La Foret de Saou - A unique natural setting to escape, explore and recharge your batteries
Photos : L.Pascale – Drôme Attractivité
Staying with us means having this natural jewel within easy reach. Whether you're looking for peace and quiet, exploration or sporting activities, the Saou forest offers you a unique setting, with unspoilt nature and magnificent landscapes. It's a place to slow down, breathe and reconnect with what's essential.
Nestling in the heart of the Drôme provençale, just a stone's throw from our guest rooms, the Saou forest is an exceptional natural site, wild, majestic and deeply soothing. A veritable treasure trove of biodiversity, the forest is astonishing from the outset: encircled by a geological formation unique in Europe - a perched syncline - it forms a kind of natural cocoon covering more than 2,500 hectares, protected by a barrier of impressive limestone cliffs.
Here, nature reigns supreme. The forest is home to a rich and varied flora and fauna: beech trees, holm oaks, Scots pines, wild orchids, as well as chamois, deer, foxes, golden eagles and griffon vultures... It's a haven of peace, where nature reclaims its rights in a soothing silence, disturbed only by birdsong or the rustle of the wind in the foliage.
But the Saou forest is not just a place for contemplation. It's also a fantastic adventure playground for outdoor enthusiasts. Numerous hiking trails criss-cross the massif, offering routes to suit all abilities. Whether you take a leisurely stroll through the forest or climb the legendary Trois Becs, the panoramic views will reward you with every step. For mountain bikers, there are signposted trails through valleys and undergrowth, alternating between technical sections and rolling paths. Climbers will also find plenty to do on the massif's limestone cliffs, with several high-quality climbing sites.
The Saou forest can also be explored in other ways: on horseback, for a gentle, sensory experience; on a trail, for the more athletic; or simply during a picnic by a stream, to enjoy the peace and quiet of the area. In every season, the forest offers a new spectacle - in bloom in spring, cool in summer, an explosion of colour in autumn and majestic silence in winter.
At the heart of this astonishing forest stands an emblematic building: the Auberge des Dauphins. Built in 1930 in a style inspired by the Petit Trianon, this elegant residence has long welcomed walkers who have come to discover the forest. Recently restored, it now houses a modern museum dedicated to exploring the forest and its natural and human history.
An ideal stop-off for young and old alike, curious to gain a better understanding of this exceptional place.
