obvious as we walk toward the centrum, Viviers history is closely associated with the Catholic Faith. There is a huge Catholic seminary, the Cathédrale of Saint-Vincent pictured above and various other buildings that all formed part of the Canon’s Quarter.

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On our return to the Hymer we do what needs to be done before rolling out the gate for Balazuc.

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I’d like to say it was an easy drive but the GPS route leads us to a no motorhomes or Caravan sign which adds another 10 kms detour to the trip.

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From our guide book the Most Beautiful Villages of France you’ll find Balazac on page 91. Standing on a cliff overlooking the River Ardéche. From the 13th century Wars of Religion the Lords of Balazuc built and established a castle and ramparts to fortify this village. Today the village remains a maze of laneways and stone archways leading somewhere or maybe nowhere. Apart from all that the views of the Ardéche and the single lane bridge that crosses it, make the walk worthwhile.

The carpark is above the village so it’s all downhill until you’ve down exploring and the hard work of slogging back up the ridge begins.

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Pictured below, from the bridge the Ardèche, looking up and down stream. The bridge itself was built in 1884. According to the blurb a degree had been issued guaranteeing children access to school, hence the bridge.

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Despite the cloud cover it’s hot and humid, the walk back up to the hill is a bit of a struggle. Pam manages a rest stop at a jeweller and a tat shop as we walk back up to the Hymer. Out of the car-park we turn the Hymer for an aire in Ruoms which is less than 15 minutes away.

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Michael + Pam