Explore Ardoix through its signposted hiking routes, striking landscapes and tangible traces of history. Two hikes offer different starting points for planning: one begins at the northern entrance to the village, while the other is a 12.3-kilometre circular hike. The Gorges de l’Ay, the Tour d’Oriol and the fortified houses add further points of interest. When choosing where to stay, it may therefore come down to whether you are more interested in the route format, rocky landscapes or historical connections.
Hiking: a circular route or a clearly defined starting point
Two hiking routes are signposted in Ardoix. The hike “Les gorges de l’Ay d’Ardoix à Sarras” begins at the northern entrance to Ardoix. The route “Les Maisons Fortes de Quintenas à Ardoix” is a 12.3-kilometre circular hike. This gives you two specific features to consider when planning: the second route has a circular format and a stated distance, while the first has a defined starting point. If you want to choose a hike based on a circular route with a stated length, the Maisons Fortes route offers a clear guide; the northern entrance to the village marks the starting point of the Ay hike.
Between the foothills and rocky landscapes
The route “Les Maisons Fortes de Quintenas à Ardoix” passes through the agricultural foothills between Quintenas and Ardoix. The Gorges de l’Ay offer a different kind of landscape: granite walls, cliffs and wild vegetation. If you are choosing based on landscape, this presents a clear contrast between agricultural foothills and rocky terrain covered in wild vegetation.
Medieval sites and history
The Tour d’Oriol is the ruin of an important medieval castle and overlooks a rocky hollow with cliffs and green vegetation. Two specific features come together at this named monument: its medieval significance and the view over the stony hollow with its greenery. Those interested in both history and landscape will find a single place where the two come together in the same setting.
The route “Les Maisons Fortes de Quintenas à Ardoix” leads to the Maison Forte de L’Hotoire. The truce that ended the Wars of Religion in the Vivarais was declared there. The route also passes the Maison Forte de Manoha. The specific historical significance of the truce belongs to L’Hotoire; Manoha is named as another fortified house along the way. The circular hike thus links specific stops with a particular historical connection.
The church of Ardoix
The church of Ardoix also adds a connection to religious art to the medieval architecture. Its furnishings include four statues: Saint Didier, Saint Roch, Sainte Philomène and Jeanne d’Arc. The names give this subject a specific context and distinguish the four figures rather than describing the furnishings only in general terms. Together with the castle ruins and Maisons Fortes, they reveal a cultural side of Ardoix that complements its hiking routes and landscapes.
Discover more destinations: Rocher, Lemps, Dornas, Les Ollières-Sur-Eyrieux, Accons, Grospierres, Issarlès, Ribes
For the regional travel overview: Ardèche.
