Things to see and do Rhônes-Alpes

Housed in the rehabilitated buildings of the old convent of the Visitation (XVII), this huge museum is the only in the world dedicated to footwear. The extraordinary collection invites you to discover all the forms of footwear, from the most classic to the most extravagant, from the oldest to the most contemporary. This establishment in Romans is no coincidence, the town was the cradle of the shoe industry of romanaise luxury. Thus, we discover 4 000 years of history presented in the old cells of nuns. Ornaments and accessories adorned with symbolism, passion, art and sometimes even… precious stones. The oldest model presented shows 3 500 years of age: A sandal in Egypt papyrus. And among celebrities: shoes worn by the characters of the film the Titanic. Take two hours for this unavoidable visit and… good shoes!

In the beautiful Vercors massif, the Archiane circus is a must for hikers. To get there, you will pass the village of Châtillon-en-Diois, take the direction of Ménée and take the small road without exit of the Archiane circus. The site is classified, you will quickly understand why, wherever you look, whatever angle you choose, you will only have cliffs around you, steep slopes declining shades of grey, pink or ochre on grandiose natural sculptures. Nestled in the hollow of the circus, a small village will allow you to refresh yourself, and to regain your strength before or after one of the many hikes you have undertaken! The site houses the Diois organic fish farm (stand on the Die market).

A coup de la Petit Smart for this artisan nougaterie that you cannot miss on the Provencal. In the Apiary de Provence, a professor established in 1938 and since then taken over by the Bonnieu family, it is the guarantee of quality nougats, manufactured to old in old copper cauldrons with selected ingredients with the greatest care. The welcome of sir is already a treat, but the contents of the many bags never leave us on our hunger! Start with the nougat of lavender honey and almonds of Provence that are found in papillotes or in the form of kilometre points celebrating the national 7, but still flavoured nougats, pâtes pastes, tendre, calissons, fruit pastes and marshmallows them… All the declination of sweets! We can assist in the manufacture of nougat. Do you know it takes 5 hours to produce 100 kilos of artisan nougat? Smells are so enticing that you are literally saliva!

This flamboyant Gothic church houses a beautiful th century chair, th-century stained glass windows and Hanssen windows. You can discover the church on a free tour or enjoy a guided tour in the framework of the Old Centre tour planned by the Tourist Office of Roanne.

An edifying visit to pass on the memory to the young, hoping that barbarism will never return. Built in 1939, a few months after the declaration of war with Nazi Germany, requisitioned by the German army from February 1943 to August 1944, the Montluc prison is part of the Nazi repressive system in the heart of the "Capital of the Resistance". Under the control of the terrible Gestapo and Klaus Barbie, it was the place of detention of Jean Moulin, André Frossard, the children of Izieu and many Jewish families. Montluc was the prison of more than 10,000 victims of the Third Reich authorities. Resistance fighters, Jews, civilians, all knew the harshness of the conditions of detention. Montluc was often only a stage in the journey towards deportation and often extermination. The prison closed its doors for good in 2009. Montluc is not a museum, but a place of memory. Since January 2022, the building, which has remained close to its original state, has been restored and rehabilitated to better welcome visitors, particularly for accessibility, and to give an account to all audiences of a history that must not be forgotten. The work, planned until 2025, does not currently allow a complete visit of the prison, including the outer courtyards and some parts of the building visible at different times. A visit strongly recommended.

The discovery trail, or the ideal exit to combine sports and educational pleasures. In the forest of Seillon, 10 minutes from Bourg-en-Bresse towards Lyon, a small course has been set up to raise the awareness of young people (and why not others) to the environment. Fauna, flora, forest management: in just 2 kilometres on this forest trail, everything goes! Have you finished? Why not enjoy this green setting and continue with other outdoor activities? Mountain biking, hiking, playgrounds and picnic… In this 600 hectare forest, you have only the embarrassment of choice!

Tariff: free.

Distance: 1,5 km.

Difficulty: very easy.

Cross the Bresse from north to south through two tourist routes of 100 km each. Cheminez through the bocage in search of the strange sarrasines chimneys and traces of more than half a millennium of civilization between the th Century Romanesque churches, a th century feudal castle and its th square tower, pigeonholes, poypes, etc. On the road, many gastronomic and cultural breaks await you.