gateway to the vercors

Like a feeling of having taken the wrong road or that it ends at the foot of the mountain… On one side, a rocky outcrop and the gorge, on the other the river and the foothills of the Vercors. And in the middle, Pont-en-Royans. Houses on the mountainside, narrow streets, until you arrive on the banks of the Bourne. The horizon widens and so does your vision. You see the hanging houses that make the village unique, then, further on, everything shrinks. Pont-en-Royans is located at the entrance to the Gorges de la Bourne, one of the roads to access the Vercors. These roads, created in the XNUMXth century, made it possible to open up the Vercors and its inhabitants and still today make Pont-en-Royans an essential place of passage.

The essentials of Pont-en-Royans

the hanging houses

Listed since 1944, these houses with colorful facades suspended in the void above the Bourne were built in the XNUMXth century to promote the transport and trade of wood from the Vercors, which descended along the Bourne. A strategic place for trade between products from the plain and the mountains, this original architecture made it possible to save space in this narrow site, surrounded by cliffs.

the recreation area

The walk along the banks of the Bourne, a bucolic place conducive to relaxation, will offer you a breathtaking view of the hanging houses. Picnic in this shaded green space and enjoy the joys of swimming, with a waterfall to cool off, or fishing along the river.

BELVEDERE OF THE 3 CASTLES

This short but intense pedestrian climb will allow you to cross the medieval quarter with its picturesque alleys and terraced gardens. You will benefit from a wide panorama of the Royans and the Gorges de la Bourne as a reward.

cultural sites and visits not to be missed

discovery tour of the village

Hanging houses, river banks, historical remains, medieval streets, terraced gardens... A tour of the village to discover its unique architecture, all the main points of interest and better understand what makes Pont-en-Royans the one of the most curious villages of the Dauphiné.

Village map

Panoramic view of the village of Pont-en-RoyansJustine Barbier

A postcard landscape that had already impressed Stendhal in "Memoirs of a Tourist"

“After crossing the pretty forest of Claix, we came to a steep descent and, at the bottom of the hill, we saw Pont-en-Royans. (…) The Bourne, a river famous in the country for the transparency and beauty of its waters, rumbles through the village, forms several waterfalls and runs towards the Isère. Excellent trout can be fished there; the best are speckled with red dots and weigh less than a pound. The Bourne is thirty-five meters wide; you have to climb on the bridge, which is semicircular and very high, to enjoy the whole. Along each house, you can see some small pipes that go down to the river, and, what is more singular, you can see close to it, on the windows, many small wooden seals, each hanging from an iron chain. passing over a pulley and at every moment, with these little buckets, the inhabitants, without having bad thoughts, draw the water they need from the river. »

Sunset over the village of Pont-en-RoyansJustine Peilley

For further…

Organize your holidays in Pont-en-Royans

Discover a wide selection of accommodation and restaurants for the ideal stay in the region of Pont-en-Royans, at the entrance to the Gorges de la Bourne and at the gates of the Vercors!