Like a feeling of having taken the wrong road or that it ends at the foot of the mountain… On one side a rocky outcrop and the gorge, on the other the river and the foothills of the Vercors. And in the middle, Pont-en-Royans, a small village that seems to be crushed by these mountains. Houses on the mountainside, narrow streets, until you arrive on the banks of the Bourne. The horizon widens and so does your vision. You can see the hanging houses, listed as a Historic Monument since 1944 and which make the village unique and famous, then, further on, everything shrinks. Pont-en-Royans is located at the entrance to the Gorges de la Bourne, one of the roads to access the Vercors. These roads, created in the 19th century, made it possible to open up the Vercors and its inhabitants, and still today make Pont-en-Royans an essential place of passage.
Small village in Isère, in the heart of the Vercors Regional Natural Park, Pont-en-Royans takes place in the Vercors massif, on the edge of the Drôme department. It is located at the confluence of the Bourne and the Vernaison, not far from La Chapelle-en-Vercors and Sainte-Eulalie-en-Royans.
Originally a narrow bridge thrown between two rocks allowing access to the plateaus of the Vercors massif and crossing the Bourne, the village of Pont-en-Royans has developed over the centuries, expanding in particular during the 19th century.
Long centered on boxwood turning, the town's economy has gradually shifted to tourism thanks to its unique charm and its proximity to some of the most beautiful sites in the region.
While strolling through the alleys of Pont-en-Royans you will be able to discover very beautiful medieval buildings from the 16th century, including very beautiful colorful houses hanging on the side of the valley.
Don't miss the remains of the old 13th century Pont fortified castle, still visible.
The Water Museum invites you to explore, thanks to very interesting collections, water in all its states. Very original, a water bar allows you to discover more than 900 waters from all over the world.
But it is also for its natural heritage that the municipality of Pont-en-Royans is appreciated by passing tourists. Labeled Quality Tourism, the cave of Choranche reveals in particular an underground river, stalactites and batrachians survivors of the time of the dinosaurs. You can also discover during hikes the Cirque de Choranche, the Gournier waterfall or the Bourne gorges. Its rock-cut corbelled road was secured in the late 2000s.
