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Tour de la Vallée de la Roanne (Drôme)

The Tour de la Vallée de la Roanne is a multi-day waymarked loop that circles the Roanne valley in the Drôme, between the limestone ridges of the Vercors and the high slopes of the Baronnies. Marked as a GR® de Pays (the official "Tour du Pays de la Roanne"), it threads together a string of small perched villages, gorges, calanche ridges and forested plateaux above the serpentine river that gives the route its name. The Google Maps listing pins the hike at Saint-Nazaire-le-Désert, one of its signature stage towns and a perfect base for setting out. This is a genuine trekker's circuit rather than a casual stroll: roughly 78–82 km over five to six days, climbing and descending a cumulative 3,400–3,600 m between a low point near 348 m and a high point around 1,333 m. The official guide rates it as demanding (red level), and in return it delivers a constantly changing landscape — folded valleys, wildflowers, lavender terraces, Scots pine and broom, with a fauna and flora the tourism boards describe as exceptional. It is best enjoyed as a supported point-to-point hike with overnight stops, and it can also be walked in sections around villages like Saint-Nazaire-le-Désert, La Chaudière, Saint-Benoît-en-Diois, Aucelon and Volvent.