How to Spend a Perfect Day in Valence with Itinerary Map

Champ de Mars Esplanade

Valence

Check Point
・Town where Napoleon I stayed

・Museum where Delacroix’s works are exhibited

・Three-star restaurant run by a female chef

【City description】

This town is located by the Rhone river. Napoleon 1st stayed here once. You find the river from the biggest square and you should walk in the park when it’s sunny. There is a famous restaurant which got 3 stars on the Michelin guide in the south of the town.

Overall rating】

 ★★★☆☆

Time required】

 3 h

Budget】

 9 euros

Fatigue】

 ★★★☆☆



Itinerary Map


Click the square mark on the top left of the map to see a list of tourist spots. If you open the enlarge button on the top right corner on your smartphone, this model course will be displayed on Google Maps along with its location information. You can also quickly return to this map from the table of contents in the sidebar (if using a smartphone, select “Go to table of contents” from the menu at the bottom of the screen).


Downtown Map

Navigation

【Start】
①Valence Ville Station

★Go to Pierre Semard St in front of the station for 5 minutes.

②Champ de Mars Esplanade

★Go down stairs from the esplanade and enter the park.

③Jouvet Park

★Go back to the esplanade and enter the center street. Turn left immediately to go to Saint-Didier St.

④Valence Museum

★Visit a cathedral in front of the museum.

⑤Saint-Apollinaire Cathedral

★Go to Grande St in front of the cathedral. It takes 5 minutes by walk.

⑥House of Heads

★Continue to walk on the street and turn right at the crossroad. When you arrive at Liberté Square, go to Emile Augier St. As you arrive at the street where you’ve walked, turn left and go back to the station. It takes 15 minutes.

【Goal】
Valence Ville Station



【Start】

①Valence Ville Station

Gare de Valence Ville

★Go to Pierre Semard St in front of the station for 5 minutes.


②Champ de Mars Esplanade

Champ de Mars Esplanade

Esplanade du Champ de Mars

Time required: 10 min

Admission fee: 0 euro

It is the largest square in town, with a kiosk in the center. Built in 1777, it was also the place where troops mustered during the French Revolution, including Napoleon I. From the promenade you can admire the Rhône River and the mountains, as well as the ruined castle of Crussol. In one corner of the square is a monument with the inscription “J’aime Valence.”


★Go down stairs from the esplanade and enter the park.


③Jouvet Park

Jouvet Park

Parc Jouvet

Time required: 30 min

Admission fee: 0 euro

This is a large park along the Rhône River. The land was once the site of plans for a canal and railway linking the Champ de Mars promenade to the Rhône River, but it is now being used as a park. There are sculptures of people connected to this area and a zoo on the grounds.


★Go back to the esplanade and enter the center street. Turn left immediately to go to Saint-Didier St.


④Valence Museum

Musée de Valence

Time required: 60 min

Admission fee: 9 euros

Opening hour: 10 am – noon / 2 pm – 6 pm

Close: Monday, Tuesday, national holidays

This is an art museum located in the center of town. The exhibition focuses on works of art such as paintings and sculptures from the 15th to 20th centuries, including those by Delacroix. Special exhibitions are also held regularly, and you can see works by artists other than local artists.


★Visit a cathedral in front of the museum.


⑤Saint-Apollinaire Cathedral

Saint-Apollinaire Cathedral

Cathédrale Saint-Apollinaire de Valence

Time required: 15 min

Admission fee: 0 euro

Opening hour: 8 am – 12 h 30 / 2 pm – 5 pm on Saturday

Close: from Sunday to Friday

This is a cathedral located in the center of town. It was originally built in the 12th century, but due to lightning strikes, religious revolutions, and fires, its current form was built in the 17th century, and it is strongly influenced by the Romanesque style. This is also the place where the town’s famous biscuit “Swiss”, made in the shape of a pope, became famous because a pope once died here. The interior is simple, with no stained glass, but the patterns on the altar floor are very delicate.


★Go to Grande St in front of the cathedral. It takes 5 minutes by walk.


⑥House of Heads

House of heads

Maison des Têtes

Time required: 10 min

Admission fee: 0 euro

It is a Gothic Flamboyant-style building on the street. It was built by Antoine de Delaine, a former professor at the University of Valence, who returned from a trip to Italy and said, “I want to build the most beautiful building in Valence.” As the name suggests, it has a very luxurious exterior with a strong Renaissance style. The walls are decorated with carvings of heads of various figures, including Roman emperors.


★Continue to walk on the street and turn right at the crossroad. When you arrive at Liberté Square, go to Emile Augier St. As you arrive at the street where you’ve walked, turn left and go back to the station. It takes 15 minutes.



【Goal】

Valence Ville Station


【If you have the time…】

⑦Restaurant Maison Pic

This is a famous 3 Michelin star restaurant in Valence. This restaurant is run by a female chef, which is rare in France. If you are going to the restaurant, don’t turn at the last street in front of the station, just keep going straight and you will see it on your left.

the site of Maison Pic
https://www.anne-sophie-pic.com/



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