Get the green light
Looking for green landscapes? Restore yourself in the Pays Diois where the spirit of the South meets the heights of the Vercors.
We adore the Vercors! This the ideal place to feast your eyes and also to build up your walking muscles: vast open spaces, the freshness of pine woods, cave systems, waterfowl and rare plants.
We say yes to the South and the Baronnies. The sun of Provence is a given for any holiday. In the little unspoilt valleys, with their forgotten villages and secret gorges you lose all sense of time and you can let stress take a break.
Too much room!
Overcrowding is not a problem in the Pays Diois, you will find that there is plenty room for everyone! We have the smallest commune in France, which only has one full-time inhabitant!
Don’t increase pollution by looking it up on Wikipedia, it’s Rochefourchat and even in Die, our sous-préfecture town with a human scale, there are only has 4,900 inhabitants so we don’t get in each other’s way.
In other words, we have good quality of life!
Because it’s lively
There are over 250 cultural organisations in the Diois, whereas the population density per sq km is twice as low as that of the Creuse.
The events diary is always full, with not to be missed regular festivals such as Arts et Vigne or Airs de Rue, traditional events such as the Transhumance, or engaged events such as Rencontres de Die – Écologie au quotidien or, there again, sporting events such as the Drômoise mass cycling event.
And if none of that tempts you, we simply suggest you find yourself, reconnect with nature or simply do very little and rewind your personal clock.
You can ski but only when the resorts are open!
Set in a landscape full of contrasts, the softness of the valleys and easy slopes are a paradise for off piste skiing: cross country skiing, dog sleighing, luge and snow racquet walks.
The steeper upper slopes of the Haut Diois provide technical challenges for experienced cross-country skiers.
And, with a bit of luck and a bit of snow, we look forward to the opening of our smaller family ski resorts.
And this summer, our mountain leisure centres will open their pistes for downhill scooters, ‘dévalkart’, luge on rails, etc.
And, of course, it’s great just to be surrounded by nature!
It smells good!
Lavender isn’t just the standard smell you find in deodorants, It’s above all a heady natural fragrance which even a mask can’t keep out!
Enjoy the Pays Diois and discover all the properties of lavender which are good for your health. As well as breathing in the fragrance of lavender there is also that instantly recognisable colour which will stoke your memory of enchanted landscapes.
This summer, in the midst of nature, follow the roads dedicated to this charismatic plant and discover all its secrets. Other, less obvious, aromatic plants will add fragrance to your walks and can also be used in cooking.
Elsewhere you can simply rely on the purity of the air!
We eat well here
And healthily! The time you spent at home in 2020 helped you discover your talents which had previously been so well hidden?
Our organic area par excellence offers produce of a rare quality, so stand by your kitchen range!
Are you a lover of Provencal cuisine or fancy a good mountain recipe?
Try the products which are quietly growing away at your holiday destination and ensure that the diversity of the landscapes ends up in your plates!
And if you are not keen to do the cooking, let the restaurants do the job for you, so ‘bonne dégustation’!
We know how to drink for pleasure
If you are seeking out elegance, the famous sparkling Clairette de Die allows you to curl that little finger around the stem of a classy flute (long glass) to welcome in the New Year.
Drink the Châtillon-en-Diois wines from balloon glasses to accompany your festive meals.
And don’t forget our latest drink: beer; perfect between friends to relive the adventures of your day and share a drink.
We understand the past in order to plan the future!
Wherever one looks, the little villages are still in their original context, huddled around their Catholic and/or Protestant church They appear to be sleeping underneath their tiled roofs.
They hang on to the steep slopes and are set on a rocky hilltop or down on the valley floor.
Often these villages will appear round a corner in what had appeared to be an uninhabited landscape.
At the heart of isolated villages each stone is a witness to the past and time often seems to have stood still, so take advantage of this and slow down; change your view of everyday life!
For the clarity of starry skies
Because we need to learn about the beauty of what we see around us every day.
Because the Pays Diois is not polluted and has no bright lighting, we can unhook the moon and approach the stars!
Lie down in the grass on a summer night, listen to the nocturnal animals and look at the stars: we can all escape in this way!
And if you are intrigued by the mysteries of the infinite, enrol in August with the Rencontres Astrociel in Valdrôme !
Because the people who live there are remarkable!
And not only the staff of the Office de Tourisme 😉
The Diois has traditionally been a land of refuge and today it’s a clever mix of rural customs and a desire for renewal, all on what has historically been a fertile ground for questioning and revolt.
An area where living together is pleasant because of an openness of spirit, a dynamic attitude and a willingness to share and initiate! Curious to see the result?
The Office de Tourisme du Pays Diois team hope to meet you soon in our little corner of paradise!
The abuse of alcohol is bad for your health. Drink only in moderation.