Les vans

170 m in altitude. 2708 inhabitants. Main town of the canton.

Church in the counter-reform style with a listed retable. Numerous squares with fountains.

useums dedicated to geology and archeology, as well as to Professor Leopold Ollier, creator of orthopedic surgery.

ll the charm of a southern village with a Cevennes accent. Situated at a natural scenic meeting point Les Vans offers a subtle mixture of the Cevennes and the garrigue.

Throughout the year, you can stroll along the sun-filled streets with their colourful shops, visit the old centre with its wash-house and 17 th -century church and its museums, or just let yourself be tempted by the refreshing Place du Marché and Place de L'Oie with their fountains, and the shaded café terrasses of the Place Ollier.

In Les Vans, tradition and festivities come together with joy and friendship. In summer as in winter, musical events and traditional festivities enchant the public with their colours and emotions.

The Pays des Vans contains much to surprise you. Whether you are interested in architecture, botany, geology or even biology, you will find something to satisfy you among our theme walks. So, don't delay, pick up your rucksack, and off you go!

NAVES

• Nestling in the village which has retained its character, the Romanesque church is one of the oldest in the Pays des Vans , and is dedicated to St James the Elder. It is typical of primitive Romanesque art, and has been been destroyed many times, a victim of many historical events over the centuries, and especially of the instable ground. Side chapels were added in the 19 th century, partly to act as buttresses. Like the village as a whole, it is built on a rocky outcrop made up of various strata of hard limestone and soft marl.

GRAVIERES

• This village at the foot of the Serre de Barre , is right in the middle of an transition area between the Vivarais and the mountain. The church presents a unique and original mixture of Romanesque and Gothic architecture. It dates from the 12 th century and was listed in 1907. The buttress bellfry reaches a height of 27 m, and dates from the second half of the 16 th century. Impacts from the Protestants' arquebuses are still visible. The doorway, with its ogee arches is flamboyant, and similar to that of the church in Les Salelles. Inside, the nave has two barrel vaulted bays. The columns are supported by historiated capitals and reach up to 9.40 m. In the centre of the choir is the Tree of Jesse, sculpted in stone and representing the genealogical tree of Christ starting with Jesse, King David's father. The walls surrounding the gold-plated altar are decorated with fresques and illuminations. The fine houses in the village and hamlets, are evidence of the once prosperous times of silk-worm breeding.

THINES

• This grandiose site in the heart of the Cevennes has a wild beauty of its own. The village with its schist houses perched on a rocky outcrop dominates the valley of the river Thine. The church dates from the 12 th century and is dedicated to Our Lady of Thines. It is a jewel of architecture, sculpture and decoration. Built in light granite and red and beige sandstone, it brings together all the elements which typify the beauty of Romanesque art. It is difficult to find another church combining elements that are usually separate, in such a way as to create an architectural master-piece.

CHAMBONAS

• The village has kept many traces of the past. You come to it over a 12 th century bridge probably built by the monks of St Giles Abbey in the Gard. The church dates from the 13 th century, and contains a rich variety of remarkable pictoral modillions. It nestles against the castle, famous for its French gardens designed by students of Le Nôtre (who designed Vaux-le-Vicomte). The architecture of the castle, the small village squares and narrow twisting lanes give character to this well-preserved place.

SAINT PIERRE LE DECHAUSSELAT

• A village perched on the lower foothills of the mountain, with 14 th century peasant dwellings of carefully jointed sandstone blocks which give a warm tint to the countryside. The church is at the end of the village on the top of the mountain. From the red sandstone church square, we have a splendid view over the valley of the river Sure.

SAINT JEAN DE POURCHARESSE

• The hamlets of St Jean are spread amongst the chestnut groves climbing to an altitude of 800 metres. The large houses with their roofs of flat stone are built in schist. The church dates from the 12 th century, and boasts a typically Cevennes arched bell tower. Dominating the valley of the river Sure, it is most certainly one of the most astonishing churches in the area. The bell tower is visible from far off, coming into full splendour as you enter the villge. The church was built on sloping ground and this gives it the impession of leaning to one side.

• The cultural life

A large number of associations offer numerous activities in the fields of culture, art, and theatre, etc.

• Rich and varied

Several events, such as the Poets in Springtime, the Festival of singular art, Ard'Afrique, Heritage days, etc., have become essential landmarks in the cultural life of the Pays des Vans, and some companies jump at the occasion to bring their musical and theatrical events to the area.

A visit to the museums will show you more about the region, intrigue your chidren, and enable you to talk to people whose enthusiasm is contagious.

$Whether indoors or outdoors, it's worth having a look at all the different events where the ephemeral takes on a aura of eternity

In museums, you can deepen and enrich your knowledge, arouse the curiosity of your children and talk with people and always passionate passionnantes.Alors, inside or outside, do not sulk these creative spaces where sometimes mayfly has a scent of eternity.

• Space Museale

The public access to both the home of the olive tree, and reconstitution of the exhibition area of the growers, the beautiful museum dedicated to the life and work of Professor Ollier vanséen surgeon (1830-1900), father orthopedic and reconstructive surgery, the Museum of Archaeology, geology, arts and popular traditions. The entrance is from the historic center, the Rue du Couvent, after the wash. Open by appointment for groups from 10 persons.

• Farm Pigs

Wildlife park, museum
Open on Saturday Sunday and Easter Monday: 14h-18h
During school holidays open every day from 14h to 18h.
For groups all year by reservation.

• Commandery Jales

A Berrias Casteljau, visit a building Templar, Commandery of the Jales, a historical and architectural (built around 1140) to discover! A place to witness the epic of the Crusades and the history of military orders, since the Templars to the Knights of Malta. A Commandery, which was the center of many events i! Mportant and tragic for the Revolution, between 1790 and 1792 ...

During the months of July and August, the Commandery Jales to visit every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 16h.

Whether canoeing down the Chassezac river, canyoning  and kayaking in the Chassezac gorges and in the Borne river, climbing prepared rocks and cliffs, rambling along the 400 kms of marked trails, cross-country cycling along marked tracks of different difficulty, horse-riding, or rambling accompanied by a donkey, you will always be surrounded by remarkable scenery, which becomes even more spectacular if you go paragliding.

The Chassezac and its tributaries provide marvellous occasions for fishing, or for sunbathing on the many beaches before plunging into the water.