Valley-the-Baths is a common French, located in the department of the Ardèche and the area the Rhone-Alps.

Located at the south-east of the department of Ardeche, Valley-the-Baths belongs to the Regional natural park of the Mounts of Ardeche.

The inhabitants are called the Valsoises and the Valsois .

Known for its hydrotherapy, the city of Valley-the-Baths counts close to 4  000 inhabitants and extends on 19,2  km ².

Geography

Cité thermal, Valley-the-Baths is crossed by the Volane and the Besorgues, it is also bordered by the Ardèche.

Tourist resort, Valley-the-Baths is also ground of contrasts, with an altitude varying from 328 to 985 meters.

Commune of the Regional natural park of the Mounts of Ardeche, Valley-the-Baths is located at 5 km of Aubenas and belonged to the Communauté of communes of the Country of Aubenas-Valleys.

The common one counts 42 hamlets.

History

The history of Valley-the-Baths is deeply mingled with that with the Thermalisme, which goes back to the 17th century. Discovery of the virtues of water of Valleys to its international repute, hydrotherapy valsois deeply marked the City.

The history of the city is also related to that of the men, with their destiny. Among them, the family CHAMPANHET which was the first to lease mineral water of Valleys.

Valleys and Aubenas, neighbors, see their history mixing, sometimes being opposed. Until the French revolution, Vals was under its domination, that of the lords: Montlaur, Maubec, Modena, of Ornano, Harcourt and Voguë. Between the 16th century and the 18th century the fights between Aubenas and Vals follow one another. The Saint Martin's day church will make the expenses besides of them and will be partly destroyed by the Protestants at the 16th century.

Today, streets and residences bear the names of those which made Vals.

Administration

Town hall

  • Mayor: Jean-Claude Flory
  • Many assistant: 8
  • Many city council men: 18
  • Coordinated
    • Town hall, 07600 VALS-LES-BAINS.
    • Tel.: 04.75.37.42 .08 - Fax: 04.75.37.64 .08
    • Email: info@vals-lesbains.com
    • Internet site: www.vals-les-bains.com

The Town of Valley-the-Baths adheres in particular to the following structures:

Like with associations…

  • Intercommunity association for Hydrotherapy and the Environment;
  • Most beautiful Turnings of France
  • Thermalliance
  • National association of the Mayors of the Classified Stations and the Tourist Communes
  • Association of the Mayors of Ardeche
  • Road of the Towns of Water of the Massif Central
  • National association of the mayors of the Thermal Communes
  • SIVU of the info highways of Ardeche `

surprisingly the service of supply and water treatment provided to the inhabitants of VALLEYS is privatisé; it is the SMOKED ex general water which manages the network

Demography

Places and monuments

  • the thermal district, in a style “Beautiful Time”, this district, recently renovated, is underlined by a park with the multiple gasolines. A walk in edge of the river makes it possible to admire Manon, sculpture of Maas, but also the horses of the Chipon artist…

  • the park is a place of dawdling and leisures on which gives the casino, the theater and the cinema. It was conceived in 1867 by the Lyons architect Marc-Antoine Luizet and his Gabriel son. It shelters more than 300 trees and more than 1.000 shrubs for 40 different gasolines, come from the four corners of the world. It is also the place where one finds the famous one and mysterious intermittent source.

  • the intermittent source seen by Jean Volane in 1897: Grondement underground announces the phenomenon, then here a jet of scum which éructe and wets its dribble the first stones… the hole becomes again black, the source seems to draw from this retirement a new force, the jet goes up, fall, goes up, falls down, growing with each fall, whirring, spitting, howling until arrived at the apogee, it launches with a sovereign majesty its water column, reduced in impalpable dust… Magnifique of whiteness and of grace, the Intermittent one rises at the level of the trees, and all the eyes convergent towards its plume, towards this gigantic eyelet with the sulfurous scents… the apotheosis lasts thus a few seconds, then imperceptibly, the column decrease, decrease; the hole rail now, a last loose push, and more nothing, that the underground boiling of the water which is withdrawn… .

  • the old Valleys is a picturesque old center, with its lanes and its houses fixed on the hill.

  • the martyrdom dominates the city and fact part of the inheritance valsois. It would have been built in 1732 by Malmazet, a surgeon miraculeusement cured of a serious disease.

  • the Saint Martin's day church of the 11th century was destroyed by the calvinists and was rebuilt thereafter. The current church dates from the 19th century; of neo-gothic style, it surprises by its clearness and the beauty of its stained glasses, and their contrasted lights.

  • the Champanhet house, presents the know-how of High the the Cevennes of Ardeche, through reconstitutions, films of the objects of collection and craft industry of local art. See the site.

Economy

  • medical Hydrotherapy: Valley-the-baths counts 143 sources which for the majority were exploited as of the 17th century. This thermal city is a station considered for the treatment and the prevention of the diabetes, obesity and the nutritional disorders. The hydropathic establishment is open all the year and proposes cures with hospitalization or free lodging. Among the water used in drink cure, Camuse, Constantine, Wished, the Dominique, the Invaluable one and Rigolette are prescribed.

  • Hydrotherapy Wellbeing: The hydropathic establishment also proposes moments and stays “relaxation”, with massages, baths and essential oils, application of mud, hammam, swimming pool and Jacuzzi, care esthetic…

  • Valley-the-Baths is the first hotel park of the department of Ardeche with step less than fifteen hotels. Camp-sites, lodgings, rooms of furnished hosts and others come to supplement the tourist offer.

Industrial companies and agro-alimentary

  • Water of Valleys.
  • the Bourganel brewery artisanalement produces original beers with chestnuts and bilberry as well as a blonde ardéchoise.

Events

  • the evenings of summer, the esplanade accommodates artists, craftsmen and tourists for a night market.

  • the casino and its machines with under, the discotheques, theater and good food, ensure a continuous night animation.

Personalities related to the commune

  • Louis Georges Gouy, physicist

Photograph gallery

to come

See too

  • Inter-commune Tourist office of the Country of Aubenas-Valleys

    • Antenna of Valley-the-Baths - 116 Bis, Rue Jean Jaurès, 07600 Vals - the-Baths - Tel.: 04 75 89 02 03 - Fax: 04 75 89 02 04
    • Antenna of Aubenas - Gambetta Boulevard, 07200 Aubenas
      • Email: contact@oti-ardeche.com
      • Tourist office of the Country of Aubenas Valleys

  • Cultural Office Valsois

Room Volane - 3 avenue Claude Expilly, 07600 Vals - the-Baths Such: 04 75 37 49 21 - Fax: 04 75 94 67 00

External bonds

  • Site of Valley-the-Baths
  • Site of the Thermal baths of Valley-the-Baths
  • Site of information on the community of communes of the Country of Aubenas-Valleys
  • Prefecture of Ardeche
  • SITHERE
  • Young volcanos of Ardeche
  • Regional natural park of the Mounts of Ardeche
  • Tourist office of the Country of Aubenas-Valleys

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