South of Hauterives and 15km east of the Rhône at Tain is ROMANS-SUR-ISÈRE. It's not the most exciting of towns but it does have a fascinating museum of shoemaking – the industry that has kept Romans going for the last five centuries. The extensive Musée Internationale de la Chaussure is in the former Convent of the Visitation at 2 rue Ste-Marthe (July & Aug Mon–Sat 10am–6.30pm; Sept–June Tues–Sat 9–11.45am & 2–5.45pm; €4) and also includes a permanent exhibition on the Resistance. Your toes will curl in horror at the extent to which women have been immobilized by their footwear from ancient times to the present on every continent, while at the same time you can't help but admire the craziness of some of the creations. Romans is also a good place to buy shoes, with several factory shops in the town.the town has plenty of beautiful old streets and buildings to admire, and its region has two gastronomic specialities: a ringed spongy bread flavoured with Orange water, known as a pogne, and ravioles, cornflour-based ravioli with an eggy, cheesy, buttery filling. You can sample these at the restaurant La Cassolette, 16 rue Rebatte (tel 04.75.02.55.71; closed Sun & Mon throughout the year & three weeks from last week in July; menus under €15). There's a tourist office on place Jean-Jaurès (April–Oct Mon–Fri 9am–7pm, Sat 9am–6pm, Sun 9.30am–12.30pm; Nov–March Mon–Sat 9am–6pm, Sun 9.30am–12.30pm; tel 04.75.02.28.72), and several hotels, including Des Balmes, northwest of the town centre in the quartier of the same name (tel 04.75.02.29.52, www.hoteldesbalmes.com; €40–55), with an excellent and inexpensive restaurant (closed Sun eve out of season). Cheaper options include the Magdeleine, 31 av Pierre-Sémard (tel 04.75.02.33.53; €30–40; closed Sun eve out of season), and the Cendrillon, 9 place Carnot, across from the train station (tel 04.75.02.83.77, under €30). The municipal campsite, Les Chasses (tel 04.75.72.35.27; closed Oct–April), is 1km off the N92 northeast of the city, near the aerodrome. Alternate spellings:: France, Romans-sur-Isère, Romans-sur-Isère, Romans-sur-Isere
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