A historic walking tour of about two hours leads through the old center of Aouste-sur-Sye and includes 28 explanatory panels. Other highlights include traces of the paper industry, a Sunday market and outdoor activities along the DrĂ´me. When planning your trip, you can choose between local history, regional produce, cycling and nature.
Walking Tour, Church and Ancient History
The historic walking tour is marked by ground markers showing the image of the Roman emperor Augustus. It starts in front of the town hall near the Pont de DrĂ´me and ends on Rue des Moulins. The route thus provides both an approximate time frame and clearly identified starting and ending points to help you find your way.
Aouste-sur-Sye’s current church was built from 1862 to 1879 under the direction of architects Rey and Bossan, and can be visited in summer. Notable features include the apse with its woodwork, the pulpit and the large Stations of the Cross. The current Temple d’Aouste was built on a street in the 19th century. A Roman mausoleum is also part of the town’s history: it dates from the 2nd century; two pieces are in Aouste-sur-Sye, and another is in the Musée Calvet in Avignon.
Paper Industry and Murals
The paper-making history can be seen in several different traces. The Fresque sur ancienne usine covers 200 m² across three façades of the former Lembacel factory. It commemorates the paper industry and the human history of Aouste-sur-Sye from 1850 to 2010. The Fresque d’Auguste is another mural: painted in 2010, this trompe-l’œil recalls Emperor Augustus’s passage through Augusta.
The Papeterie Sacna-Lembacel-Mondi represents paper production in Aouste-sur-Sye from 1685 to 2011. Paper bags were made there; 30 million were produced in 1991. The Canal des moulins, also called the Canal de Gervanne, was part of the water-powered industrial system. It supplied, among other things, a silk-twisting mill and a paper mill. Water intakes, locks and drops can still be seen along the canal system.
Sunday Market and Local Produce
The Sunday market takes place at Place de la Poste, 26400 Aouste-sur-Sye. Local produce on offer includes cheese, bread, fruit and vegetables, meat, wine and juices, honey, and natural cosmetics. Prepared specialties such as Défarde, nut butter and preserves are also available. If you’d like to include culinary discoveries in your trip plans, you’ll find a wide selection of different kinds of products at this specific location.
The DrĂ´me, Landscapes and Activities
In Aouste-sur-Sye and throughout the wider DrĂ´metal area, the DrĂ´me creates diverse landscapes and a rich biodiversity all year round. One specific natural feature is the Cascade du Pas de Lauzens in Aouste-sur-Sye: there, the Lauzens flows through a narrow gorge and plunges over a rock ledge beside the D 70. Aouste-sur-Sye and the DrĂ´metal in general are well suited to outdoor activities such as hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, canoeing, swimming, climbing and fishing.
Canoë Drôme offers canoe trips on the Drôme from Sainte-Croix to Aouste-sur-Sye. The routes are 11 to 34 km long and suitable for beginners through to advanced paddlers. To take part, you must be able to swim and submerge yourself; there must be no medical contraindication. Children are welcome from age six. Check the current participation requirements before planning your trip.
Aouste-sur-Sye offers free visits, as well as a picnic area, public toilets and parking. As facilities and access may change, check the latest details shortly before your visit.
Cycling and Industrial Heritage
The Vélodrôme is a 52 km road cycling route between the Alps and Provence that runs close to the Drôme. At the footbridge over the Drôme, it connects with the ViaRhôna. Along the Vélodrôme section to Aouste-sur-Sye, distinctive buildings such as mills, silk factories and silk-twisting mills bear witness to the area’s industrial past. The cycling route and these buildings offer another way to discover the region’s history, this time through its road cycling connection and surviving examples of former industries.
Choose the Focus of Your Stay
When choosing your accommodation, you can start by deciding what you’d like to shape your stay: the historic walking tour and cultural history, the Sunday market, or cycling and nature. These different focuses give you several reasons to include Aouste-sur-Sye and the Drômetal in your travel plans.
Discover more destinations: Recoubeau-Jansac, Pont-De-l'Isère, Autichamp, Crépol, Valdrôme, Saint-Auban-Sur-L'ouvèze, Montclar-Sur-Gervanne, Bren
For the broader travel overview: DrĂ´me.
