Ideal Palace, Hauterives, France

Day 6 - Sunday 10th May 2026

Had a lovely chat with the family this morning as we made our way 30mins down to Hauterives. This pleasant village would probably go unremarked if it wasn't for the extraordinary monument it contains… the Ideal Palace.  Built at the end of the 19th century (from 1879-1912), a local postman - Ferdinand Cheval - spent his spare time building a project that was to take more than 30 years to complete, using stones and pebbles that he collected during his deliveries. 

It’s a fascinating story of determination and personal loss. 

Click in this link for more info The story - Le Palais Idéal du Facteur Cheval.

We began the day at his tomb in the cemetery that took him 8 years to build, completed in 1924. 

At 9:30am we went to see this fascinating construction. Tickets @ €10.50 each.  We wondered around the monument, observing the elaborate facades. We were in awe of this one man’s determination and imagination. 

Along with the pamphlet in English, there was also more information given at a the small museum and a filmed documentary, both in French.

This is the rock that began the obsession 

Back in the village we popped into the boulangerie for a baguette for lunch. 

Also into the tourist office which inspired our next destinations. 

The small church in St.Martin des Rosiers is said to have one of the largest (60m2) modern stained glass windows in Europe. It was made in 1978 by Italian artist Franco Borga.

We crossed over the Rhône River on the oldest suspension bridge in France that is still in use today built in 1827 by Marc Seguin. We stopped just before crossing nd got out the tape measure just to make sure that we would fit as there was a 2.2m wide restriction!

We then went to the Revol factory outlet in Saint Uze. This porcelain factory was founded in 1768. We had previous purchased their unique squished express sized cups. This weekend they held their annual sale so we couldn’t resist in buying a few items. 

From here we made our way to an aire in Tournon sur Rhône a historic, riverside town in the Ardèche department of southeastern France. Nestled on the right bank of the Rhône River, it sits directly opposite the famous terraced vineyards of Tain-l'Hermitage. The town is renowned for its medieval charm, characterised by narrow cobblestone streets and a 10th-century castle that dominates its skyline. After parking up with several other camping-cars we set off to explore.

80km today 

Ps had had galettes for breakfast today… delicious