Montaulieu: Cliffside Village, Landscape and Local History

Montaulieu is a village perched on a rocky outcrop at an altitude of 500 m. Several specific themes come together here when choosing a destination: a landscape of wild nature and regional crops, local history reflected in buildings from different periods, as well as hiking and a climbing area. If you are considering which surroundings and activities are right for your trip, these highlights can be considered separately: landscape and trails on the one hand, historic buildings on the other.

Cliffside Village and Cultural Landscape

Typical crops in the region include olive trees, lavender, apricot trees, grapevines and lime trees. Wild nature is also part of Montaulieu’s landscape. Natural and cultivated elements are therefore equally part of the surroundings. The combination of landscape and village history offers two perspectives on the destination: plants and trees shape its rural character, while the church, chapel and historical traces mark the built history of the village.

Church, Chapel and Architectural Traces

The present-day Saint-Jacques Church was built in 1859. According to Abbé Vandamme’s notes, the central chapel dates back to the 14th century. It collapsed in the 1950s and was rebuilt around 1975 by Hamonet. This timeline shows two distinct building histories: Saint-Jacques, built in 1859, and the older chapel, dating from the Middle Ages and later collapsing before being rebuilt.

A former defensive wall around Montaulieu was already mentioned in the archives in the 15th century; no trace of it remains. By contrast, at the southern end of Montaulieu, a truncated stone cylinder from the larger corner tower of the château lord’s former manor house remains. The smaller corner tower of the same manor house was incorporated into Mr. Mériat’s sheepfold; this sheepfold later became Montaulieu’s present-day town hall.

Hiking and Climbing

The long “Les six cols” hike connects six mountain passes and offers numerous viewpoints over the surrounding mountains. On this route, the trail heads from Col des Lantons at 726 m toward Montaulieu, passing Rocher Crespin; on IGN maps, the rock is called Rocher Florin. Rocher Crespin is a climbing area for advanced climbers.

Numerous other hikes also pass through Montaulieu’s local Lieux-dits. Lieux-dits are locally named places; the term distinguishes these trails from the long route over six mountain passes. The route at Col de la Vôte can also be ridden on a VTC. The route options therefore include a long pass hike, other hikes through named local areas, and a route suitable for a VTC.

An Event from Local Life

The Fête de la Soupe took place in Montaulieu on February 15, 2025, and February 28, 2026. Alongside the long-term building history, a more recent event date is also part of the picture of the village.

Discover more destinations: Crest, Propiac, Glandage, Albon, Ponet-Et-Saint-Auban, Pontaix, Bénivay-Ollon, Beaufort-Sur-Gervanne

For the broader travel overview: Drôme.