Finally it was time to move to our last overnight destination, Aubenas (Ardèche), the gateway to the Ardèche mountains. To be clear, we did not plan any of the vacation before traveling, but booked only few days ahead as we went. Only the first night in Orange was booked beforehand.

On our way to Aubenas we stopped at the lake Charpal for a relaxed hike around the lake. As we started on the shady side of the lake, it was still quite cold; the plants and the ground were frosty, and it did not get much warmer as we mostly walked in the pine and spruce forests. Whenever we caught a glimpse of the lake, the view was quite scenic.

We spent the first full day in Aubenas exploring the town that is located on an elevated plateau with the town center on the top of the plateau — it was quite a climb from our Airbnb apartment.

From outside the view of Aubenas is dominated by the castle that dates back to the 14th century, but has since undergone multiple renovations resulting in a mixture of architectural styles. Currently the castle serves as the townhall. However, from within the downtown the castle is a bit difficult to see (and take pictures of) because of trees, restaurant patios, cars etc. blocking the view. We had a nice stroll in the town before descending to our apartment.

A noteworthy fact about Aubenas tourism office: there was an English speaking guide. She had a pin of the British flag on her blouse, so we could start speaking English to her right away “We see that you speak English!” And she was quite eager to do so! This may be a strange thing to mention, but it is not uncommon to find no foreign language speakers in French tourism offices, even in places that certainly attract a lot of foreign tourists.

The last post about this vacation (Part VII) is about a long hike near Aubenas, from Ville to Vogué, and visit to Montelimar on our drive home.