Chastel-Arnaud comprises three hamlets at the foot of the well-known Trois Becs range. The area combines an expansive landscape with striking rocks, hiking trails and chapels with a long history. When planning your visit, you can decide in advance whether to focus on the landscape, specific trails or cultural heritage.

A landscape between the Trois Becs and the uplands

The unspoilt landscape stretches from the countryside into the uplands and ranges in elevation from 250 to 1,500 metres. This wide range makes the changing landscape a defining feature of the area. Notable landforms include the Gorges du Contècle, which lead to the rocks of Saint-Moirans. The gorge and rocks give the nature experience here a clear direction, without requiring different trails to be combined into a single route.

One remarkable tree is the Châtaignier des Bellieux. Its age is estimated at 500 to 700 years, and it is listed nationally as a remarkable tree. For those interested in ancient trees and landscape history, it offers a very different point of interest alongside the mountain ridges. These can be explored as separate themes: the wide landscape on the one hand, and a single natural heritage site on the other.

Romanesque chapels and historic buildings

The Chapel of Saint-Moirans is a Romanesque chapel dating from the 11th century. It was the church of a former priory. Saint-Moirans is also home to the Romanesque Church of Saint-Pierre, built on the remains of a Carolingian sanctuary. The chapel and the church therefore belong to different historical contexts: the chapel’s former connection to the priory is significant, while Saint-Pierre stands above an older religious site.

Another stop for culture enthusiasts is the 17th-century Chapel of Saint-André des Auberts. Its allegorical frieze depicts the cycle of the seasons and the passage of time. This makes it possible to understand the chapel not only by its age but also by the theme of its artwork. The ruins of the Château des Arnaud lie on Mount Saint-Andéol and add another historic site in the landscape alongside the chapels and church.

Trails, mountain biking and climbing

Chastel-Arnaud has numerous mountain bike loops. Several destinations are also mentioned for hiking: a trail connects the Col du Perrier with the Chapelle des Sadoux. From the sign at the exit of the hamlet of Les Auberts, a 40-minute round trip leads to a viewpoint at Saint-Andéol. For this trail, both the starting point and the duration of the complete return journey are specified.

Another way to take in the landscape is the “Le paysage vu par le guetteur” trail. It includes a landscape interpretation installation called “10 visions du paysage”. Loop No. 85 heads towards Saint-Benoît-en-Diois. These suggestions offer different experiences: a viewpoint as a destination, interpretation of the landscape along the way, or a tour heading towards another place.

La Baume is a designated climbing area in Chastel-Arnaud, with a car park at the foot of the climbing routes. Alongside the hiking trails and mountain bike loops, the rocks and climbing offer another aspect of a stay to choose from. The destinations and activities mentioned provide different ways to discover Chastel-Arnaud, according to your interests in the landscape, architectural history or physical activity.

Discover more destinations: Lus-La-Croix-Haute, Peyrins, Les Granges-Gontardes, Roussas, Saint-Bonnet-de-Valclérieux, Montclar-Sur-Gervanne, Sainte-Jalle, Bénivay-Ollon.

For the full travel guide: Drôme.