The Ardèche department, which is located in the south-eastern part of France and named after the river Ardèche, offers its visitors with its unique landscape and interesting flora and fauna an ideal retreat for relaxation in every season. More than 180,000 hectares of land in the Ardèche are put under the protection of the Natural Park of Monts d’Ardèche. The landscape of the Ardèche is divided in two. In the northern part, where the river Loire flows, the oldest mountain range of the world is situated, which reaches an altitude of 1,700 meters. The further one goes south, the flatter the regions becomes up to an altitude of 180 m above sea level. Here olives, grapes, peaches, chestnuts and cherries prosper. In winter the Ardèche region has a lot to offer with four winter sports areas ranging from 600 to 1,600 meters above sea level. These 4 winter sports resorts are La croix de Bauzon, Domaine Nordique de la Chavade, Site du Pal and Montivernoux. Here skiers can spend a fantastic winter sports day far away from the crowds and cross-country skiers can traverse the beautiful Ardèche region on the well-maintained cross-country trails. But also snowshoeing, dog sledding, tobogganing and much more, ensure a varied programme during the winter holiday in the Ardèche.
