Welcome to valréas

Important city in the Papal States, Valréas has kept from its past a rich heritage :

nearly a thousand years of history to be discovered, with some exceptional events, an agriculture and a prestigious wine, with an important economic and tourist activity.

An eco-friendly holiday place, a town in bloom, the capital of the Enclave with a population of 10 000 inhabitants, is a regional economic pole, Valréas welcomes you to an art of living !

Former limit of the northern Papal State, two towers dominate the impressive and massive city walls : the belfry is surmounted with a wrought ironbell and the church bell tower fitted with an octagonal arrow made of stone.

At the bottom of the walls circling the old village, the village square, typically Provençal, spreads out with a fountain, under the shade of hundred years old big plane trees.
Grillon is a pleasant village where life is enjoyable.

In the heart of Provence, this ancient and small medieval village of Richerenches, with the Commandery of the Knight Templars and being also the capital of the truffle will surprise you with the richness of the soil, the quality of life, the warm welcome, and the Côtes du Rhône wine ready to charm your visit !

Highland of the Popes since 1344, Visan, a fortified town leaning onto an amphitheatre of warm and colored hills, dominates a plain which spreads out its cultures into a beautiful sunset.

Its winding streets, bordered with mansions dating from the XVIIth and XVIIIth centuries, attract you with their balance and beauty.

The landscape around the village is full of harmonious compositions of brilliant pinewood of Alep and an infinite land of vineyards lit by sunbeams.

The Enclave des Papes suggests to enthusiastic walkers many hiking paths with a starting point from each of the four municipalities.

Following the roadmarkers put in place by the General Council of Vaucluse, those hikes will take you sometimes amongst vineyards and lavender fields, or sometimes under the pine woods or near some fields with oaks trees with truffles, with a background of the Mont Ventoux or the Lance Mountain.

When you go out walking, please follow the safety advice.

• The cultivated land is privately-owned, please do respect the work done.
• Before leaving, think of taking plenty of water with you. Water springs are scarce along the circuits.
• The paths you will walk on are sometimes rocky so please think on putting some suitable shoes.

• The aquarium :

In the Maison des Associations, you can visit the Aquarium of Valréas.
There you discover some varieties of soft water or sea water fish, some more curious and beautiful than the others.

Opening hours :

Tuesday till Saturday from 3 pm till 6 pm and on Sundays during school holidays.
 Commented visits for groups (must be booked in advance).

• The archaeology and paleontology showrooms :

In the Maison des Associations of Valréas, you can also discover the archaeology and paleontology showrooms

There can be found a lot of treasures : fossils, old coins, reconstruction of prehistoric scenes, reports from excavations… which allow you to better understand Valréas’s past history and its region.

Opening hours :

Tuesday till Saturday from 3 pm till 6 pm and on Sundays during school holidays.
Commented visits for groups (on reservation only).

The production of the Enclave is based on the lavandin, which is less scented than the lavender but much more productive.
It represents more than 500 ha in the Enclave and the blooming season is from mid-June to mid-July.

While walking, you can smell the scent and watch the color covering the landscape in a blue-purple shade in such a particular way.
The lavandin is used for the production of cosmetics, deodorants, washing powder and soaps while the lavender is used for the manufacturing of perfumes and the production of essential oil intended for the aromatherapy. The flowers are also visited by bees during the manufacturing process of the honey.

The first weekend in August, we celebrate the lavender in Valréas during the Corso of the  Lavender. Lots of animations punctuate this event with a float parade, concerts, fair and fête of the wine…