Bidon

French speaking people, when hearing the name of this village for the first time, smile politely ! “Bidon”, in french, is an adjective meaning “lame”, “fake” in slang, but a “bidon” is a sort of bottle. In reality, the name of the village can be explained by the fact that nature has created here a natural water reserve: a sinkhole, the largest in Europe by the way. There is no doubt that Thalia, the flourishing muse of pastoral poetry, has turned her attention to this landscape dotted with olive, almond trees and ancient mulberry trees.

At the edge of the village stands a mysterious stone: it is a stone dating from the Neolithic period. Even if we do not know anything about the use of these vestiges they are nonetheless silent witnesses of prehistoric rites all over Europe. The dolmens of the “Plaine d’Aurèle heights are numerous, but the most famous and biggest one of the Ardèche is located at “Champmerveille” outside the village, indicated by a road sign.