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Unforgettable hike in the Cevennes |
     
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Here, the hospitality and comfort leave an unforgettable memory. The meals at the guest tables are generous and of high quality. The wine served at the table comes from the south of the Cevennes, and the bread is homemade.
Philippe, a great traveler, will introduce you to a different way of seeing tourism and hospitality that he has discovered and developed himself through regular exchanges with other innkeepers around the world. He is an adventurer with a thousand talents who, despite his workload, always remains cool and open-minded.The house is very spacious, as are the rooms with views of the Allier and the park. Philippe knows the Cevennes region well and the many hiking paths; loops ranging from a few hours to several days that he makes available to his guests in a large green binder; enough for a fantastic wellness stay!
Bastide-Puylaurent is located 1 km from the watershed and offers a variety of rich and varied landscapes due to its location. To the east, the Ardeche and its canyons; to the north, the Haute-Loire and its plateaus; to the west, the Lozere and its forests; and to the south, the Cevennes and its national park. Just 500m from the village, you are already in the heart of nature; do not be surprised to encounter a deer, a wild boar, or stumble upon porcini mushrooms that delight mushroom seekers.
Our first day.
Hiking towards the Cevennes to Le Bleymard following the GR®70 Stevenson Trail, which climbs to the Moure de la Gardille near the sources of the Allier and descends to Chasserades where the Chassezac flows.
After crossing the majestic Mirandol viaduct, where the little train connects La Bastide-Puylaurent to Mende, we begin the long ascent of the Goulet Mountain via L'Estampe (where Guillaume Perier, lord of Lestampe and the last baron of Mirandol, lived) and its dense forest. Long descent through the Alpiers into the Lot Valley and Bleymard, facing Mont Lozere. A somewhat long stage of 28 km, but the beauty of the landscape eases the duration of the journey, with alternating forests, moors, and grasslands. The comfortable hotel La Remise allows for good recovery. If this hike seems too long to you, you can stop at the Gîte de Mirandol (15 km) run by the hotel des Sources in Chasserades or at Tiny Aubenque's, a lady of Dutch origin who has been running her guesthouse in the Alpiers for several years (26 km).
2nd day
The Pont de Montvert,
an easier hike, only 18 km, passing to the Mont Lozere station via the Santel pass, 400 meters of elevation gain, one more little effort to reach the summit of Finiels at 1699 meters, the highest point of Mont Lozere with an exceptional panorama over the Cevennes.
Descent to the Pont de Montvert, which was the theater of the bloody wars of the Camisards, where Protestants and Catholics opposed each other throughout the Cevennes (also see the history of Lozere by Victor Adolphe Malte-Brun). From there, I leave the Stevenson path. Night at the communal guesthouse. Robert Louis Stevenson wrote to us: "One of the first things encountered at Pont-de-Montvert, if I remember correctly, was the Protestant temple. But that was only the harbinger of other novelties. A subtle atmosphere distinguishes a city in England from a city in France or even Scotland."
3rd day
On the way to Mas de la Barque. I improvise my hike along the D998, 1 km 500, through the hamlets of Futgeres, Merlet, and Felgeroles, where I find the GR®72, which I will not leave until I reach La Bastide-Puylaurent. After Felgeroles, the GR®72 follows the upper course of the Tarn. The Altier, the Lot, the Tarn, and the Gardons all take their sources on Mont Lozere.
From the Tarn Bridge, there is a variant to visit Mas Camargue and the hamlet of Bellecoste. The Gîte du Mas de la Barque, comfortable and with warm hospitality, makes me want to spend two days there.
4th day
I leave the Gîte du Mas de la Barque for a star-shaped hike. Direction Pic Cassini 1680 m, the weather is clear and the panorama is magnificent, the view extends to Mt Aigoual, returning through the moors to the hamlet of Bellecoste where a shepherd prepares the fences for the nearby summer pasture. Through the commander's woods, I reach the Gîte de Mas de la Barque, a rest stop of only 16 km.
5th day
It rained at night; I stay 1 km on the road until the GR 72 takes a DFCI path (Forest Fire Defense Path), thus I walk dry. Steep descent to Villefort, but the sun has returned to the Cevennes. After walking along the banks of the lake and crossing the dam, the path rises again to the plateau. Visit to the fortified village of La Garde Guerin and the Gorges of Chassezac before arriving at Albespeyre, my stage destination.
A 19 km hike.
Intersection with the GR®700 Regordane Path. Way of the knights, of pilgrims, of peddlers. Of jugglers and troubadours. Wine route, spices, simple salt like oil and cheeses. But also the "strategic" route of tin towards the Mediterranean. From the Frankish chivalry marching against the Saracens. From the monk on pilgrimage to Saint Gilles and perhaps the East. A path of stars in the Milky Way of the journey that was the Middle Ages.
The journey of the priest Aulanier du Brignon in the 17th century.
17 November: departed at dawn from the Bastide, had dinner in Villefort at the Logis des Trois Rois, spent 17 sols 6 deniers; snack and picotin in Genolhac, 4 sols 6 deniers; supper and bed at Pradel at the Logis called Fornier, spent 19 sols 9 deniers. The Gîte de la Butinerie is located in a former bastide from the 18th century, tastefully renovated, highlighting the architecture of the place and also emphasizing the courteous welcome from the hostess originally from Luneville (Meurthe and Moselle).
6th day
Only 17 km left, following the Regordane path to return to La Bastide-Puylaurent, via the Rachas dam, the heights of Prevencheres, and Le Thort. Here, we cross the watershed between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean at an altitude of 1133 meters.
Arrival at the guesthouse L'Etoile where I find my car and my friend Philippe. My journey has been punctuated by exciting encounters: deer, hares, eagles, beautiful flowers, not to mention the many trout seen while crossing the bridges over the streams. Ah, these Cevennes! You come here, you feel good, and you come back!
Former holiday hotel with a garden along the Allier, L'Etoile Guest House is located in La Bastide-Puylaurent between Lozere, Ardeche, and the Cevennes in the mountains of Southern France. At the crossroads of GR®7, GR®70 Stevenson Path, GR®72, GR®700 Regordane Way, GR®470 Allier River springs and gorges, GRP® Cevenol, Ardechoise Mountains, Margeride. Numerous loop trails for hiking and one-day biking excursions. Ideal for a relaxing and hiking getaway.
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