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Home / Mende UK / Principal UK / Explore / Visit the Lozere / The Cévennes & Mont-Lozère

The Cévennes & Mont-Lozère

Publié le Tuesday 28 June 2016

The Cévennes...

The Cevennes is a chain of low mountains forming a number of deep valleys, stretching from the south-east to the french Massif Central.

The mountains span the departments of the Lozère and the Gard, stretching from the Vivarais hills in the Ardèche and Haute-Loire in the south to the Lacaune and Espinouse hills in the Herault.

The name usually includes part of the southern plains to the south-east of the foothills, including the town of Alès.

The sharp relief of this isolated region, its extreme climate and characteristic landscape, produce and traditions have developed over the centuries make the Cevennes a unique and identifiable territory in the Languedoc region.

Rich in history, this land has long been marked by religious wars.

Being so difficult to reach, the persecuted Protestants found refuge in the Cévennes.

Today the area is protected, and the. Cevennes National Park covers much of the territory

80% of the National Park is in the départment of the Lozère.

The animal and plant wildlife are protected. Many species have been re-introduced or have returned naturally.

An amazing natural heritage awaits you


Mont-Lozère...

A high granite plateaux, this round-sloped mountain offers wide views of the Cevennes, Aigoual and the Causses.

Although the slopes are heavily forested, the ridges are vast grassy expanses, where cattle are grazed.

 

Le pic de Finiels / Mont Lozère ski station:

Former seat of the Knights hospitaller, Peak Finiels and Mont Lozere ski station are much appreciated by outdoor sports enthusuasts.

- Skiing (Alpine and Nordic), tobogganing, snowshoeing in winter.
- Hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding during the rest of the year.

Geography:

Altitude: 1,699 metres at the Pic du Finiels, the highest point in the Massif Central not of volcanic origin.

It forms a distinct geographical entity, delimited by the courses of the rivers Tarn, Lot, Altier and Céze. Its high plateau stretches for 35 km.

Location: Mont Lozère is located between Florac, Mende, Génolhac and Villefort.

Geological characteristics: Mont Lozère is a massive granite extrusion.

Erosion has sundered vast granite blocks from its slopes, which lie scattered chaotically scattered over the moorlands.

Activities: The geography and climate of Mont Lozère make it ideal for walking, mountain biking and horse riding. There are many short hikes as well as the complete circuit of the mountain described in the Topo Guides.

More about skiing at Bleymard / Mont-Lozère

Mont-Lozere
ski

 

Saint-Julien du Tournel:

This part of the Mont-Lozère (Bagnols-les-Bains, The Tournel, The Bleymard, Oultet, Cubières, Mas d'Orcières,...) differs from the rest of the massiif by the shale rock that predominates.

St. Julien du Tournel has very interesting architecture - the church, the castle, mill and the Ferradou "steeple of torment"..
You can make a detour to visit a slate cutting quarry.

The Castle: These ruins, the largest in Lozere, hint at the magnitude of the structure built in the twelfth century by the barons of Tournel.
The dungeon, the corner towers, and chapel walls are still visible and the shale stone is covered with lichens, which give the whole structure a curious reddish brown colour, unusual for a building of that time. Free.
The Church: City for the first time in 1229, it was the burial place of the lords of Tournel until the the fifteenth century.
A romanesque church with one nave like many rural churches in the region, it still retains some of the old wall paintings which covered the interior.
The church is closed except for out religious services. Tours of the church organised occasionally during the year, inquire withPays d'Art et d'histoire Mende & Lot en Gévaudan, Phone: 04 66 31 27 39 • 06 42 57 93 09.
Web site:http://www.pah-mende-et-lot.fr

Chateau-Tournel

eglise-Tournel

Autel-eglise-Le Tournel


Small scale architectural heritage

The north-facing slope of Mount Lozere is characterized by a harsh climate in winter with hamlets sporting cimmunal ovens, fountains, chapels, crosses, traditional houses, and often in very good condition.
Among this small scale heritage, the Spires of Torment intrigue the visitor.
These towers, which were present in the north of Lozere (Aubrac, Margeride and Mont-Lozère) were part of village life. They marked the seasons (haymaking, cattle migration to high pastures) and community life that prevailed in every hamlet.
They are called today "Spires of Torment" when in winter because the storm fell upon our regions, we rang the bell for hours to guide and warn travelers who could easily get lost.		clocher-tourmente-Oultet
Clocher d'Oultet

 

L'Étang de Barrandon

The Etang (a small lake typical of the region) of Barrandon holds a European Charter for Sustainable Tourism.

It is located in the heart area of the Cevennes National Park, on the village of Saint-Etienne-du-Valdonnez.
Only part of the lake is open to fishing.

Plus d'infos sur l'étang de Barrandon

peche-barrandon

 

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