Pilat Natural Regional Pilat Natural Regional Park It’s a short journey to the Pilat Natural Regional Park, an unspoiled area of outstanding natural beauty where wines grow, and mountains seem to reach the sky. Palais Ideale du factor Cheval, Hauterives Hauterives – a palace built from pebbles You can’t go to this area and not visit the absolutely unique Palais Ideale du Factor Cheval – a palace built from pebbles by a postman at the end of the 19th century. It’s an awe-inspiring accomplishment by a determined self-taught architect who collected stones as he delivered the post, and a fascinating masterpiece of naive art. Read more about this incredible palace in our Spring magazine Make a food stop at: L’Escale restaurant in the pretty village of Roisey in the heart of the park where locals go for a glass of their favourite wine, St Joseph Blanc and to indulge in home cooked, traditional dishes as they’ve been made for hundreds of years, lentils, robust sausages, rich sauces and food that makes your heart sing and your stomach stretch. Don’t worry about that – you can walk it off easily here, this is country made for hiking or for more gentle walks through picturesque villages like Malleval. In winter you can ski here and it’s quite astonishing to realise you’re only an hour from the city of Lyon by car – it feels other worldly and isolated, utterly beautiful. Sainte-Croix-en-Jarez ©ADT42 Masson In the foothills of the Pilat Massif, stop off at the historic Plus Beaux Village (a label awarded to the prettiest villages in France) of Sainte-Croix-en-Jarez to discover how a former 13th century charterhouse has been turned into a housing commune. Sold off during the French Revolution, the monastery, built in 1280, now consists of 44 homes. The tourist office is housed in what was once the monastery boulangerie, and there’s even a school on site. Some of the buildings are kept empty and preserved, in one there is a beautiful fresco created in 1334, and there are 15th century stalls in the church. Like much of the region – it’s an enchanting surprise. Chartreuse, the charterhouse at Sainte-Croix-en-Jarez Dine and stay at: Hotel and restaurant Elcosion on the outskirts of Saint-Etienne. Honestly some of the best food I’ve ever tasted. Refined, innovative, and utterly divine dishes by the young, rising star chef, followed by sweet dreams in the luxurious rooms of a small château. The future is in Saint- Étienne Pilat where the vines grow on steep slopes Saint-Étienne, the capital of the Loire department, is a city of contrasts, cultural 24 | The Good Life France Malleval The Good Life France | 25
