Rent Luxury Vans at Lyon Airport

A lovely one hour drive south takes you to the charming village of Sainte-Croix-en-Jarez, steeped in history.

This small town was originally a Carthusian monastery built in the 13th century and the majority of the houses most of the houses in the village were once a part of the monastery. The monastery was inhabited by Monks up until 1792 when they were evicted during the French Revolution. The buildings were sold to neighbouring families and slowly became a little village with nothing changing for over 200 years.

Take a guided tour and explore. You will enter the village through a large stone doorway which leads onto the two squares, Cour des Frères and Cour des Pères. These areas were used by the Monks as places of work and you can still see the cells where they lived. Admire the ancient brown buildings and explore the underground tunnels that connect the village to the local stream. See the 14th century murals and visit a monk cell. There is also a delightful kitchen and bakery, where the smell of fresh bread will make you hunger for a simple country lunch.

After lunch, it is time to fire up the engine again and head towards Pelussin, a gem of history and architecture waiting to be explored. Charming shops and relaxing local cafés make for a perfect end to a wonderful day.