Aulan: Holiday Apartments and Holiday Homes

Aulan lies at an altitude of 740 m between the Montagnes de Buc (1,442 m) and the Ubac (1,036 m), on the edge of the Toulourenc gorges. The Château d’Aulan stands on a rocky promontory and overlooks the Toulourenc valley.

When planning a personal stay in Aulan, the desire to rent a holiday apartment may be part of the travel plans.

Culture

The Château d’Aulan was built in the 12th century on the site of a Roman oppidum. Since 9 May 1950, the façades and roofs of the Château d’Aulan have been partially protected under the French historical monument classification.

Guided tours of the private rooms are offered at the Château d’Aulan. A tour lasts approximately 45 minutes; the route leads over numerous narrow staircases and is therefore not accessible to people with reduced mobility.

The Église Saint-Jacques was destroyed in 1599 and restored during the 17th century. It is located below the Château d’Aulan and served both the château and the village. The church features a semicircular Romanesque apse and a bell tower with arcades.

The Aulan heritage trail includes the Ancienne école and a station dedicated to Arthur de Suarez, Marquis d’Aulan (1833–1915). During his terms as mayor, a reforestation campaign using Austrian black pines was carried out in Aulan under Arthur de Suarez.

In the past, the inhabitants of Aulan baked their bread in the communal bread oven located on a slope, after having their grain milled at the mill on the Toulourenc.

Nature

Aulan is part of the Natura 2000 site “L’Ouvèze et le Toulourenc”, identified as FR 9301577. The site was included in the Natura 2000 network in 2006 as a site of community importance and converted into a special area of conservation in 2010.

Hiking

The Les deux châteaux route starts at the Château d’Aulan car park at an altitude of 780 m. Les deux châteaux is a signposted circular hike covering 24.3 km, with a duration of 6 hours 41 minutes, a very high difficulty level and 936 m of elevation gain; the start and finish are in Montbrun-les-Bains.

The La Bohémienne route crosses the bridge over the Toulourenc and follows a path that crosses the Quinsant stream.

Visitor Information

Near the Château d’Aulan, parking facilities, a picnic area and toilets are listed as visitor amenities.

Other destinations: Truinas, Marsaz, Lus-La-Croix-Haute, Souspierre, La Touche, Épinouze, Saint-Auban-Sur-L'ouvèze, Saint-Jean-En-Royans

To the higher-level travel overview: Drôme.