Discover Cornillac: Church, Lanes and Hiking

When planning a stay in Cornillac, the village’s history, layout and hiking opportunities can each serve as a focus. The Sainte-Marie-Madeleine Church, the lanes, and specific offerings related to hiking and agricultural production provide starting points for exploring the area.

Churches and Local History

The parish church of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine has stood above Cornillac for eight centuries and is a remarkable architectural monument. Its history dates back to a 13th-century chapel. This connects the village’s long-standing character with a specific historical origin.

The restored Chapelle Saint Genest stands in the Serre district and overlooks an impressive landscape. The two buildings offer different perspectives: Sainte-Marie-Madeleine is associated with the village’s terraced layout, while Saint Genest is associated with the landscape. If you are interested in Cornillac’s architectural history, each offers its own view of the village.

Village Layout, Lanes and Landscape

Cornillac is laid out in terraces around the Sainte-Marie-Madeleine Church. Its steep lanes offer views of the cliffs of the Saint Laurent plateau. The defining features therefore include not only individual buildings, but also the village’s layout and the views from its lanes.

Cornillac is one of the municipalities in the Natura 2000 site “Pelouses et habitats rocheux des Gorges de Pommerol” (grasslands and rocky habitats of the Pommerol Gorges). The village’s appearance, views of the cliffs and its connection to this protected area offer different landscape-related themes to consider when planning your trip.

Hiking Around Cornillac

The Tour de l'Adret is a moderately difficult circular hike that starts at the Pierre-Vieille trailhead in Cornillac. The route descends to the village and ends with another climb. When choosing this hike, both its moderate difficulty rating and the described sequence of descent and further ascent are relevant.

Les Cols des ânes offers donkey hikes from its location in Cornillac. Options include day trips with a picnic on the riverbank, as well as multi-day hikes with overnight stays in a bivouac or accommodation. If you are choosing between the options, they differ mainly in duration and type of overnight stay.

Farm Visits and Produce

Ferme de Pierre Vieille offers guided individual and group visits on request. The farm welcomes school groups for half-day visits that introduce the farm and its activities. Tastings of its organic products are also available on site. Plants are dried and distilled to produce seasonings, herbal teas, essential oils and floral waters; the farm also grows vegetables.

At Plantago, the focus is on cultivation and its own products: medicinal plants are grown on 2,500 m² using organic methods and without mechanisation. The farm’s products are made from plants it grows itself or gathers wild in the surrounding area. The farms’ products and visitor offerings therefore differ: Ferme de Pierre Vieille offers tastings and visits, while Plantago focuses on growing and processing plants.

Discover more destinations: Grignan, Bren, Manas, Savasse, Pierrelongue, Eurre, Grane, Bésignan

Return to the regional travel overview: Drôme.