At the beginning of the 16th century, La Bastide was a small hamlet of seven or eight houses located on the right bank of the Allier River. In the Gévaudan region stood a farm inhabited for centuries by the Bastide family (who, according to some, gave the village its name), also known as Trouillas. It served as a farm-inn for pilgrims, merchants, and herdsmen traveling along the Regordane route. The arrival of the railway in 1870, followed by the establishment of the Notre-Dame-des-Neiges monastery a few years later, and the development of the Saint-Laurent-les-Bains thermal spa, greatly contributed to the village's growth.
Short loop between nature and history in La Bastide-Puylaurent
Distance: 4 km
Maximum altitude: 1,086 m | Minimum altitude: 1,015 m
Total elevation gain: 75 m
IGN Maps: La Bastide-Puylaurent (2738E) / Largentière, La Bastide-Puylaurent, Vivarais Cévenol (2838OT).
🖨️ Print the hike instructions
La Bastide-Puylaurent, a commune in Lozère in the Occitanie region, is a village of about 170 inhabitants located in the heart of the Cévennes National Park. Known for its rich natural and historical heritage, it attracts nature and hiking enthusiasts with its mountains, forests, and rivers. The village is crossed by several long-distance hiking trails, including the famous GR®70 (Stevenson Trail) and the Regordane Way (GR®700), which links Le Puy-en-Velay to Alès.
Its development was driven by the construction of the railway station in the 19th century, making it an important stop between Lozère and Ardèche. Today, it remains the highest station on the line linking Paris to Marseille via Clermont-Ferrand. Several shops and accommodations are available to welcome hikers and visitors, who can also enjoy numerous leisure activities, such as camping near the Allier River and swimming.
The cultural heritage is also notable, with the Pont de la Résistance built during the Second World War, and the nearby Cistercian abbey of Notre-Dame-des-Neiges, a peaceful place of meditation. Historically, the village has been a welcoming hub for travelers since the 18th century, serving as a relay for pilgrims and muleteers. Situated at the crossroads of the Cévennes and Vivarais, La Bastide-Puylaurent offers an exceptional panorama of the surrounding high plateaus, with clear views of the mountains that showcase the rural beauty of the Cévennes. This preserved natural setting continues to captivate those seeking tranquility, heritage discovery, and immersion in typical Cévennes landscapes.
La Bastide-Puylaurent is a village shaped by both the gentleness and the harshness of the mountains. Originally, the center of the commune was in Puylaurent, a hamlet perched above the Allier valley, but in 1917 it was moved to La Bastide, marking a new era. The history of this place dates back to the 16th century when La Bastide was just a small group of houses on the banks of the Allier, surrounded by land occupied by influential families and crossed by the historic Regordane road, used by traders and pilgrims.
The village was also marked by political and religious events. In the 18th century, it housed a chapel and a pilgrims' hospital, a testament to the work of the monks of Tornac. Later, during the French Revolution, La Bastide-Puylaurent became the scene of the royalist conspiracy of the Count of Saillans, who attempted to overthrow the republican regime before being suppressed by republican troops. In 1940, while Europe was at war, La Bastide-Puylaurent became a refuge for Poles fleeing Nazi and Soviet persecution. A reception center, run by Zbigniew Malinowski and supported by the Red Cross, offered the refugees care, education, and invaluable solidarity. Despite persecution by the Vichy police and the German occupation in 1944, the center remained a powerful symbol of fraternity between peoples and resistance to oppression.
The Chemin de Régordane, now marked as the GR®700, is an ancient route with a rich and varied heritage, crossing unique natural landscapes and historically connecting northern France to the Mediterranean. Originating from geological movements, the natural path of this fault was first used by animals, then by humans who transformed it into a drovers' road (draille), and later into a strategic trade route. The Romans used it for the metal trade, but it gained significant importance in the Middle Ages when trade flourished between the Kingdom of France and the German Empire. Infrastructure was built, and the road became an essential artery for merchant convoys, featuring warehouses and dwellings, some remains of which still exist today.
This road also had a deep religious dimension, welcoming pilgrims on their way to Saint-Gilles, a major pilgrimage center and departure point for Jerusalem and Rome. Its commercial importance declined with the wars and plagues of the 14th century, and the road fell dormant until the 17th century, when redevelopment work brought it back to life under royal command. In the 18th century, a new road was built to accommodate stagecoaches, but its intensive use diminished with the advent of the railway, causing it to gradually fade from use. Today, the Regordane Way is an invitation to rediscover ancient history. With its old paving stones, shifting landscapes, and architectural ruins, it recalls a prestigious past where traders, pilgrims, knights, and troubadours once crossed paths.