Valréas, Provence, France
Valréas is located on the left bank of the river Coronne. The town is an important agricultural, economic and touristic center in this area. It offers a rich heritage to visit: the most important buildings are the Ripert tower (12th century) and the impressive Romanesque church Notre Dame de Nazareth (also 12th century).
Parking in Valréas
In the town you can park a little further away from the center (P1; GPS: 44.386344, 4.995267), then you can go on foot about 500m to the center. You can also try to drive the narrow streets and find a free place somewhere near the center - for example on the Cardinal Maury square (P2; GPS: 44.384502, 4.991907) or Ancien Couvent street (P3; GPS: 44.382604, 4.989415).
The Old Town
After parking the car we head to the town's heart, where we find the Romanesque church of Notre Dame de Nazareth from twelfth century (A; GPS: 44.384602, 4.990775). In the church you can pay special attention on the beautiful stained-glass windows. Next to the church we can see interesting Ripert tower (B; GPS: 44.384285, 4.989966). Originally in the town's center were located three castles: Ripert, Dauphin and Saint Jean. The last two were destroyed in the fifteenth and nineteenth centuries, however from the Ripert castle remained impressive, 17-meters tower.
The town has preserved the original buildings from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Walking around the streets like the Grand Rue, Rue de l'Horloge, or Rue de l'Hôtel de Ville, we can admire nice buildings from this period. The town's center has a diameter of about 500m, so the slow walk can take some time.
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