Mechanical bobbin looms are at the centre of Fontanille Scop’s factory visit in Espaly-Saint-Marcel. The company makes Puy-en-Velay lace and elastic ribbons, continuing a manufacturing practice carried on here for more than a century. Alongside lace production, the tour introduces the dyeing and silicone application processes used in its textile work.
Tag: guided-tours
Maison du Mouton by Lantern Light
Lanterns illuminate the rooms of the Maison du Mouton during this guided walk in Romans-sur-Isère. The tour combines tales with historical anecdotes as it leads through the interiors of a wealthy medieval residence. Commentary is in French, and advance booking is required. Admission is free for visitors under eighteen.
Bourbonnais Archaeology Exhibition Guided Tour
Prochaine Sortie : Archéologie ! presents finds uncovered during construction of the A79 motorway in the Bourbonnais. A guided visit follows the discoveries through Neolithic remains, Gallo-Roman sites and medieval traces. Objects recovered during preventive excavations reveal the everyday lives of people who occupied these landscapes.
Vieux-Lyon in One Hour
ONLYLYON guides lead a walk through the historic Saint-Jean quarter. Cobbled streets, inner courtyards and traboules reveal buildings shaped by Gothic and Renaissance architecture. The commentary recalls the great fairs that enriched Lyon and the Lyonnais and Italian families who left their mark on this protected district.
Valence’s Old Town After Dark
Christmas illuminations light the old centre of Valence during a guided walk through its history. Designed for families and groups of friends, the route takes place as darkness falls. Hot drinks and papillotes, the wrapped Christmas sweets, are served at the end of the tour. Booking ahead is required for this French-language tour.
Ma sorcière mal aimée at Château de Montélimar
Ma sorcière mal aimée introduces families to witches and druids in the medieval imagination in Montélimar. Participants make protective amulets inspired by medieval talismans. The guided activity is designed for children aged seven and over with their families, and the ticket also includes an independent visit to the castle.
Vonnas and the Etablissements Blanc
This guided visit connects the history and heritage of Vonnas with the Etablissements Blanc. The route includes part of the starred restaurant, with its room, cellar and portrait gallery. It forms part of Saveurs en Veyle, the community’s gastronomic gathering. The visit is free, with places limited to fifteen people and advance booking required.
Inside Le Corbusier’s Couvent de La Tourette
The guided visit opens the interior of Sainte-Marie de La Tourette, Le Corbusier’s Dominican convent at Éveux. It introduces the building’s history, architectural concept and symbolism. Visitors discover spaces for intellectual, communal and spiritual life, including the church. The tour connects these spaces with Dominican life past and present and the convent’s place within UNESCO-listed modern architectural heritage.
Le Puy-en-Velay: Upper Town and Cathedral
A guide leads this exploration of Le Puy-en-Velay in partnership with the Pays d’Art et d’Histoire. The route moves from the Renaissance lower town into the medieval upper town. It ends with a visit to Notre-Dame cathedral, recognised by UNESCO as part of the Routes of Santiago de Compostela. Advance registration is required for the tour.
A Thousand Years at Suze-la-Rousse Castle
The guided visit follows the history of Suze-la-Rousse castle through its medieval exterior, Renaissance courtyard and interior rooms. The route also takes in the jeu de paume court. Leisure and entertainment at the château are central to the account of how the building was used and how life there changed over time.