Hilltop villages

Montbrun-les-Bains, a spa village at the heart of the Drôme Provençale, combines well-being facilities with a lovely natural setting and much to see and do. Walk past lavender fields, savour local specialities and, above all, enjoy the beneficial effects of its spa waters, as a patient or for fitness/beauty treatment in its modern and welcoming hydrotherapy establishment.

This village, tucked behind its ramparts on the edge of a limestone plateau overlooking the Pierrelatte plain, has retained its medieval layout. It has been tastefully restored by the people who live there all year round.

A Provençal peak. The medieval hilltop village of Le Poët-Laval, in the southern Drôme, is classed as one of the loveliest villages in France. It has a kind of absolute beauty, rather like a mini Versailles-on-the-hill. Legend has it that there is always a ray of sunshine on this village where the light is most beautiful in autumn when the days grow shorter...

From its medieval past, this village has retained its walls, the base of its castle keep and narrow streets, ideal for a gentle stroll.

An impregnable site: cliffs at the far end of the Plateau du Savel underpin the ruins of an ancient stronghold. Below them, the hamlet of Gigors clings to the steep slopes and the church of Saint Pierre, in its 'lovely isolation' dominates the Sye and Chantemerle valleys. Nearby, a homogeneous group of rural houses forms the hamlet of Lozeron.

Allex is one of the largest hilltop villages. It's delightful to wander around the maze of streets, passages and stairways. There are some wonderful viewpoints on the many footpaths in the surrounding area.

Halfway between Valence and Montélimar, Mirmande enjoys a superb setting which you are sure to love. Walk along its steep streets to the 12th century church of Sainte-Foy, now used for exhibitions and concerts. In the 19th century this fortified hillside village had a population of 3,000 people, employed in silkworm rearing. The village was saved from ruin by the Cubist painter and writer, André Lhote. It is classed as one of the 'loveliest villages in France'.