France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
in the Ardèche Department.
The village is a gateway to one of the most beautiful tourist sites in France, the Ardèche Gorges, where the Ardèche river has carved a dramatic canyon through a limestone plateau. The village is named after the
Pont d'Arc
The Pont d'Arc (French language, French ''pont'' = bridge) is a large natural arch, natural bridge, located in the Ardèche ''departments of France, département'' in the south of France, 5 km from the town of Vallon-Pont-d'Arc.
The arch, f ...
, a natural rock arch, which has been classified as a Great Site of France.
Vallon-Pont-d'Arc is also the location of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the decorated cave of Pont d’Arc, known as Grotte Chauvet-Pont d’Arc., and its replica, Chauvet Cave 2. The cave contains some of the earliest known prehistoric paintings in the world and constitutes an exceptional testimony of prehistoric cave art.
In the center of the town is a
château
A château (, ; plural: châteaux) is a manor house, or palace, or residence of the lord of the manor, or a fine country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally, and still most frequently, in French-speaking re ...
built in the 17th century, now the town hall, which is decorated with Aubusson tapestries, as well as the place couverte or old grain square, and the place du Verger.
Sights
* The
Pont d'Arc
The Pont d'Arc (French language, French ''pont'' = bridge) is a large natural arch, natural bridge, located in the Ardèche ''departments of France, département'' in the south of France, 5 km from the town of Vallon-Pont-d'Arc.
The arch, f ...
* The
Chauvet Cave
The Chauvet-Pont-d'Arc Cave ( ) in the Ardèche department of southeastern France is a cave that contains some of the best-preserved figurative cave paintings in the world, as well as other evidence of Upper Paleolithic life.Clottes (2003b), p. ...
is not open to the public. In 2015, a replica Chauvet Cave 2 was opened to the public, which is the largest decorated replica cavern in the world. Chauvet Cave 2 is also a conference center and hosts workshops and cultural activities relating to prehistoric art and civilization.
* The Gorges de l'Ardèche
* Departure point for the river descent by kayak or canoe of the Gorges de l'Ardèche (from
Pont d'Arc
The Pont d'Arc (French language, French ''pont'' = bridge) is a large natural arch, natural bridge, located in the Ardèche ''departments of France, département'' in the south of France, 5 km from the town of Vallon-Pont-d'Arc.
The arch, f ...
to
Saint-Martin-d'Ardèche
Saint-Martin-d'Ardèche (; ) is a commune in the department of Ardèche in Southern France.
Saint-Martin-d'Ardèche is situated at the Southern entrance of the Ardèche Canyon, the ''Gorges de l'Ardèche''.
Administration
Saint-Martin-d'Ard ...
Louis XIII
Louis XIII (; sometimes called the Just; 27 September 1601 – 14 May 1643) was King of France from 1610 until his death in 1643 and King of Navarre (as Louis II) from 1610 to 1620, when the crown of Navarre was merged with the French crown.
...
crusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and at times directed by the Papacy during the Middle Ages. The most prominent of these were the campaigns to the Holy Land aimed at reclaiming Jerusalem and its surrounding t ...
, exhibited in the Salle des Mariages.
* Chastelas outside the village
* Library
* Contemporary art gallery Galerie du Bourdaric
* Nearby, the art studio of Anselm Kiefer La Ribaute.
* Nearby, the Grotte de la Madeleine in Saint-Remèze
* Nearby, the contemporary art gallery in Lagorce Galerie Mirabilia
* Nearby, the Aven d'Orgnac
Nearby there are other beautiful villages, including Salavas, Saint-Montan, Labastide de Virac, Barjac, and Balazuc. For more information, see Gorges de l'Ardèche.
Events
The town is peaceful and quiet in the winter, but extremely lively during the tourist season in the summer. There is a nocturnal market on Tuesday evenings and a market on Thursday mornings. Each spring takes place the Raid nature; in June, L'Ardéchoise, a cycling event, and the Alunna Festival; in August, the Documentary Film Festival in the nearby town of Lussas; and in November, the Marathon in the Gorges. For conferences relating to prehistoric art and civilization, see the calendar of Chauvet Cave 2.
History
Prehistory
Numerous caves in Vallon-Pont-d'Arc in
Ardèche
Ardèche (; , ; ) is a Departments of France, department in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Southeastern France. It is named after the river Ardèche (river), Ardèche and had a population of 328,278 as of 2019.Chauvet Cave
The Chauvet-Pont-d'Arc Cave ( ) in the Ardèche department of southeastern France is a cave that contains some of the best-preserved figurative cave paintings in the world, as well as other evidence of Upper Paleolithic life.Clottes (2003b), p. ...
humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...
(''Cfa'') according to the
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...