With the wild beauty of its landscapes and the charm of its mountain villages, the Ardèche is a feast for the eyes. But what about its culinary treasures? With such a rich terroir and firmly rooted gastronomic traditions, you’re also in for a feast of flavours! When you stay at a campsite in the Ardèche, you won’t be able to resist sampling the Ardèche cuisine and its delicious local produce.
The specialities of the Ardèche
It would take several hours to enumerate all the mouth-watering treats that await you on a luxury campsite stay in the Ardèche! Instead, we’ve curated a list of the very best of traditional Ardèche recipes:
Crique: a pan-fried dish made of potatoes, eggs, parsley, onions and garlic. A traditional dish eaten all year round and that is lighter than it sounds!
Gratton: an Ardèche culinary speciality similar to rillettes, a kind of pork pâté. Spread on a slice of bread – even better enjoyed with olives (Ardèche olives, of course!)
Picodon: Normandy has Camembert and the Ardèche has Picodon! A round, tangy goat’s cheese. Picodon, if you like your cheese piquant!
Candied chestnuts from Privas: an unmissable speciality from the Ardèche terroir. Although very popular at Christmas, they can be enjoyed all year round.
The best markets in the Ardèche
Regional cuisine and traditional dishes are synonymous with local markets and their stalls brimming with mouth-watering produce. For the best local produce in the Ardèche, there are a number of outstanding markets you won’t want to miss. First, the market in Joyeuse, possibly the finest in the Ardèche. It features everything the region has to offer in way of local produce – olives, honey, chestnuts… Next, the market in Ruoms is also worth a trip. It’s a real joy to wander around the stalls teeming with cherries, blueberries and chestnuts! A genuine showcase of Ardèche produce. Further south in the department, we can recommend the market in Aubenas. It boasts all the scents of the South of France, with its flowers, spices and sun-kissed fruit… and it’s held at the foot of the château, which adds an extra touch of charm. Finally, for an evening market, head to Les Vans where you can enjoy a unique tourist and culinary experience. While all cats are black in the dark, the fruit and flowers on Les Vans market retain all their wonderful colours and gorgeous fragrances!
Gastronomic feasts and festivals in the Ardèche
Would you like to discover the gastronomic delights of the Ardèche while enjoying the warm and vibrant atmosphere of the South of France? Well, you can! Go along to one (or more!) of the best-known culinary events in the Ardèche:
- The grape harvest festival: mid-September in Tain-l’Hermitage. Discover this traditional festival where the focus is firmly on tasting the Ardèche wines. To persuade your children it’s a good idea, tell them that there’s also a funfair!
- The cherry festival: early June in Empurany. This event trains the spotlight on one of the leading products of the Ardèche terroir. The festival is well worth a visit for the beauty of the village alone.
- The blueberry festival: late July in Péreyres. This is a yearly opportunity for visitors to sample the very best that local Ardèche producers have to offer.
The best campsites in the Ardèche
If all that has whetted your appetite, then don’t delay and book your stay at one of our high-end campsites in the Ardèche:
Les Jardins de Privas 4 star campsite: in the heart of the Ardèche, a campsite where you can really make the most of all the region has to offer. It even boasts direct access to the River Ouvèze! Here you can enjoy swimming in the open water, watersports and hiking. And when it comes to amenities and services, you’re spoilt for choice too: water park with playground for your children, waterslides, indoor heated swimming pool outdoor heated swimming pool, massages, sauna, etc.
Le Soleil Vivarais 5 star campsite: as well as offering direct access to the Gorges de l’Ardèche and to an array of leisure activities, this campsite guarantees you the very best campsite facilities and services. It’s got it all: water park with heated swimming pools, whirlpool, aquafun area, lagoon, paddling pool, waterslides, wellness area with sauna, hammam, spa, massages… and so many other attractions to enjoy with the family, friends or your significant other.
La Roubine : this 5 star campsite in Vallon-Pont-d’Arc is a haven of peace set beside the river, the ideal place for relaxing and appreciating nature. Fishing enthusiasts, test your skills in the designated area along the river. You can also make the most of the private beach for a refreshing dip and some leisurely moments on the sunloungers and swing chairs. La Roubine is the place for a diverse outdoor holiday experience, with the benefit of modern facilities designed with the whole family in mind.
