Balazuc

Balazuc stands directly on the limestone edge above the Ardeche, its houses built from the same rock so that wall and cliff are hard to separate from the far bank. The village is medieval in plan, a knot of narrow lanes, some passing under vaulted arches called calades between houses, with a Romanesque church, a square tower and remnants of the walls. Silk was the trade here until disease and imports killed it in the nineteenth century, and the village emptied. Below, the river runs through pools used for swimming in summer, and a footbridge crosses to paths on the other side.

What you actually see

• The cliff site - houses built directly on the limestone above the river.
• The vaulted lanes - passages running under arches between buildings.
• The Romanesque church - a plain twelfth-century building in the village.
• The river pools - swimming spots below the cliff in summer.

When to go

April to October; July and August are hot and busy with river swimmers. Spring and autumn are better for walking. Winter is quiet with little open.

Honest expectations

Parking is outside and the lanes are steep, narrow and stepped. The village is very small. Summer river crowds and canoe traffic are heavy in August.

Nearby

The Ardeche gorges lie south; Aubenas is northwest.