The La Viale hiking trail starts in Montbrison-sur-Lez and gives your trip a clear focus on the outdoors. Classified as easy, the route is 10 kilometres long; it is listed as taking around 2 hours and 43 minutes, with 340 metres of elevation gain. It crosses the Mediterranean foothills of Montagne de la Lance above the Valréas plain. Alongside the town’s historic sights, it offers a choice between an active day on the trail and visits focused on cultural history. When looking for accommodation, you can first decide which of these activities you would like to spend more time on.

Planning your day around La Viale

The easy difficulty rating, distance and elevation gain describe different aspects: the kilometre figure gives the route length, the approximately 2 hours and 43 minutes indicate an estimated duration, and 340 metres of elevation gain mark the ascent. Use the time as a guide for the hike itself and plan any additional visits separately. As trail conditions can change, check them before setting out.

The trail starts in the town. If its location matters to your daily plans, check the location of each accommodation option in relation to the starting point.

Prieuré and Eglise St Blaise

The Prieuré St-Blaise is a 12th-century Cluniac priory and is classified as a historic monument. The chapel of the Prieuré Saint-Blaise is open year-round; contact the municipality in advance for information about visiting arrangements. The Eglise St Blaise is a separate site: it was built from 1787 to August 1790 and blessed on 9 January 1791. The church is open daily year-round; check with the mairie before your visit.

The bell “Claire Immaculée” was blessed on 18 July 1875 and remains in an annex of the church. Plans to build a bell tower in the late 19th century were not carried out; the bell was restored in 1987. Its location in the annex is connected to the unrealised tower plans. This gives the history of the Eglise St Blaise its own story of a bell, in addition to the dates of its construction.

The timelines offer different points of reference: the priory dates back to the 12th century, the church to the late 18th century, and the bell to the 19th century. If you are particularly interested in architectural and church history, you can consider these periods separately.

Plan guided tours in advance

A 2020 association notice lists guided tours as one of the activities of Montbrison Archéologie Culture et Tourisme (MACT). Check the current programme before making plans. This will let you include a guided tour, the hike or church visits as separate activities during your stay.

Discover more destinations: Chamaloc, Soyans, Tulette, Granges-Les-Beaumont, Saint-Thomas-En-Royans, Cornillon-Sur-L'oule, Cléon-D'andran, Mornans

For the wider travel overview: Drôme.