Overlooking the River Ardèche, the old village of Balazuc clings its bluish stones to the side of the wall, tumbling down towards the precipice. The village’s charm lies in its calades, steep streets and squares lined with fig trees…

A fiery river, the Ardèche, crossing to the south, has opened up a wide gap in the limestone plateau planted with garrigues and forests, creating impressive sheer cliffs.

This “Village de caractère”, also “Plus beau village de France”, can be discovered on foot through its maze of shady lanes.

As you look up, you’ll discover fine remnants of its past history: gutters, tri-lobed windows, sewage drains, pointed-arched doors and vaulted passageways (from the rue de la Tour carrée to the Calade, from the Calade to the Trouée de la Fachinière).

Quartier du Pont :

Also known as the mercadio or egg market district, in reference to the market that took place outside the village walls since the Middle Ages, the bridge district retains some 15th-century facades.

Before the bridge was built, a ferry was used to cross the river: the remains of the landing stage can still be seen on the right bank.

 The Romanesque church

The layout of this small Romanesque church, with its two adjoining naves, is original to say the least! Rather than an extension of the original 12th-century church, it could be the construction of a second church a century later, for the personal use of the lords of Balazuc. The stonework, now left bare and undecorated, reveals volumes and materials with simplicity.

 The church is home to some interesting objets d’art. An ancient flat-stone altar with gutters was found under the church floor.

 The stone statue of the Virgin and Child is touching: simple and squat, it retains some of its polychromy.

Queen Jeanne Tower

The Tour de la Reine Jeanne overlooks the Ardèche from the riverbank opposite the village. Built in the 14th century during the troubles of the Hundred Years’ War, it serves as an outpost and defends Balazuc.

 Saint-Jean-Baptiste chapel:

This late 13th-century funeral chapel retains the beginnings of a barrel vault. Above the doorway is a heraldic shield depicting a sparrow hawk.

 The old Audon

The hamlet of Viel Audon is a collective place where several structures carry out activities: the farm, youth workcamps, public reception and accommodation, as well as cultural and artistic activities. This Balazuc hamlet is only accessible on foot via the cliff or along the Ardèche river.

The Viel Audon site has been inhabited since prehistoric times by people happy to find a mild climate, a river full of fish, a spring at a constant temperature, and abundant fauna and vegetation. The caves overlooking the hamlet bear witness to their passage.

It is estimated that in the 18th century, eight families, or around one hundred people, lived on the site and practiced subsistence farming.

At the beginning of the 19th century, the “golden age” of silk in the Ardèche, the inhabitants left this area to build large magnaneries (worm farms) on the plateau overlooking the hamlet.

A century of abandonment and neglect has seen it fall into ruin and disappear under ivy and brambles.

In the 70s, a few “utopians” got it into their heads to breathe new life into Viel Audon. To make this crazy project a reality, they organized youth volunteer workcamps.

More than 10,000 volunteers and young people took part in the reconstruction of the hamlet, building on a foundation of sharing and mutual aid, both on the site and in everyday life.