Taxi Marseille → Valence

Valence, prefecture of the Drôme department, is a city of 65,000 inhabitants perched on a terrace overlooking the Rhône, at the junction between northern and southern France. It is here that, traditionally, one says 'the South begins' when driving down from the north. The city owes its worldwide gastronomic fame to the Pic family: Restaurant Pic, holding three Michelin stars since 1934 (now led by Anne-Sophie Pic, for years France's only three-star female chef), makes Valence a culinary pilgrimage destination. The historic centre, organised around the Cathedral of Saint-Apollinaire (11th century) and the Maison des Têtes (16th century, Renaissance facade with sculpted medallions), offers pleasant strolls through the steep lanes of the old town. The Boulevards, a wide tree-lined promenade, overlook the Rhône and offer panoramas over the Vercors and Ardèche. Valence is also the gateway to the Drôme Provençale (Grignan, Nyons, Dieulefit) and the Vercors, a wild pre-Alpine massif. The covered market and Saturday morning open-air market on the Champ de Mars are among the finest in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. The birthplace of General Bonaparte (who was garrisoned here) and aviator Henri Fabre preserves a rich architectural heritage.