🚶♀️ I TRIED OUT “RAILS & PAPILLES” IN LAMASTRE: A JOURNEY BY TRAIN, DISCOVERING LOCAL PRODUCTS AND DELICIOUS SURPRISES
I'm not going to lie to you: I thought I knew Lamastre like the back of my hand.
But this summer, I took part in a new activity launched by the Terre d'Ardèche Tourist Office: Rails & Papilles.
A guided walking tour along the train trail. A simple thing. But behind this simplicity... a gem.
A fresh idea... and full of flavor
Launched in the summer of 2025, this walk is a 100% local creation, designed for tourists, of course, but also for us locals who want to rediscover our region in a different way.
The idea is to set off on foot from Mastrou station, and walk through Lamastre along the train track, accompanied by a guide (in my case, Margot, who was fantastic 👏), historical anecdotes, and above all... gourmet breaks.
At each stop: a bite to eat, a story, a producer. And a desire to say “more, please!”
🚂The Mastrou, the real common thread
Everyone knows Le Mastrou.
But we're not getting on it: we're following it 👣.
From the station 🏠, we stroll down towards Macheville,
walk along Place Montgolfier 🏛️,
cross Seignobos Park 🌳,
take a look at the Protestant temple ⛪,
and finish up at La Pradette 🏞️.
The whole walk is at a gentle pace 🐢, accessible to everyone, even with children 👧👦 or a stroller 👶🛒.
And throughout the tour, Margot's voice 🎤 tells us about the area's railway history, the old neighborhoods 🕰️, and the links between the train 🚆 and the development of the city 🌆.
It's lively, never academic 📚❌.
And on the plate (or rather in the hand)?
It's simple: I loved everything.
🧃 A homemade fruit juice to start the day gently from Maison Soubeyrand
🥓 Local charcuterie from Maison Mougey (sausage, etc.)
🥔 A crique from the Eyrieux butcher's shop
🧀 Tomme cheese salad from Fromagerie du Mastrou
🌰 Chestnut cream like you can only find here at the iconic Ferme du Châtaignier
🍎🍐 Some fresh fruit for the road
All presented with passion and without fuss by Margot, the local guide who knows her stuff inside out.
📖 And the cherry on top of the chestnut cream: you leave with a little booklet listing all the products you tasted and where to buy them. A really good idea.
✨ A genuine, simple moment that feels good
What did I like best? The atmosphere.
Not a “guided” outing in the traditional sense.
More like a stroll 🥖🍷 with a fun aperitif vibe among friends 👥, with nice people 😊, a leisurely pace 🐢, children nibbling 🍇, adults listening 👂 and smiling 😄.
An English woman who was there that day even said, in French:
“Best experience of the trip!”
Honestly, it's hard to disagree with her. 💯
NOTE IN YOUR DIARY
🗓 Every Wednesday at 10 a.m. – from July 9 to August 6 and Thursday, August 14
🚨 Launch Wednesday, July 9, 2025
📍 Departure: Lamastre train station
👟 Easy walk – duration: approximately 2 hours
💶 €12 per person
📞 Reservations: Terre d’Ardèche Tourist Office
✅VERDICT: I RECOMMEND IT WITH MY EYES CLOSED 👀 (AND MY TASTE BUDS WIDE OPEN 😋)
Rails & Papilles is exactly what we expect from a local tourist attraction today: authenticity 🤝, good food 🍽️, heritage 🏛️, and sharing 🤗.
No need to go overboard, just do it well.
🔥 And here, they do it very well. 💪