Читать книгу Walking in the Cevennes. 31 walks and the Tour of Mont Lozere онлайн

8 страница из 71

In the guidebook I have split the walking areas into two – north and south of the national park, the boundary being the Mont Aigoual. In the south I stayed in a tiny huddle of houses called Loves, set in a dense chestnut forest 3km up a winding road near the town of Le Vigan. Florac on the river Tarnon was my centre for the northern walks and the starting point of my tour of Mont Lozère.

Most of the walks undertaken are within one hour’s drive from the towns of Le Vigan and Florac and are well signposted. There are no paths going across private land (so walkers avoid being diverted by irate landowners), and fewer habitations mean fewer farms with yappy dogs! When you walk here you rarely meet other people or stumble on habitation – you get mesmerised by the emptiness of the country, by the endless hills stretching into nowhere and the wonderful feeling of being really alone – a rare pleasure in this constantly growing bustle of Europe.

Southern Cevennes (Walks 1–16)

The southern region, known as the Cevennes Meridionales, with the small town of Le Vigan in the Arre valley, has a Mediterranean character. Olives, vines and a variety of fruit trees are grown on the lower south-facing slopes, and the once useful mulberry trees still flourish, together with the chestnut trees at a higher altitude. The main town is Le Vigan, with 4500 inhabitants, situated on the southern side of the Mont Aigoual. It is an authentic, lively little town, the centre for a large rural area which has happily escaped being smartened up and given over exclusively to tourism. Although it, too, suffered from the decline in the silkworm industry at the end of the 19th century, it managed to continue the tradition by producing stockings, scarves and other textile products thanks to the installation of a large factory. The river Arre meanders through the town, spanned by a magnificent old Roman bridge, and in the vicinity is the Musée Cévenol, which gives a fascinating insight into the rural industries and culture of the region (see Walk 1 for opening times and further information).