The Olive-tree Road: Gold and Silver...

The "Tanche", the hardiest olive variety of them all, was the first to be granted the quality label  "Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée " though it was neither wine or dairy produce. Thanks to the "Tanche", about thirty farm products now have this prestigious label.

The Nyons area is entirely devoted to the olive and its oil. Most of the olive-tree plantations as well as the oldest trees can be found in the Eygues valley, for instance, in Mirabel, in the Barronnies countryside, some of them, date back from the Roman times. Each village makes an inventory of its trees.

We know that, for instance, there are eight hundred and twenty five of them in Saint May, a perched village situated at the limit of olive growing and whose terrace cultivations are renowned.

Of noteworthy interest in Nyons :

The « Musée de l'Olivier » and its curator, René Gras, who could talk for ever on this subject . The  « Institut du Monde de l'Olivier »,  olive and oil documentation centre.

The « Cooperative du Nyonsais » which can be visited on reservation to discover the oil making process, from the fruit gathering that occurs in winter and was, in the fifties, the school children's task, until the finished goods that you can buy on the cooperative premises itself.

Shops, selling oil and all kind of oil manufactured produce, are scattered along the 'olive road' and make it one of the pleasures of this trip that leads to a meeting of the population of the olive trees.

You will find "Tapenade" (olives mixed with anchovies), stuffed olives, canned goods, soaps and even doormats, made from the raw material of the "scourtins"  used for oil filtration, abundant shopping !

Then, for a moment of peace and beauty, absolutely free of charge, just go along the olive-tree path (Sentier de l'Oliver), an hour and a half walk among the trees, offering a magnificent view of the Eygues valley and Nyons village.