Pont-en-Royans is one of the odd, brilliant sights of the Vercors: a row of old houses hanging out over the river Bourne on wooden balconies, supported by nothing but stone and optimism. The village sits where the gorge opens a little, with cliffs above, the water running green and fast beneath, and a stone bridge crossing the stream. The coloured houses, red, ochre and yellow, lean out from the rock face, and in the morning, when the sun lights the façades, they seem to float. It is a village of barely a thousand people, but it is one of the most photographed in the Alps.
The valley's history is tied to water and wood. For centuries, the Bourne was a transport route for timber, which was floated downstream from the high plateau, and the village grew as a hub for the trade. The rock walls around have caves, and the nearby Choranche cave, a few kilometres up the valley, is known for its forest of thin, hollow stalactites, which are among the rarest in Europe. A little further, the Grands Goulets road, blasted through a narrow gorge in the nineteenth century, climbs into the high plateau with tunnels cut straight through the cliff.
For a rider, this is a place to slow down. The roads in the Royans are narrow, winding and spectacular, with deep drops and short tunnels, and in many places the road is carved into the rock face, so surface water, rockfall and gravel are real hazards. The best time is a weekday morning in spring or early autumn, when traffic is light. Leave the bike at the edge of the village and walk across the bridge for the view. The nearest large town is Saint-Marcellin, about ten kilometres west, which has several stations, supermarkets and a good market, and it is wise to fill up there before heading into the mountains.
Saint-Marcellin gives its name to a soft, creamy cow's milk cheese, often sold in a little terracotta dish, and it appears on menus throughout the area. Eat some, with bread and a glass of Drôme white wine, at a table near the river. The mountain plateau of Vassieux, the next stop on the ride, is cooler, and a warm layer is useful even in summer.