Department
Museums, galleries and heritage in Drôme
54 places to discover across Drôme.
Including Château de Grignan, Château de Suze-la-Rousse and Musée Européen de l'Aviation de Chasse.
Towns to explore
Allex · Buis-les-Baronnies · Cléon-d'Andran · Crest · Die · Dieulefit · Grignan · La Garde-Adhémar · Livron-sur-Drôme · Montélimar · Mours-Saint-Eusèbe · Pierrelatte · Romans-sur-Isère · Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux · Saint-Restitut · Suze-la-Rousse · Tain-l'Hermitage · Taulignan · Valence
An Uncommon Mix of History and Contemporary Art
Drôme's cultural landscape is defined by contrasts of scale and subject. In Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, it stands out for its concentration of thematic, single-subject museums rather than large encyclopedic institutions: aviation history at the Musée Européen de l'Aviation de Chasse in Montélimar, footwear craftsmanship at the Musée de la chaussure in Romans-sur-Isère, and sericulture at the Musée de la soie in Taulignan.
Valence anchors the department's fine arts and archaeology offer through the Musée de Valence, art et archéologie, while Montélimar combines heritage and contemporary programming between the musée du château des Adhémar and the Musée d'Art Contemporain de Montélimar, whose exhibition programme has been renewed since 2024.
From the Vercors to Provençal Drôme
The mountainous Vercors, in the north-east of the department, carries the memory of the 1944 Resistance and preserves an older, prehistoric past side by side. At Vassieux-en-Vercors, a village recognised as a Compagnon de la Libération, the Musée départemental de la Résistance du Vercors and the Musée de la Préhistoire du Vercors sit within a few hundred metres of each other.
Further south, Drôme provençale is marked by hilltop villages that have become informal artists' colonies. Dieulefit, long known for its potters, now hosts several independent spaces including Galerie Craft Espace, Les Madises and Galerie Artenostrum. Nearby, the medieval village of Le Poët-Laval combines the Musée du Protestantisme Dauphinois, installed in a 14th-century house converted into a temple in 1622, with the Centre d'art Yvon Morin.
A Network of Independent Galleries
Beyond its museums, Drôme supports a dense fabric of independent galleries, particularly around Crest and Montélimar. In Crest, the Centre d'Art de Crest and Galerie Espace Liberté show contemporary work in a town otherwise known for its medieval keep.
Montélimar's gallery scene includes Espace Chabrillan, La Galerie d'étoiles and Studio RocheColombe, while smaller villages carry their own spaces: Galerie Eric Linard in La Garde-Adhémar, Angle in Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux, and La Galerie des Baronnies in Buis-les-Baronnies.
Frequently asked questions
Which museum in Drôme should not be missed?
The Musée de la chaussure in Romans-sur-Isère is a strong choice: it covers several millennia of footwear history and is one of the department's few museums with genuinely national scope.
Is it easy to combine Resistance history and prehistory in one visit?
Yes. In Vassieux-en-Vercors, the Musée départemental de la Résistance du Vercors and the Musée de la Préhistoire du Vercors are a short walk apart, allowing both to be visited in a single half-day.
Where should visitors interested in contemporary art and galleries go?
Crest, Dieulefit and Montélimar have the highest concentration of independent galleries in the department, ranging from craft-focused spaces like Galerie Craft Espace to contemporary programming at the Musée d'Art Contemporain de Montélimar.
Are these museums suitable for a family visit?
Site museums such as Ruches du monde (beekeeping) or the Musée Européen de l'Aviation de Chasse (a 25,000 m² open-air aviation site) work well for families thanks to their hands-on, visual formats.
What is the best season to explore Drôme's villages and galleries?
