30km bike tour at La Bastide-Puylaurent

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Distance: 30.11 km Maximum elevation: 1050 m Minimum elevation: 318 m Total elevation gain: 1029 m
IGN maps: La Bastide-Puylaurent (2738E), Mont Lozère Florac PN des Cévennes (2739OT), Largentière la Bastide-Puylaurent Vivarais Cévenol (2838OT), Bessèges Les Vans Vallée du Chassezac (2839OT).

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Located in the Mont Lozère massif, the Borne Valley is distinguished by its deep gorges, carved out by the Borne River. The contrast between the granite cliffs and the lush vegetation is striking. The river's level varies between 550m and 305m above sea level, while the plateau reaches an altitude of approximately 1000m. This granite massif has a unique history: it was separated from Mont Lozère by the Villefort fault, a major geological event dating back 305 million years. This north-south fault created a unique landscape, marked by rugged terrain and impressive rock formations.

The Altier Valley is renowned for its grand landscapes, coniferous forests, and crystal-clear waters. The Altier, a wild river, rises at the foot of the summit of Finiels, the highest point in the Lozère, and winds its way through narrow gorges and verdant valleys. The valley is home to a remarkable biodiversity. It is inhabited by a variety of fauna: brown trout, roe deer, wild boar, as well as birds of prey such as the short-toed eagle. The flora is equally rich, with numerous plant species adapted to this mountainous environment.

Located on the ancient Régordane Way, a fief of the Châteauneuf de Randon, then of the barons of Tournel. Villefort was an important crossroads, fiercely contested during the Wars of Religion. It was alternately Protestant and Catholic, ransomed by one side and then the other... very close to Mont Lozère, the northernmost bastion of the Camisards. The architecture of the old buildings of Villefort is characteristic of the architectural style of the villages of the region. Here are a few examples: Houses with double vaulted porches were once inns or shops for merchants or artisans: one of the porches was used to store goods, the other to display them. The sculpted lintels above the entrances of some houses on Rue de l'Église or Rue de la Bourgade bear witness to the past activities of their occupants. Cross-shaped or mullioned windows, Renaissance-era windows, adorn the facades.

In the heart of the Lozère, nestled in the verdant folds of Pourcharesses, stands the Château de Castanet, a 16th-century jewel. Its history is woven into the tapestry of the French countryside, where chestnut trees reign supreme and whisper the secrets of the past. Perched on a promontory, the castle overlooks the surroundings of Villefort, a canton that once escaped the grip of Gévaudan to place itself under the protection of the bishopric of Uzès. The lords of Castanet, with their lands extending to La Garde-Guérin, swore allegiance to the bishop of Mende, their overlord. The land of Castanet, named after the Occitan "chataîgner" (chestnut), is a stopover for pilgrims of the Massif Central, following the Régordane Way to the abbey of Saint-Gilles. It is also the link between Mende and Villefort, via the Soteirana, winding through the valleys of the Lot and Altier.