The village of Labeaume is on the La Beaume river to the south of Largentiere, in south-eastern Ardeche. It is listed as one of the 'Ardeche villages of character'. The origins of the village lie in the cliffs opposite, at one time home to troglodyte dwellings established by the first inhabitants of Labeaume.
Exploring Labeaume
A little different in nature from the other 'villages of character', Labeaume is based around an open square with a church and has a handful of old streets to explore as expected, with ancient houses lining narrow alleys clustered around the bottom of a cliff.
Although this historic centre is quite small it is lovely to explore the narrow paved lanes admiring the ancient buildings and stone staircases.
As you explore Labeaume you will notice that many of the houses in the village have walls that are made from, or covered with, pebbles that have come from the river while the church and larger houses use more conventional, larger stones for their construction.
The 14th century Church of Saint-Pierre aux Liens itself is also rather unusual, with the belltower supported by substantial stone columns. After exploring the narrow streets of the medieval centre of Labeaume there are two particular features in the village to discover:
1) There is a track that winds up at the back of the village, passed houses and through trees, until it reaches the ruins of a castle and a very impressive viewpoint across the village and the cliffs along the river that stand opposite the village
2) The main attraction - the river beach. Between the village and the river, with the cliffs opposite, the river has a good sized stretch of beach where children (and adults) can paddle and play in the river in a very picturesque location. An old bridge also crosses the river at this point.
Cafes and other facilities are also found in Labeaume, and the village is well organised with parking easy and close to hand.
Attractions nearby
There are lots of attractive villages to explore in the Ardeche, each with their own historical interest and characteristics. See those listed as Ardeche villages of character for some of the best examples to be found in the region around Labeaume.
Of course, the natural environment around Labeaume is also exceptional with rivers and steep valleys covered in trees as well as the remarkable scenery of the Gorges de l'Ardeche to the south-east of the village.
You can find more travel ideas in the Ardeche guide and the Rhone-Alpes guide.
Photos of Labeaume
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Map of Labeaume and places nearby
Visit near Labeaume with France This Way reviews
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Address: Labeaume, Joyeuse, Largentière, Rhone-Alpes, 7120, France || GPS coordinates: latitude 44.45, longitude 4.30722
Plan your visit to Labeaume, Ardeche
Sightseeing & tourist attractions to visit nearby
- Balazuc: most beautiful village (8 km)
- Gorges de l'Ardeche: grand site of france (9 km)
- Gorges du Gardon: grand site of france (11 km)
- Bois de Païolive: site of natural beauty (11 km)
- Vogue: most beautiful village (14 km)
- Réserve naturelle nationale des Gorges de l'Ardèche: site of natural beauty (17 km)
- Aven d'Orgnac: grand site of france (18 km)
- Grotte de la Cocaliere: site of natural beauty (21 km)
- Grotte de Saint-Marcel: site of natural beauty (23 km)
- Vals-les-Bains: recommended detour (25 km)
- Aigueze: most beautiful village (26 km)
- Tanargue: site of natural beauty (26 km)
The French version of this page is at Labeaume (Francais)