Le sentier botanique du Châtelard

An all-ages trail for families and botanists! A walk in the heart of the sensitive natural area and Zone Nature 2000 on the Châtelard hill.

Some thirty plants that are part of the site's natural heritage are identified by signs along the way.

Situated on a base of molassic sandstone, this hill offers landscapes of cliffs, sand, dry grasslands and mixed forests. Along the way, you'll discover imposing quarry faces and vast caves, testimony to the exploitation of molasse as a building material since Antiquity. At the summit, a breathtaking view from the statue of the Virgin Mary by sculptor Donzelli.

The Mediterranean vegetation consists mainly of species adapted to the heat and dryness of the dry, sandy soil. Some are highly specific to this fragile environment.

The fauna is abundant on the site, with many uncommon species linked to the dry, sandy environment. Bees, bats, impusae, anteaters, wasps, stag beetles, butterflies... all find refuge here.


Accessible from Valence by public transport.

How to get there:
- Take Citéa line 20 from Pôle Bus Valence (direction Châteauneuf).
- Get off at the "Châteauneuf Centre" stop in Châteauneuf-sur-Isère, which is just a few steps from the church square where the walk begins.