Bathernay developed on the slopes and at the foot of a wooded promontory, where a feudal castle is located. The paths through the village include Bathernay’s heritage trail: the easy 2 km hiking route has 12 markers, takes around 1 hour and 30 minutes, and can be followed in all four seasons.
Nature
The Bathernay trail leads to Mont Ventefort. From its summit, it offers a 360-degree view of the surrounding villages, the Monts d'Ardèche and the Pilat, the Vercors, and the Alps.
The Baumes of Bathernay are a distinctive feature of the slopes. They consist of caves formed in soft molasse, which were used, among other things, as agricultural outbuildings, storage areas, or living quarters. The cave dwellings of Bathernay are associated with the soft molasse rocks of the Drôme. In the Drôme des Collines, Bathernay is one of the places where some of these caves are still inhabited.
Culture
The Église Saint-Étienne in Bathernay contains polychrome stone statues from the 15th and 16th centuries, as well as modern stained-glass windows installed during its restoration in 2006. The Vierge du Voeu, also known as “Notre-Dame”, was commissioned in response to the vow made on 15 August 1944 and erected on 27 October 1946.
The Ancien presbytère in Bathernay is a former fortified house belonging to the medieval castle complex, which later became the presbytery and retains Gothic features from the 13th and 14th centuries. Bathernay also has a recently established museum interpretation centre.
On the Way
The starting sign for the heritage trail is located next to the car park in the village centre; the accompanying document is available from Bathernay Town Hall. In addition, the “Bathernay, patrimoine & paysages” circuit comprises nine stages and is 1.7 km long.
The Église Saint-Étienne can be visited free of charge; individual visits without a guide are possible at any time, and guided tours are available on request. The treasure hunt “Sur les pas d'Imbert de Batarnay” starts at Bathernay Town Hall and takes individual visitors an average of 90 minutes.
Renting a holiday apartment in Bathernay can be part of your own travel plans.
Further destinations lead to Peyrins, Le Poët-en-Percip, Pontaix, Mollans-Sur-Ouveze, Piégon, Saint-Marcel-Lès-Sauzet, Taulignan and Saint-Marcel-lès-Valence.
