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48,4km bike tour at La Bastide-Puylaurent |
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From L'Etoile, cross the bridge over the Allier and take the D906 on the left towards Langogne to Rogleton. Turn right onto the D154 via Laveyrune and the Pranlac bridge which crosses the Allier. Join the D906 for 500 metres then take the small road on the left which goes up towards Luc. In the centre of the village, turn left and follow this road to Espradels. Turn left towards Le Cheylard-l'Evêque. In the centre of the village, turn left onto the D71 through the Mercoire and Gardille forests to Chazeaux. Turn left onto the D6 and follow it to La Bastide-Puylaurent via Mirandol, Chasseradès, Chabalier, the Château de Chabaleyret, Masméjean and Les Huttes.
20,5km / 25km / 27,7km / 30km / 36km / 37km / 41,5km / 48,4km / 57,5km / 59,4km / 60km / 70km / 76,8km / 77km / 81km / 90km / 95,7km
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Distance: 48.4km. Maximum altitude: 1365m. Minimum altitude: 974m. Cumulative elevation: 762m.
IGN maps: Langogne (2737E). La Bastide-Puylaurent (2738E). Le Bleymard (2738O). Largentière la Bastide-Puylaurent Vivarais Cévenol (2838OT).
The Château de Luc had its origins in a very ancient past, built on a site once occupied by the Celts, on the edge of the Mercoire forest, where the mysterious Tanargue massif was hidden. Its construction spanned the 6th to the 10th century, at a time when Gévaudan was an independent province, divided into eight baronies. Property of the lords of Luc, allied with the powerful barons of Randon and, through them, to the House of Joyeuse, one of the most illustrious noble families in France. The lords of Luc were renowned for their bravery, piety and sense of justice. They had the privilege of minting money, levying taxes, administering justice and waging war. Respected and feared by their vassals, they were also generous and protective towards the needy, the sick and pilgrims, who found refuge and assistance in their castle.
The commune of Cheylard-l'Evêque was created in 1888 by detachment from Chaudeyrac. In a small valley still preserved where one can easily imagine how the Lozériens lived in the last century, Cheylard l'Evêque offers all the tranquility and charm of a small paradise. Winter is harsh in Cheylard and the small roads are often clogged with snow. The inhabitants support each other during these long snowy months to do the shopping, get bread, get the mail or clear the road. The large state forest of Mercoire provides all the wood that the inhabitants need. In September - October, everyone is at the "mushrooms"; ceps, blood, chanterelles, sheep's foot, etc ... Many tourists come especially from the cities of Gard and Haute-Loire. Trout fishing in the Langouyrou which joins Langogne. It is a real little village outside of time.
The Abbey of Mercoire owned one sixth of the 10,000 ha of the Mercoire forest, lands given to it in the 12th century by Guillaume de Randon. To support its needs, it also owned estates in Vivarais, Velay and Gévaudan, from which it received wheat, rye, chickens, butter, cheese, wine, oil, chestnuts, etc. At the end of the 13th century, the convent had 50 nuns and 15 "demoiselles", novices or daughters of the nobility, raised here. There would be only about fifteen of them in the 15th century and 7 at the Revolution. It is true that isolation could not protect the abbey from various destructions, starting with the attack of the Huguenots of Merle in 1578. In 1773, a fire destroyed the entire monastery, with the exception of the church and the chapel. Significant donations then allowed the construction of new buildings, but twenty years later, the abbey and its estate were sold as national property, then transformed into a farm around 1875.
To the southwest of Chasseradès stood the castle of Mirandol, whose name clearly indicates the wide view. It was the seat of an important lordship (one of the twelve lordships or manor houses of Gévaudan). In the Romanesque period, it was held by the "ancient knighthood of Naves". Guillaume de Naves was in 1207 parier of La Garde Guérin. Guérin de Naves, lord of Mirandol, witnessed in 1267 a homage paid to Guigues, baron of Tournel. A little further west, by the small tarmac road marked with granite crosses, we arrive at Saint Frézal d'Albuges.
The train that connects Mende to La Bastide-Puylaurent via Allenc and Belvezet always stops at the small station located about 1km from Chasseradès. The line is often blocked by snowdrifts in winter, so protective tunnels had to be built. It is an excellent, inexpensive means of transport, very pleasant and unique in France. You can also take your bike on the train. To stop, you must signal your presence on the station platform with a big wave. The Mirandol viaduct is very impressive; it overlooks the Chassezac river, which already takes the form of a small canyon and which further towards La Garde-Guérin will transform into imposing Gorges. Like the Allier, the Chassezac has its source on the Moure de la Gardille.
