of the walks undertaken are within one hour’s drive from the towns of Le Vigan and Florac and are well signposted. There are no paths going across private land (so walkers avoid being diverted by irate landowners), and fewer habitations mean fewer farms with yappy dogs! When you walk here you rarely meet other people or stumble on habitation – you get mesmerised by the emptiness of the country, by the endless hills stretching into nowhere and the wonderful feeling of being really alone – a rare pleasure in this constantly growing bustle of Europe.
Southern Cevennes (Walks 1–16)
The southern region, known as the Cevennes Meridionales, with the small town of Le Vigan in the Arre valley, has a Mediterranean character. Olives, vines and a variety of fruit trees are grown on the lower south-facing slopes, and the once useful mulberry trees still flourish, together with the chestnut trees at a higher altitude. The main town is Le Vigan, with 4500 inhabitants, situated on the southern side of the Mont Aigoual. It is an authentic, lively little town, the centre for a large rural area which has happily escaped being smartened up and given over exclusively to tourism. Although it, too, suffered from the decline in the silkworm industry at the end of the 19th century, it managed to continue the tradition by producing stockings, scarves and other textile products thanks to the installation of a large factory. The river Arre meanders through the town, spanned by a magnificent old Roman bridge, and in the vicinity is the Musée Cévenol, which gives a fascinating insight into the rural industries and culture of the region (see Walk 1 for opening times and further information).
A few kilometres southwards is the Blandas Causse (upland plateau), which always comes as a surprise, as the switch from green hills to arid limestone plain is unexpected. It has a curious ring of stones rather like a mini-Stonehenge. These are unprotected and unpublicised, but if you see them you can just stop the car and wander around! Further on this flat region is cut in two by the winding Vis river (see Walk 5 for further information).
Mont Aigoual
North of Le Vigan are the mountainous, mainly tree-covered slopes of Mont Aigoual (alt. 1567m), on the summit of which is a Victorian edifice housing one of the last high-altitude meteorological stations in Europe. It is worth visiting for the wonderful extended view of the surrounding mountains and the Causses, as well as, if the weather is clear, the Alps, Mont Ventoux in Provence and the sea!
Mont Aigoual, consisting of schist and granite, is the most southern upland area of the Massif Central and is a bulwark between the gentler climate to the south and the harsher temperatures of the north. For this reason it is often covered in cloud as the humid air of the Mediterranean meets the colder air of the Atlantic. The name Aigoual comes from the word ‘aigualis’, meaning water, which is very appropriate, as this is one of the wettest regions in France. It is also on the ‘water dividing line’– its streams flowing north to the Atlantic and south to the Mediterranean. This area is known for its extreme climatic changes and can be covered in snow for many of the winter months, which makes it a popular place for downhill and cross-country skiing.
The whole region is now a protected national park, created in 1970 and consisting of 230,000 hectares of rolling upland covered in moorland and forest. Unlike other French national parks, however, it has a permanent population of around 600 people, mostly sheep farmers, in its central zone. Every year in June there is a Fête de la Transhumance (sheep-droving festival) when the shepherds bring up their enormous flocks of sheep to graze on the upland pasture – the sheep are decorated with balls of wool and look very colourful. There are three main drailles (sheep paths) in the Cevennes, all going northwards – the Aubrac from Le Vigan or village of Valleraugue; the Margeride from St-Hippolyte-du-Fort; and the Gevaudan from St-Jean-du-Gard and Alès.
A hundred years ago Mont Aigoual was completely treeless and suffered from acute erosion; it was only thanks to the heroic efforts of one particular man, M. George Fabre (1844–1911), Director of Forestry, that the slopes are now covered with 15,000 hectares of forest. Not far from the summit is an arboretum and research station (called l’Hort-de-Dieu) created by the botanist Charles Flahaut from Montpellier (1852–1935), who, with the collaboration of M. Favre, planted a wide variety of species, some now over 100 years old and of impressive stature.
Starting in 1875 George Fabre cajoled various owners to sell their land and, despite opposition from the shepherds who often burnt the young saplings, he slowly started the tremendous task of replanting, using out-of-work local labourers. He finally handed 12,000 hectares to the state in 1914. The work continued with the building of roads over the mountain, but was interrupted during the First World War and through lack of funds. It was finally completed in 1939.
Although there are no walks in the book around the immediate summit, Walks 12–15 are in the Mont Aigoual vicinity. L’Abîme de Bramabiau is a vast underground cave, which is worth a visit (see Walk 15 for further information).
Northern Cevennes (Walks 17–31 and Tour of Mont Lozere)
The reason why Robert Louis Stevenson was attracted to the Cevennes is that the northern area, especially around Mont Lozère, resembles the highlands of Scotland – wild heather-clad slopes, rocky outcrops, flocks of sheep, herds of cattle (though quite different from the Scottish variety), stunted coniferous trees and rushing mountain streams. The region is cold and often covered with snow in winter, though hotter in summer than its northern counterpart – all that is missing is the squelch of bog!
Sandwiched between the upland regions of Mont Aigoual to the south and Mont Lozère to the north is the isolated small town of Florac. At the confluence of three valleys on the northern edge of the Cevennes National Park and the entrance to the famous Gorges du Tarn, it is dominated by the rocky crags of the Rocher du Rochefort, the edge of the Causse Méjean to the west; north is the Mont Lozère, with the larger town of Mende beyond. To the southeast is the scenic Cevennes ridge (Corniche des Cevennes). The D106 winds through the Mimente valley (Walk 30) linking Florac with the large town of Alès to the southeast, but it takes at least an hour to get there!
The pink rocky walls of this valley especially impressed Robert Louis Stevenson – he said that‘steep rocky red mountains overhung the stream’, but he couldn’t find a spot to tie up his donkey because the valley was so narrow. Apart from the road it has not changed!
Chapel St Cyprien (Walk 8)
Formerly under the sovereignty of the Bishop of Mende, Florac was constantly revolting under the yoke of its oppressors and then, in the 16th century, it became one of the centres of the conversion to Calvinism (see‘A Short History of the Cevennes’). Now it serves as the administrative centre of a large rural region and also lives off tourism.
With a rushing mountain stream flowing through the town under picturesque bridges, the narrow, flower-decked streets of Florac draw the holiday crowds, especially for the lively weekly market, but its main claim to fame is that the château, which dominates the town, is the administrative headquarters of the Cevennes National Park.
Corniche des Cevennes (Walks 28 and 29)
Linking Florac to St-Jean-du-Gard in the southeast is the dramatic Corniche des Cevennes, which is a long upland shoulder between the Vallée Francaise and the Vallée Borne, punctured by narrow twisting gorges and ravines (serres). At first a mere track used by the shepherds taking their sheep to upland pastures (a draille) it then became a mule track for traders going from the Mediterranean plain of Languedoc to the Gevaudan area in the north. It is now a scenic route much appreciated by tourists, as the views on all sides are magnificent. The little town of St-Jean-du-Gard at the eastern end at the confluence of the two valleys has a interesting cultural museum; once a flourishing centre for the silk, leather and wool cottage industries, it is now mainly a tourist centre.
Mont
