Provencal-Drome, France: villages and lavender field in Drome

The Drome - Provencal region of France is a part of the Rhone-Alps region, in the Drome department along the border with Provence. It shares many characteristics with its southern neighbour, hence the reason why the southern third of the Drome department is called 'Drome Provencal'

The region roughly covers the area between Montélimar to the west, Rosans and Orpierre to the east, and Séderon to the south-east, with other towns in the region including Grignan, Valreas, Pierrelatte, Dieulefit, Buis les Baronnies and Saint-Paul-Trois-Chateaux.

Explore Provencal Drome

Not so much a land of high drama as one of gentle rolling beauty, with the occasional rocky outcrop, the provencal Drome is the perfect place to take it easy and to simply relax in the lovely surroundings of quaint old villages, sunflowers and olive trees

Perhaps above all it is for the extensive lavender fields that colour the landscape blue and purple for much of the summer that the region is best known.

There are numerous small villages that dot the Drome region - among the attractive villages are Aubres, Grignan, Dieulefit, Suze-la-Rousse, Nyons, Buis-les-Barronnies in its lovely gentle mountain setting, and Rousset-les-Vignes.

Among the most popular with visitors, the village of Montbrun-les-Bains in the south-east of the Drome-Provence is classified as a 'most beautiful village of France' as are Le Poet-Laval (east of Montelimar) and La Garde-Adhemar (south-west near Pierrelatte). Few of the little villages in the region will disappoint however, and each has something new to explore and discover.

Vaison-la-Romaine is also well placed to explore the region, although it falls just across the border in Provence.

At Grignan in south-western Drome you can also visit the remarkable Chateau de Grignan, a 17th century castle built around an earlier defensive castle that has a very substantial renaissance facade and interior courtyard and dominates the small village below from its hilltop position.

Also in this region you can visit the Chateau de Suze-la-Rousse, originally a medieval castle but mostly rebuilt in the 16th and 17th centuries in the renaissance style so now combining elements from both styles - the interior courtyard is among the highlights. The castle now holds the University of Wine.

Popular attractions in Drome-Provencale

Another popular attraction in south-west Drome-Provencale is the crocodile farm at Pierrelatte where you can see hundreds of different crocodiles of many different species. The farm also plays an important role in the conservation of threatened species of crocodile.