Church of Darbres
Neogothic church from de 19th century. It is dedicates to Saint Accons, bishop of Viviers during the 8th century. The village bore his name for a long time.
Neogothic church from de 19th century. It is dedicates to Saint Accons, bishop of Viviers during the 8th century. The village bore his name for a long time.
Discover the remains of the Bastide Royale, in the heart of Villeneuve de Berg The Bastide Royale was created in 1284 by a deed of betrothal between Philippe III le Hardi, King of France, and the Abbot of Mazan. This established royal justice over the whole of the Bas Vivarais and built a new town with its ramparts, its corner towers, its war gate or gate of honour adorned with the coat of arms of the town, its royal house, now the town hall (under the courtroom you can visit the prisons). Ancient sundials can be seen in the streets of the village.
The church has a strange bell tower: a 9m high statue of Our Lady of Lourdes. It is said that it would have been built in thanks for having spared the village from an epidemic of cholera which had struck the neighboring villages.
Darbres is a picturesque village nestled alongside the cliffs of the Coiron plateau. There are traces of life dating to the Neolithic age and writings that document the existence of Darbres dating the 10th century.
It is the highest village in this area-from here you have a real birds eye view. At one time a fortified wall surrounded it, today just a few architectural elements remain including the ruins of its castle. Labeled "Village of character" since 2020.
Romans Bridge
The church of Berzème appears as soon as 1170. It is a Romanesque church with a wooden bell from the 18th century.
At the southern end of the village you will find an exceptional archeological and geological site, called Balmes de Montbrun. The name Balmes d'Montbrun or burned mountain, evokes its volcanic origins.
At the foot of the Coiron can be seen a basalt "neck" (mass of volcanic rock), which is surely one of the largest in Europe. In the village remains of its medieval age can be seen on its fortified gate.
This village was fortified at the Middle Ages during the 100 years war and some of its ramparts are still standing today. It is situated on the road leading to Alba at the border of where the black basalt columns and white limestone rock are found.