Saint-Maurice-d'Ibie lies at the bottom of the Ibie Valley; the Ibie flows through the village and is a tributary of the Ardèche. The village’s history and river landscape reveal themselves in different ways: in the centre, through its Romanesque church and historic houses; in the wider valley, through the river and varied scenery.
Village centre and Romanesque church
The village centre has been classified as a Site Patrimonial Remarquable since January 2020. This designation confirms the public interest in its historic, architectural and landscape value. Saint-Maurice-d'Ibie’s Romanesque church has been listed in the supplementary inventory of historic monuments since 1933. Its features include a sculpted porch with an unusual chrismon and a dome decorated with naïve paintings.
The houses with “Couradou” are also part of the historic village landscape: their covered terraces with arcades bear witness to former silkworm farming and artisanal spinning. Other historic landmarks include several old bread ovens, among them the communal bread oven. Together, the church, homes and ovens offer insight into different aspects of the village’s history.
The Ibie Valley and its natural environment
The Vallée de l'Ibie ZNIEFF is a type 1 natural-area inventory site that includes Saint-Maurice-d'Ibie. The site description, dated 7 January 2025, describes a karst valley region with numerous caves used by at least thirteen bat species, as well as cliffs with rare species. These natural features relate to the valley area.
The watercourse also changes its character over the course of the year: the Ibie can dry up in summer and continue flowing underground through the limestone before re-emerging at the surface. Further along the Ibie Valley, irrigation channels, old mills, cascades and white pebble beaches are part of the landscape. Numerous hiking trails cross the river.
Hiking, cycling and horse riding
The “La Vallée de l'Ibie” circular route is 15 kilometres long and rated difficult. It can also be ridden by mountain bike at a difficult level. If you are choosing between hiking and mountain biking, the same named route has both a stated length and a difficulty rating for each activity.
The Ferme Ă©questre Le Relais de Vazeille offers horse-riding lessons for all levels year-round or by appointment, as well as horseback rides. Confirm availability before you arrive if you plan to book an activity.
Picnics, a discovery trail and the summer market
The village has a picnic area that is easy for families to access. Randoland trails give children aged 4 to 12 a fun way to explore Villeneuve-de-Berg and Saint-Maurice-d'Ibie. The “L'Eau c'est la Vie” discovery trail is also available in the Ibie Valley.
The Petit marché estival takes place on Sunday evenings from early July to the end of August in the church square; the stated hours are 6 to 8 pm. The municipality organises the market with local producers from the village and surrounding area, along with a different accompanying event each week. As the seasonal schedule may change from year to year, check the dates before your trip.
Discover more destinations: Le Pouzin, Eclassan, Vaudevant, Tauriers, Vernoux-En-Vivarais, Chandolas, Saint-Didier-Sous-Aubenas, Marcols-les-Eaux.
For the broader travel overview: Ardèche.
