📝 Detailed information
🏢 About the local organisation
Founded by Emperor Charlemagne in year 802 and named after his sword, Joyeuse is a village with a rich history. The inhabitants attached to their village will be happy to tell you this legend and come to meet you. In this former fortified medieval city, you will participate in the safeguarding and enhancement of the ramparts by allowing access to the covered walkway.
💼 What the programme involves
A narrow corridor built at the top of the fortifications, the walkways allowed the sentries to guard the city. In the heart of the old center of Joyeuse, a section of this walkway still exists and allows access to a stream. Long abandoned, this path has become dangerous for locals and passing tourists. Vegetation has developed strongly, affecting the condition of the ramparts. You will therefore need to clean the walls and the path of invasive vegetation and prepare the ground for future accessibility works (on stairs). You will be supervised by a team of local volunteers and a technical service agent who will be happy to share with you their expertise and the history of the place. The site is a 15/20 minute walk from your accommodation. You will walk to the site and work 4 to 5 hours a day.
🏠 Accommodation on site
Located outside of the ramparts, you will be accommodated in tents at the André Gervais sports and leisure centre, where you will have the toilets, shower and kitchen of the tennis court. You can take advantage of the sports facilities (tennis court, football and pétanque) and enjoy the river located a 3-minute walk. The meals will be prepared collectively and you will be required to participate in daily tasks (cooking, dishes, cleaning). You will be 10/15 minutes walk from the village center and shops.
📍 About the location
Located in south of the Ardèche department, Joyeuse is a village of 1,800 inhabitants. You will be able to walk in the narrow and very animated lanes of the old village center, to discover the art creators craftsmen (jewel, wood, ironwork) and to push the door of the emblematic monuments of the village (Renaissance castle, Oratorian college, church) . Joyeuse also has a museum on the production of chestnut, a true product of the Ardèche region and fruit of the Chestnut tree. You can discover the planting of trees during a discovery tour. You can swim in the river near your campsite and take advantage of the beach volleyball court. Finally, activities will be offered to you with the local population (hiking, initiation to pétanque, city tour).
