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Beneath Mont Lozère

The Cévennes - the secret hills of the south

Unspoiled and largely undiscovered, the Cévennes National Park is a land of rugged mountains coated in heather, gorse and open grassland that turns golden in the sun, while the slopes of the deep valleys below are cloaked with majestic chestnut woods. The region seems scarcely to have been touched by the march of time; ancient ways continue and historic buildings are preserved. Indeed, you can imagine that the wild landscapes of the Park, home to eagles and vultures, have changed little since Robert Louis Stevenson passed through on his Travels with a Donkey. By leading across the wild uplands as well as the lower valleys, our challenging but rewarding route promises very varied walking, with each season bringing its charms, be it vivid broom in spring, colourful expanses of heather in high summer or ripening chestnuts in autumn. You stay in an appealing combination of welcoming hotels and traditional guesthouses (chambres d’hôtes), with some delicious regional cuisine.

Nights: 7
Grade: 2-3
Terrain: open moorland, broad ridges
Hotels: two 2-star hotels; one 2-star chambres d’hôtes; one 3-star chambres d’hôtes; one 4-star chambres d’hôtes
Meals: dinner & breakfast each day, plus 6 picnics
Climate: this being the southern part of the Massif Central, the region enjoys a warm Mediterranean summer. June and September bring temperatures in the low twenties Celsius, increasing to the mid twenties in July and August. The autumn colours are superb.

Sunset from Toureves

Toureves' far-reaching views

Fantastic walking

The banks of the Tarn

A bridge over the infant Tarn

Starting point: Auberge la Régordane (2*), La Garde-Guérin. The attentive Nogier brothers' attractively appointed hotel has been carefully converted from one of the village houses, and retains its medieval atmosphere – some of the rooms are accessed via the spiral stone staircase. In warm weather, dinner is served in the cobbled courtyard.

Day 1: as your first walk is quite short, you may like to start the day by walking along the top of the Chassezac Gorge just to the north of the village. The walk proper descends along a cobbled drovers' trail (la régordane) to Lake Villefort, which is framed by expanses of heather and pine woods in which red squirrels commonly jump from branch to branch. Your destination is the bustling village of the same name. (9km, 3hrs)

Accommodation: Hotel Balme (2*), Villefort. A traditional restaurant with rooms run by the welcoming Monsieur Gomy, who is an accomplished chef, often incorporating local chestnuts into his refined cuisine which deservedly enjoys a good reputation locally.

Day 2: today's walk - one of the best on the holiday - begins with a transfer into the mountains. You cross moorland, where cows, sheep and goats graze, passing numerous oddly shaped rocks amid the heather. For the latter part of the day, you walk along the picturesque banks of the infant Tarn which are lined with purple heather in high summer. (14.5km, 5.5hrs)

Accommodation: Le Merlet (3*chambres d’hôtes), Le Merlet. This guesthouse has been converted from a remote working farm and has won various ecological awards. Each evening guests dine together around a large oak table while Monsieur Galzin entertains everyone with anecdotes about country life.

Day 3: enjoy a walk in the heart of the Cévennes National Park, perhaps following part of the Stevenson Trail on a long walk to the attractive old stone village of Le Pont-de-Montvert. During the summer holidays, you may see other walkers travelling with their bags strapped to the backs of donkeys, just as Robert Louis Stevenson did. (15km, 5hrs)

Accommodation: Le Merlet, as above.

Day 4: the paths you follow today reward you with far-reaching views into the wooded valleys below as they lead you across the uplands once more, past isolated farms, and descend through expanses of broom to your next base. (16km, 5.5hrs)

Accommodation: Gîte de Toureves (2* chambres d’hôtes), Toureves. Perched on the hillside, the great feature of this authentic guesthouse is the view – you can often see as far as Mont Ventoux in Provence - which is particularly special at sunrise and sunset. Dinners of home cooking are enjoyed with other guests in the dining room or around the two large tables in front of the auberge in good weather.

Day 5: follow our route notes for another enjoyable circular walk. (11km, 3.5hrs)

Accommodation: Gîte de Toureves, as above.

Day 6: you finish the week with a relatively easy walk - a descent through attractive woodland to the village of Génolhac. (7km, 4hrs)

Accommodation: Le Temps des Cérises (4* chambres d’hôtes), Génolhac. Beautifully converted from a late 19th-century manor house on the edge of the village, this is a high-quality guesthouse. There are just five charmingly decorated bedrooms, ensuring great intimacy, and the top floor is occupied by a library that opens onto a huge roof-top terrace set with sun loungers. Below, in the large gardens, is an outdoor pool with more sun loungers. Unlike other chambres d’hôtes, you dine at your own table, enjoying the delicious local cuisine of your host, Roland Dumont.

Walking chart: the chart gives the distance and an approximation of the ascents and descents involved each day. If comparing holidays, please note the scale of each chart as this can differ.

Recommendations for extra nights: Auberge la Régordane (La Garde-Guérin) for extra walking – take a day to explore the Chassezac Gorge just to the north of the village. Alternatively, Le Temps des Cérises (Génolhac) is a great choice for a day of relaxation at the end of your holiday.

Extensions: If you are flying via vibrant Montpellier or the Roman city of Nimes extend your holiday and stay over for 2 nights at the 3* Hotel du Midi in Montpellier, or the 3* Hotel la Baume in Nimes.

Other information: if you would like to see the brochure page, you can download this (and the pages for any other holidays you are interested in) by using our brochure creation system.

Similar holidays: The Castles of the Cathars (grade 2-3), The Grand Cerdagne (grade 2-3), Pyrenees to Atlantic (grade 2-3), The Catalan Pyrenees (grade 2-3), From the Picos to the Sea (grade 2-3), Italy's Green Heart (grade 2-3)

Prices & travel 2008:

Recommended destination airports: Marseille, Montpellier & Nîmes
Latest flight arrival time: Marseille 1330; Montpellier 1500; Nîmes 1400
Earliest flight departure time: Marseille 1415; Montpellier 1300; Nîmes flexible
*Connecting travel: return rail/taxi from Montpellier (out 2h25/home 3h) £31pp;
return rail/taxi from Marseille (out 4h/home 4h05) £16pp;
return rail/taxi from Nîmes (out 1h45/home 2h10) £60pp

By rail includes: Eurostar/TGV/regional rail via Nîmes & either Lille or Paris (out dep St Pancras via Lille 0853, Mon-Fri, Sun, via Paris 0832, Sat /home dep Genolhac 0756)
Self-drive includes: P&O Ferries Dover-Calais
Extra nights can be booked at any hotel
Start: Mon-Fri in Sep; any day other dates
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2008 extra night prices

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