Sustainable tourism

In the Drôme, more and more visitor accommodation is now incorporating ecology into its everyday practice and is following HQE® guidelines (High Quality Environmental Practice). Some establishments also offer you the opportunity to live the ecological adventure for a day, over the weekend or for a longer stay. Here are a few addresses and a holiday offer featuring ecological experiences:

Set in the little village of La Roche sur Grâne, perched on a rocky outcrop the agro-ecological centre of Les Amanins has thrived here since 2003.

The centre extends to 55 hectares of well-conserved nature. This is a food-producing enterprise combined with an introduction to ecology, born of a meeting between Pierre RABHI (well-known agronomist and philosopher, and founder of the Colibris movement, which encourages each person to « make a difference »), and company boss, Michel VALENTIN.

The green thread running through the establishment is the question « what kind of planet are we leaving our children? What children will be leaving for the planet? ». From this philosophy a number of actions, which we can all take, flow, based on responsibility, solidarity, transmission and education, and involving the natural environment (agri-ecology, permaculture, waste recycling, production and use of renewable energy, eco-building).

Today the « minor planet of Les Amanins » revolves around three features:

• a reception and transmission centre working through courses, seminars, themed holidays, discovery classes, etc. At Les Amanins you are invited to take an active part in workshops, help out with harvesting crops, make bread, produce cheeses, mould unfired earth bricks, etc.
• a school with the accent on ‘living together’.
• A farm based on market gardening, stock rearing and grain production.

Everything is home-made: a wind generator produces electricity for the centre; solar panels heat water and the buildings. These sources of heat can be topped up, depending on the season, by a wood-fired boiler and wood-burning stoves.

The plant-based purification system produces pure water suitable for watering plants. So, whether it be for a meal, a relaxing day or a longer stay, try the experience out for yourself.

Biovallée® : A territory engaged in an innovative initiative whose objectives are to conceive, identify, promote and multiply sustainable development practices accessible to all. These are the strategic goals of Biovallée® : sustainable, human and balanced development for all and by all, based on local resources and the innovatory potential of the area.  Whatever the current situation is, whatever the means at your disposal or the scale, everyone can contribute: local authorities; groups and associations; companies and individuals.

Biovallée® offers the means through which cooperation can take place, featuring the Biovallée® label, a website, a network of members and themed discussions (the ‘Entretiens Biovallée®)’. The organisations involved in Biovallée® include local authorities, companies, societies and local people who wish to promote sustainable development: development which is capable of responding to the needs of current generations without compromising the enjoyment of future generations (World Commission on Environment and Development – the Brundland report – Our shared Future).

From the sources of the Drôme all the way to the confluence with the Rhône, Biovallée® has built itself up over a period of 40 years through shared working practices between actors and organisations, and innovatory individuals. Today it has become a European benchmark in terms of sustainable development. The exemplary restoration on the Drôme river, for example, a centre of organic excellence (agriculture and cosmetics), a leader in eco-construction, renewable energy, green tourism and co-operatives. A multitude of experiences and examples which are now shared with visitors from all over Europe.

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