10 History Museums in Drome That You Shouldn't Miss

Unique in The Rhone-alps region, this cultural site is dedicated to the World History, to civilizations that have been marked by persecution, to genocides, exiles, immigration and integration in countries of asylum. The center also reflects the history oh the people of Valence with Armenian origin.

Made famous by marchioness of Sevigne’s correspondence, the chateau of Grignan is the largest Renaissance palace in South-East France. Its majestic silhouette towering above the village offers magnificent panoramic views of the Drome provencale. Nowadays, collections of paintings, fine furniture and precious fabrics fill its elegant rooms.

The Museum of Dauphinois Protestantism in the temple in Le Poet-Laval (one of the few early protestant temples that survived the 'revocation of the Edict of Nantes' which removed protestant rights in France) has artefacts looking at the historic persecution of protestants in the region. The temple probably started life as a residence of one of the knights Hospitalier and then in the 15th century became the village hall before being converted into a protestant temple in 1622. Internally only the galleries retain their 14th century appearance. The central pulpit and pews which form a circle were added in 1860. The temple is a rare example of Protestant church dating from before the 19th century. As well as being a museum it is occasionally still used as a church. The Museum is the starting point of the European hiking route " In the footsteps of the Huguenots " hiking trail whose journey of about 1600 km, follows the path of exile of the Huguenots to the countries of Refuge, trough Switzerland up to Bad Karlshafen in the Northern Germany.