Banne Castle, altitude 307 m was the most beautiful sight imaginable.
All Lower Vivarais, so to speak, blossomed before our eyes: We see in fact going to the North East and South:
Then come the hills of Payzac Planzolles, Saint André Lachamp, the Tour de Brison and Champ du Cros.
Lablachère and Notre Dame de Bon Secours in the distance between which the tower of Chassiers, Tauriers Tower and the White Chapel of Our Lady of All Good. The parade continued through the turn of Montreal with Gourdon and Escrinet for table background.
Now at various distances from the Tours Saint Laurent and Mirabel Under Coiron Sampzon la Roche, the tooth of the Serres de Barjac Ground castle ruins of St. Saviour.
Underfoot, it was finally a hilly plain from which emerge the spiers of Maisonneuve, Grospierres, Berrias, Beaulieu, Comps.
Hence also we recognize the source of the river Dragonnière Granzon of Banne. This is the Chateau de Banne we can best grasp the whole wood Païolive.
This name is now reserved for the part of the forest of limestone blocks lying between Les Vans, Chassagnes, Casteljau, and Berrias Banne, but in geological terms as that of the external appearance of the premises, the timber Païolive begins to mount Bannelle includes St. Alban, Ruoms, La Beaume, Chauzon, Vogüé Lussas and even extends as far Coiron Alissas Bold and the surrounding Privas.
The three eminences of Bannelle Plan-Redon and Banne Vella, with the district Combes form in all cases a small wood Païolive, separated from each other by the river Granzon, the road from Vans.
Rainwater carved at the mercy of these reliefs ruiniform years that the rocks are wood Païolive: strange decor of carved limestone cavities, cavities and grooves more or less deep, caused by the water s’ infiltrating along cracks.
Limestones and dolomites are subject to dissolution, the fractures become larger and gradually forms a « karren » chaos of jagged rocks and are called karst erosion.
Several trails allow visitors to discover the labyrinth of mineral interlaced with white oaks at every turn a new aspect of these amazing natural sculptures: