Ancône: Rhône Heritage, History and Routes

Ancône is home to historic sites, routes connected with the Rhône, and waterscapes. When looking for a hotel for your stay in Ancône, you can decide what matters most to you: architectural and local history, a route on foot or by bike, or fishing. The distinctions below can help you determine the focus of your trip planning.

Historic Sites and Rhône Heritage

The Digue, together with the church, is considered one of Ancône’s most significant historic sites. Its present structure dates from the period following the major Rhône flood of 1856. The structure’s significance and this date are closely linked: the Digue is a historic landmark in the village and is also connected with a major event in the history of the Rhône.

The Chapelle Saint-Nicolas is located inside the Église Saint-Corneille et Saint-Cyprien, also known as the Church of the Boatmen. Another dated historic reference is Cardinal Richelieu’s stay on 25 August 1642 in Rue Cardinale. For a cultural and historical perspective, you can therefore choose between a named religious site and a stay on a particular street at a precisely documented date.

The Chapelle-Maison du Patrimoine is decorated with new stained-glass windows that recall the history of Ancône. Here, the connection between architecture and local history can be seen in a specific detail. The “Ancône, fille du Rhône” route, by contrast, leads to preserved traces of the village’s Rhône heritage. These offer two different ways to explore the heritage: an architectural feature and a route focused on surviving traces.

The temporary “Parcours éphémère des murs d’Ancône” was created in 2025 with the active involvement of local residents. The artist Scaro led the project and created most of the illustrations. Unlike the preserved traces of “Ancône, fille du Rhône,” this is an art project explicitly intended to be temporary. Local residents’ involvement and the illustrations shape this approach to local history.

Routes, Bridge and Water

The historic “Des quais d’Ancône aux îles du Rhône” route is marked in yellow and can be completed on foot or by bike, including a mountain bike (VTT) or hybrid bike (VTC). Check the local signage before setting out. The range of specified ways to travel makes the route suitable for different kinds of plans: you can consider it for a walk or a cycling excursion.

At the Himalaya Bridge, Ancône offers direct access to this remarkable structure and to the ViaRhôna. At this point, the ViaRhôna runs along the Rhône on its route from Lake Geneva to the Mediterranean. This offers a different point of reference for planning than the historic route: at the bridge, the focus is on access to a route alongside the Rhône, while the historic route is defined by its yellow signage and the option to complete it on foot or by bike.

The Lône in Ancône is a secondary or former river channel that fills during high water or flooding. The Lône and the counter-channel near Ancône offer fishing opportunities. For Lac d’Ancône, the 2026 Drôme fishing guide specifically states that float-tube use is permitted. The information varies in its level of detail: fishing opportunities are mentioned for the Lône and counter-channel, while the lake also has a specific float-tube rule for 2026.

When looking for a hotel in Ancône, these distinctions can be a starting point: first decide whether local history, a route on foot or by bike, or water and fishing will be the main focus of your stay. You can then compare the options in the destination according to what matters most for your trip.

Discover more destinations: Montaulieu, Aleyrac, Grane, Saint-Bonnet-de-Valclérieux, Mirabel-Aux-Baronnies, Épinouze, Montmiral, Alixan.

For the regional travel overview: Drôme.