Valence is the gateway to the south of France and perfect for a weekend • All PYRENEES · France, Spain, Andorra. Valence is a commune in south-eastern France, the capital of the Drôme department and within the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. By its geographical location, Valence is one of the points of compulsory passage between Paris and the Mediterranean Sea. Its position at the centre of the meridian axis of the Rhone Valley places the city at the mouth of the Valley of the Isère (path to the Alps), in the west of the historical province of Dauphiné, within the natural and historic region of the Valentinois, and the boundary of the department of Ardèche (from which it is separated by the Rhône). The city is surrounded by several mountain ranges, including the Massif Central and the Ardèche hills to the west, and the Vercors Massif in the French Prealps to the east.
Valence is an important administrative and service centre, as well as a commercial centre for the fruit and vegetable products of the Rhône River valley. Tourism and main attractions The House of the Heads (Fr. Shopping Markets: