The Tarn is
prolonged by the gorges of the Jonte with its rocky
inlets, terraces and strong walls, the chateau of
Peyreleau, the Romanesque church of Rozier, high-set
houses overlooking the river and the hanging gardens of Le
Truel.
The string
of peaceful villages tucked into the meanders of the Lot
are home to many mediaeval remains, witness to an eventful
historical past..
D5
Ispagnac A
lively village in the upper reaches of the Gorges of the Tarn,
tucked into a little valley dotted with peach and cherry orchards
and soon vineyards with the replanting of Chardonnay grapes.
Its domed Romanesque
church is one of the finest in the Gévaudan. Cross the Tarn on the
superb bridge first built in the Middle Ages.
C5
Sainte-Enimie one
of the most beautiful villages in France, is set in the very heart
of the gorges.
It was originally a
monastery, built in the 6th century, and it owes its fame to Enimie,
a Merovingian princess said to have been cured of leprosy by the
waters from the source of the Burle.
You can stroll round
its streets paved with cobbles from the Tarn, past old houses and
squares which have been restored to give the village its old
mediaeval appearance.
C5
Saint-Chély-du-Tarn This
pretty little village is one of the best sites in the gorges. It
is on the left bank of the Tarn at 4km south of
Sainte Enimie.
It is
worth a visit for its houses of local stone nestling against the foot
of the high cliffs.
Paved
streets lead to a little chapel tucked into a rock shelter called
Baume de Cénaret.
C5
Le
Château de la Caze Built
beside the Tarn in the late 15th century for
Guillaume de Montclar and his wife, the current
chateau is the result of a number of extensions: a
square tower and two round ones.
With
three sides of surrounded by moats of water and
isolated by the Tarn, it is now a 4-star hotel
with a great park of age-old trees.
C6
Meyrueis
This
little town lying between Mont Aigoual and the
Causse Méjean has many attractions.
It
is a crossroad for tourists visiting the gorges of
the Jonte and the Causse Méjean, with a
year-round population and many shops, services and
quality hotels.
Other sights
La
Malène (C5), an old boatmen’s
village, for its 17th century manor house and
Romanesque church.
Castelbouc
(C5) for its ruined castle on the
cliff-side overlooking a cave-dwellers’
village.
Visit
the Cirque of Pougnadoires (C5) near
to Saint Chély for its houses tucked into or
hanging onto rocky outcrops.
Make
a stop to look at the view over the famous straits
of the Pas-de-Souci, near to the village of
Les Vignes.
Admire
the impressive dimensions of the gorges from the
"Point sublime" on the Causse.
And in the valley of the Lot
B4
La Canourgue
Wedged
between Sauveterre and the valley of the Lot, this
town is known as the little Venice of the Lozère.
Pay
a visit to its restored mediaeval dwelling on the
Place au Blé, the charming old houses of the
burghers and the vaulted passageways over the
water.
Its
streams and canals are pleasant for a stroll and
its church one of the most beautiful in the
region.
You
can play golf on the 9-hole course (soon to be 18)
in the valley of the Urugne at the foot of the
Sabot de Malepeyre.
C4
Mende
Capital
of the Lozère, should be seen for the
beauty of its old town centre, paved streets, old
houses and, above all, its gothic cathedral which
dominates the town.
Vultures in the Jonte
Gorges
The Lookout is a magical site where the age-old complicity
between man and vultures is renewed.
In a building set into the superb landscape of the Jonte
gorges, an underground trail full of surprises, sounds, images
and stories acts as an introduction to these great birds,
reintroduced after 40 years' absence. The terrace provides an
excellent view of their aerial antics above the Jonte and the
Causses.
The highlight of the visit is a video broadcast of vultures in
the wild, filmed in some of their most secret hideouts. Open
mid March to mid November, head to Le Truel via Le Rozier.
Credits
: www.lozere-tourisme.com
