Aulan is a tiny commune in the Drôme, in the Baronnies Provençales, where the Toulourenc begins its course. The river-valley federation says its source lies within Aulan’s territory; further downstream the stream passes Montbrun-les-Bains and Reilhanette. The tourist office places the village at about 740 metres, between the mountains of Buc and Ubac, on the edge of the Toulourenc gorges. This is a dispersed, high-country setting rather than a compact service town. Insee’s 2023 reference population is eight for the whole commune, not just the château-side hamlet; the figure took legal effect on 1 January 2026. The reported density is 0.8 residents per square kilometre.
A documented estate, with a chronology to read carefully
The family history says the château is attested from the thirteenth century and recounts transfers in 1240 and 1293, its establishment as a fief in 1313, and the 1635 marriage that brought the estate into the Suarez family. The owners’ account says the last remains of an earlier building were demolished in 1859 and that Arthur de Suarez built the present, larger residence in the 1880s; Charles d’Aulan began restoration in 1933 and opened it to visitors in 1958. The Ministry of Culture’s Mérimée record, however, lists principal construction campaigns in the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries and confirms that the façades and roofs were partially protected in 1950. These descriptions do not give an identical chronology, so it is more accurate to acknowledge successive building phases than to turn one account into a settled architectural date. The château remains privately owned and occupied; guided visits, when scheduled, open its private apartments.
Work, visits and a route on foot
Insee records 11 jobs located in the commune in 2023 and one employer establishment at the end of 2024, classified in public administration, education, health and social action. At a scale of eight residents, these small counts cannot describe every livelihood or prove that other activities are absent. The local town hall’s public directory lists a weekly Tuesday desk, 10:00–14:00; check before travelling. Château tours last about 45 minutes and use narrow stairs, making them unsuitable for visitors with reduced mobility. Opening days change by season and some autumn visits require booking, so consult the owners’ current calendar.
The FFRandonnée’s La Bohémienne is a marked 14.4-kilometre loop starting and finishing at Aulan, listed at about four and a half hours. Its route crosses the Toulourenc by a bridge, passes La Palud and l’Ubac, and reaches the Bohémienne pass at 948 metres. The route page warns that dogs are prohibited during summer grazing because of livestock guardian dogs. This footpath should not be confused with entering the river gorges: the Mont-Ventoux Regional Nature Park and its 2024 preservation charter advise against promoting the gorges for bathing or aquatic hiking, citing ecological pressure and sudden-flood danger; access is prohibited under orange or red storm alerts. Check route, weather and local notices before setting out. The longer “Two Castles” circuit links Aulan with Montbrun-les-Bains, but its official listing gives 24.3 kilometres, 6 hours 41 minutes and very difficult grading.
