Would you like to visit the Cevennes? Wedged between the Lozère, the Gard and the Ardèche, in the south of the Massif Central, the Cevennes massif unfolds its deserted landscapes of garrigue, limestone plateaus and thick forests dotted with blond stone houses on an immense preserved territory. Welcome to the heart of the largest French nature reserve! The Cevennes massif is marked by the diversity of its landscapes, vertiginous summits. The Cevennes offer a wide range of visits. In this article, I will make you discover the most beautiful places to visit. This will allow you to discover the different facets of this exceptional natural region. Ideal to recharge your batteries for a few days!
Start your visit to the Cevennes in the heart of the Cevennes National Park, at Pont-de-Montvert-Sud-Mont-Lozère. This village, perched at an altitude of more than 1000 meters, has grown on the southern slope of Mount Lozere, the highest point of the Cevennes which is 1660 meters. You will be able to contemplate the incredible wild nature that characterizes this region of the Cevennes, between Mediterranean and mountain influences. The stone bridge that spans the Tarn and the clock tower give all its charm to this town marked by history. It is indeed here that the war of the Camisards began, in the 18th century, a conflict which opposed the Huguenot protestants to the royal power.
Are you a hiking enthusiast? Then you are at the right place!
Pont-de-Montvert-Sud-Mont-Lozère is an ideal starting point to take the GR70, a hiking trail that crosses the Cevennes from Puy-en-Velay to Alès.
You can’t miss Vézénobres, in the Gard. This splendid village smells like the South and it is quite normal since it is located between Provence and the Cevennes. Perched on a hill, Vézénobres was built on an ancient Roman fortification and is home to charming Romanesque architecture, with many stone houses and mas. Don’t miss the street of Romanesque houses or the Sabran gate and its clock tower, vestiges of the medieval period, as well as the numerous castles that populate the village. Enjoy the figs, speciality of Vézénobres, by visiting the orchard-conservatory and smell the perfumed air of the surrounding scrubland by taking a part of the mythical Régordane way, a thousand-year-old pilgrimage and trade route.
At the gateway to the Cevennes, we find Anduze. A small authentic town, which will delight everyone! Because here, there is something for everyone: heritage lovers will find beautiful monuments, sportsmen will be able to walk on hiking trails, local products will delight gourmets, and the magnificent landscapes will finish putting everyone in agreement.
Then take in the nearby Cevennes Bamboo Grove, which covers 12 hectares and is home to many tropical plant species. As soon as you enter, you get a feeling of immensity. Between light and shade, redwoods and giant bamboos stand in a royal avenue, nature becomes a cathedral, an oak tree touches the sky at 40 m, a magnolia at 35 m, the valley so vast that an immense dragon would find rest in the shade of the Ginkgo… Daydreams, strolls, contemplations, games and joys of discovery, one forgets the hours in this world elsewhere in the Cevennes. More than 1000 varieties of rare flowers, trees and remarkable plants draw an exuberant landscape where each one follows his desire of enchantment, among the Zen gardens and the Victorian greenhouses, the precious perfumes and the mysterious labyrinth.
Saint-Jean-du-Gard offers a framework of preserved nature, favorable to hiking and outdoor activities. Between unforgettable landscapes, and sublime viewpoints, the village, the surroundings and the activities on the spot will answer your desires of sensations and discoveries.
Between Anduze and Saint Jean du Gard, the steam train of the Cevennes will make you discover the valley of the Gardons and its admirable panoramas.
At full steam, from viaducts to tunnels, you will be able to find the railways of the past. It is a magical experience to do with your family or friends.
Don’t hesitate to contact our team for more information.
Play the adventurer by going to the top of the Mont Aigoual, the highest point of the Gard, at more than 1500 meters of altitude. It is here that you will be able to observe an exceptional panorama stretching from the Alps to the Pyrenees. Characterized by an extreme weather, the Mont Aigoual is indeed abused by the harshness of the wind, the sometimes violent rains and the snow.
However, it remains a must-see during your visit to the Cevennes, first for its panorama, but also for the weather museum it houses. In a fortified building is indeed nestled a weather station and a museum that explains the weather phenomena and the tools of meteorologists.
A must-see place that is located not far from the Cevennes National Park is the Cirque de Navacelles. When I went there the first time, I was blown away! The view is breathtaking. I will never forget that moment.
It’s undoubtedly the most surprising of the natural sites of the Hérault! When one discovers the Cirque de Navacelles for the first time, it is its immensity which marks. This incredible volume leaves you speechless. It is all the more striking that the arrival at the viewpoints of Blandas and Baume Auriol is done by crossing the vast expanses of the arid caussenard plateaus.
And suddenly, you arrive at the edge of this emptiness, of this immensity under your feet and as far as the eye can see… “The wahou effect” assured.
All these places that I proposed to you, I advise you to realize them in summer because the weather conditions are rather extreme.
Don’t hesitate to contact our team if you want to organize a stay in the Cevennes or elsewhere.
I hope this post made you travel and gave you the desire to dream of discovering the Cevennnes…
If you enjoyed this post The most beautiful places in the Cevennes, you can check out The 10 most charming villages in France.
