The Drôme, sitting between the Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur regions, bestriding the ancient and the modern.
The villages of the Drôme, be they guardians of medieval vestiges, perched on rocky outcrops or surrounded by floral wonders, have all preserved a natural charm, as here in Mirmande, classified as one of the most beautiful villages in France, or Cliousclat.
At the gates of the Vercors, this is where to find HERBAROM LABORATOIRE. « Warrior Aouste, daughter of Rome, bathes beneath the hill, One foot in the stream, the other in the brook so still. Where once there stood, in ages past, vast walls and dungeons deep, Time, with its toll, has left for us a few remains and ancient keep. » Melchior des Essarts.
The river Drôme, home to the Ramières nature reserve, has its source on the Carabès pass high up in the Diois region. It attracts numerous summer visitors for swimming, fishing, canoeing, hiking, etc..
Clairette de Die is a sparkling, AOC wine from the vineyards surrounding the town of that name.
With its generous climatic conditions and the savoir-faire of its many fruit-growers, the Drôme is a major producer of peaches, apricots and nectarines.
Symbol of peace and longevity, the olive tree is a familiar sight in the Drôme and its fruit is a major contributor to numerous cosmetic formulations and a source of healthy accompaniments to many traditional dishes.
Lavender is the jewel of the aromatic, medicinal and perfumery plant world. The gentle climate and dry atmosphere of the Drôme have helped it to be the number one producing department in France and the lavender fields provide some exceptionally beautiful landscapes.
The western end of the perched syncline in the Saoû forest culminates in the peaks known as Les Trois Becs (The Three Beaks), splashes of verdure that are home to numerous animal species: marmots, chamois, passerines and birds of prey, as well an abundant flora.
Make sure you visit the Drôme's collection of châteaux - combining heritage site, museum and cultural centre: Grignan, Suze-la-Rousse and the Tour de Crest, the highest dungeon in France.
The Drôme is the leading French department for developing organic farming, and is an important cereal producer, especially for wheat.
Among the local culinary specialities you'll find: Nougat, Picodon, a local cheese, Pogne, a variety of brioche, several AOC wines, ravioli, truffles, etc..
The Drôme has been a leader in developing renewable energy sources, benefiting as it does from plenty of wind for wind farms, very favourable levels of sunshine for solar energy, and even wood, with the 'wood for energy and local development' plan.
Very proud of their region, the inhabitants jealously guard the secrets of their ancestral heritage and know-how, such as here, lavender distillation and olive pressing.














