Mondragon is a small medieval village located in the Vaucluse department between Bollène and Orange. Mondragon is laid out along la colline des Grès and stretches across to the other side of the Mondragon river. Due to its scenic location in the Rhône Valley and not far from the legendary Mont Ventoux, Mondragon is an ideal holiday destination.

In Mondragon you can still find the remains of the town's medieval defences. In the Rue du Moulin, you can see a gate with a shield bearing the coat of arms of Mondragon. At the top of the town is a medieval castle which, despite being badly damaged during the Wars of Religion, is still inhabited. Its strategic position enabled it to control the Rhône River and the road down the valley. The town also boasts a beautiful Romanesque-style chapel with a bell tower and the elegant 14th-century Hôtel de Suze with its Renaissance facade.

On the other side of the village in the park opposite the town hall ‘lies’ a very colourful, carnival-like dragon, which refers to the local legend of a dragon. Legend has it that this legendary dragon lived in the cliffs above the village and haunted the banks of the Rhône River.

 

 

Inspiration for your holiday:

Attractions:

The 14th-century Hôtel de Suze with an elegant Renaissance facade.

The remains of the city's medieval defences

The remains of the 12th-century Château des Dragons.

The parish church

Chapelle Notre Dame des Plans

Chapelle de Derboux

Crocodile Farm (La ferme aux crocodiles) - located in Pierrelatte, 16 km north of Mandragon: a huge tropical greenhouse of 8000 m2 with more than 400 crocodiles and exotic vegetation: http://www.lafermeauxcrocodiles.com/article.php3?id_article=115.

Activities in Mondragon

There are great opportunities for outdoor activities in the Vaucluse area, see for example the following websites: http://www.provenceguide.com/gbcdt/index.asp; http://www.hautvaucluse.com/pdf/guidea.pdf (Guide to activities and attractions in the Haut Vaucluse area).

Walking and hiking in the marvellous surroundings.

Rock climbing.

Golf - There is a wealth of golf courses in the area, 4 in the department of Vaucluse and several in the neighbouring departments of Bouhes du Rhône, Drôme, Ardeche and Gard. The French Golf Union has a website where most courses are presented. Unfortunately, the website is in French. Go to Guide de golfs and search here under the Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur region: http://www.ffgolf.org/.

Cycling: Challenges for everyone, from elite athletes to families with children. There are several great tours to other cities in the area, a wealth of less demanding mountain routes and the tough Mont Ventoux.

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