Forêt de Saoû, Protected forest area in Drôme, France
The Forêt de Saoû is a protected forest area in Drôme with limestone cliffs and mountain terrain. The region has varying elevations and provides different habitats for plants and animals.
From 1050 to 750 BC, hunters camped at the Baume-Hannibal pass near the Trois Becs. Between 1400 and 1500 peasants settled to exploit the wood, to the point of overexploitation, and the forest later sheltered Protestants, insurgents and maquisards. In 1852 Adolphe Crémieux built the pink-walled VillaTibur, burned and razed in 1971. In 1924 Maurice Burrus, deputy of Haut-Rhin, bought the whole forest, reforested it, laid out a 27 km tourist circuit and built the Auberge des Dauphins, opened in 1930.
The name Saou is pronounced "sou". The forest is crossed by a single road, the RD 70 from Aouste-sur-Sye, continued by the RD 136 from the Pertuis gap to the village of Saou. The Vèbre stream rises at the foot of the Trois Becs and flows through the syncline.
There are several marked trails for walking and other activities like cycling or horseback riding, while vehicles are not allowed on the paths. Visitors should prepare for changing elevations and wear sturdy footwear.
The area is home to more than one hundred bird species that nest here, as well as mammals like chamois, foxes, and marmots. This range of wildlife makes the place a special refuge for mountain animals.
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