Balazuc

A ford on the Ardèche, already in use around 750 BC, explains Balazuc: the Gauls called the fortified height above it Baladunum. Narrow medieval lanes, the 'callades', run between ramparts, noble houses and a 12th-century castle that gained a square keep in the 13th. One of its first lords, Pons de Balazuc, was killed on the First Crusade in 1099.

Highlights

• The medieval castle and its 13th-century square keep
• The 'callades', narrow medieval lanes between fortified houses
• A copy of an early Christian sarcophagus, displayed in the town hall
• The Ardèche and the ancient ford below the village
• Home of the 13th-century troubadour Guilhem de Balaun

Summary based on Wikipedia (CC BY-SA), written with AI assistance.