St-Remeze: Caves, trails and landscapes

Saint-Remèze lies between the Massif de la Dent de Rez, the Réserve Naturelle des Gorges de l’Ardèche, the Plateau du Laoul and the Ibie. When planning your stay, it is worth first distinguishing between the different highlights: caves and underground attractions, a guided nature walk, or trails leading up to the plateau and viewpoints. This lets you plan your stay around the activities that interest you most.

Landscape and traces of earlier land use

Saint-Remèze’s vineyards are located on the plateau at an altitude of 365 metres, within the AOP Côtes du Vivarais appellation. Loop 4 also passes through a landscape where earlier land use is still visible: the route runs past former cultivated terraces with dry-stone walls and through woodland of holm oaks and boxwood. Alongside its viewpoints, these details give the route its own distinct landscape character.

Hiking with a view

Loop 4 passes over Serre de Barrès and the Col d’Eyrole on its way to La Dent de Rez. The loop is 13 kilometres long and offers panoramic views of the village and the Saint-Remèze plateau. The climb reaches La Dent de Rez at an altitude of 719 metres, where it opens up a 360-degree panorama. The distance and the summit view describe different aspects of the hike: the kilometre count indicates its length, while the viewpoint promises a wide-ranging vista. The route guide dates from 2017; check trail conditions and access locally.

Caves and guided nature experiences

Grotte de la Madeleine lies in the heart of the Réserve naturelle des Gorges de l’Ardèche. Its large chambers feature stalactite and stalagmite formations in a variety of colours; the visit also includes a sound-and-light show. A guided nature walk combines a visit to the cave with a route in the Gorges de l’Ardèche. It leads to the Belvédère de la Cathédrale, through the woodlands of Malbosc and to the Dolmen de la Maison forestière. As dates are scheduled seasonally, it is advisable to check the plans before travelling.

Aven Marzal and other places to visit

Aven Marzal brings together the Aven Marzal cave, a museum of the underground world and the prehistoric zoo La forêt des Dino! The cave is 125 metres deep in total. For those interested in underground spaces, this site offers not only a cave but also two other attractions that broaden the focus of a visit.

The Saint-Remèze topoguide also offers guidance for different activities: the 2017 edition includes eight hiking routes and two mountain bike routes. Published in 2017, it offered route sheets in PDF format and GPX tracks for free download. Check trail conditions locally before setting out.

Les Escargots des Restanques is a snail farm in Saint-Remèze that offers visits. Check the arrangements for visits before you arrive. A cave visit, nature walk, summit hike and farm visit each offer a different focus; choose the activities that suit your interests when planning your trip.

Discover more destinations: Félines, Pont-De-Labeaume, Peyraud, Vogüé, Laboule, Rochepaule, Sarras, Champis.

For the broader travel overview: Ardèche.