Beaumont-Monteux: History, Garden Art and Geocaching

Beaumont-Monteux brings together the Isère and a local history shaped by a medieval commandery and recurring floods. It also offers a geocaching route with 14 hidden markers, which can be completed on foot or by bicycle. This gives you two specific ways to plan your trip: exploring the village’s historical changes and following a route to notable places in the municipality.

The Isère, municipal boundaries and local history

The Isère forms the boundary between Beaumont-Monteux and the municipality of Châteauneuf-sur-Isère to the east and south. Another historical line is the Roman road, known in the municipality as Chemin de la Vie Magne. It ran through the area and forms the boundary with the municipality of Pont-de-l’Isère.

From Le Perrou to reconstruction

An old commandery was established in Le Perrou in 1202. It was founded by the Hospitallers of Saint John of Jerusalem, also known as the Knights of Malta. A flood of the Isère destroyed the commandery building; the Hospitallers then withdrew to Saint-Romain-en-Gal. This sequence connects a medieval site in Beaumont-Monteux with the history of the order and the later loss of the building.

The Isère also shaped the development of the old village. Floods in the 18th century destroyed large parts of Beaumont-Monteux. Most of those affected rebuilt their homes at the village’s current location. By 1806, the old village had completely disappeared; a few houses and the parish church had survived the floods until then. The reconstruction and the disappearance of the old village are two distinct stages in the area’s history.

The Saint-Vincent tradition is another historical landmark: it was founded in 1886. The timeline can be traced through four dates: 1202 marks the commandery, the 18th century the destruction of large parts of the old village, 1806 its disappearance, and 1886 the Saint-Vincent tradition. This historical perspective thus stretches from a medieval chapter to a much later tradition.

Geocaching, garden art and cycling

The Géocaching: Les curiosités de Beaumont route leads to notable places in Beaumont-Monteux and can be completed by bicycle or on foot. Along the way, 14 hidden markers are scattered across the landscape. This gives the route a specific treasure-hunt element and makes it a different way to explore the area than stopping at a single historical site. You can choose whether to visit the points on foot or by bicycle.

Another thematic highlight is the Jardin zen d’Erik Borja. The garden was started in 1973 and combines Japanese garden art with its creator’s Mediterranean roots and the distinctive features of the Drôme. The visitor route passes in sequence through the reception, meditation, tea, strolling and dragon gardens. These five areas give the visit a thematic progression. Independent, self-guided visits are possible at any time; check access information again before your trip.

For a regional cycling option, the “Circuit VAE: La vallée de l’Isère” loop first passes through vineyards. It then follows protected paths alongside the waters of the Isère and the Rhône. Compared with the geocaching route, this one focuses on stretches of landscape; the geocaching route is about hidden markers and notable places in the municipality. The cycling options therefore have different emphases: a treasure-hunt route on foot or by bike, and a regional loop featuring vineyards and riverside stretches.

If you’re looking for hotels in Beaumont-Monteux, you can use these different interests as a starting point for planning your trip: local history, the geocaching route or garden art. Historical dates put the village’s development in context, while the routes and the garden offer their own thematic highlights for your stay.

Discover more destinations: Saint-Maurice-Sur-Eygues, Aulan, Vinsobres, Saint-Rambert-D'albon, Le Chaffal, La Baume-Cornillane, Chatuzange-Le-Goubet, Beausemblant.

For the main travel overview: Drôme.