At the foot of the Raye in the Vercors, La Baume-Cornillane offers remarkable views across the valley. When planning a stay, there are several things to discover: the village’s history, trails to ruins, and nature paths with their own themes. You can choose whether to focus on historic sites, a scenic route, or the landscape and its distinctive features.

Village History and Protestant Heritage

The medieval village grew up around an early Christian church. It became a Cluniac priory of Marcigny under the patronage of Saint Stephen. This development gave the village a long ecclesiastical history, before another defining chapter followed: La Baume-Cornillane embraced Protestantism as early as the 16th century.

The bell of the Protestant temple also tells of several periods in time. Its inscription dates from 1647; the bell was recast in 1880. On 5 July 1943, it was classified as a protected object. The three dates mark different stages: the inscription, the recasting, and its protected status. Together with the village’s early history, they offer a tangible way to explore La Baume-Cornillane’s past.

Trails to Castle Ruins and Viewpoints

The Chemin de la Découverte takes about one hour and 30 minutes. It includes the ruins of the Château des Cornillans and leads to the ruins of the medieval village, the Grotte de la Dame and the Monts de la Raye. The castle ruins are within walking distance of the village; the trail offers views of the Valence plain and the Vercors. The route thus combines historic destinations with views of the surrounding landscape.

For a different focus, there is the nature trail with Lina: it is 2.2 kilometres long, also takes about one hour and 30 minutes, and leads to a waterfall and on to the Grotte de la Dame. The similar duration makes the difference between the two routes particularly clear: the Chemin de la Découverte takes in, among other things, village and castle remains, while the nature trail highlights the waterfall and cave. The cave is a shared destination, but that does not make the two routes a single trail.

Mia la Corneille offers another way to discover the medieval and natural site: the equipped and mapped orienteering area covers a route of 4 to 5 kilometres and takes about two hours. Those interested in the landscape around the Pangée can also find a discovery trail there, with themes such as the uplift of the Alps, wildlife and plant life, and the Pangée rock. These topics complement the historic destinations with geological and natural-history perspectives.

Landscape, Other Routes and a Local Specialty

The Pas de la Croix route also leads to special destinations: the Rochers de la Pangée and the ruins of the feudal castle. The “L’envolée des Corneilles” offers three themed trails that follow the flight of the crows. Each of the routes has its own focus; their names and destinations can help you choose what you would like to discover, without requiring a set sightseeing itinerary.

Another local specialty is Pangée, a treat flavoured with almonds, honey and apricots. The missing piece of the pastry symbolises the rift that split the original continent. The specialty thus picks up on a theme that also appears in the natural-history topics around the Pangée rock. In La Baume-Cornillane, cultural history, trails and landscape can be explored as distinct, clearly identified ways of getting to know the place.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Saint-Rambert-D'albon, Molières-Glandaz, Val-Maravel, La Roche-Sur-Le-Buis, Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux, Marsaz, Barret-de-Lioure, Montbrun Les Bains.

For the main travel overview: Drôme.