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Cevennes and Causses are a natural area of great beauty and diversity. They harbor a rich and varied fauna and flora, as well as spectacular landscapes |
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Cevennes and Causses are a natural area of great beauty and diversity. They harbor a rich and varied fauna and flora, as well as spectacular landscapes |
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langue d'Oc, a separate case. With the invasion of the Barbarians (beginning of the 5th century), the mighty Roman Empire crumbles. Then, as far as southern France is concerned, a whole series of invasions follow. Between the 5th and 10th centuries, they are respectively: the Vandals, the Visigoths, the Franks and the Saracens. This war violence not only brings discomfort, but also causes different cultures to mix with each other. With anxious eyes, the year 1000 is looked forward to - after all, the end of the world was expected - but it turned out differently. New agricultural techniques emerged, more money came among the people, the population grew and the weivaart increased. With economic prosperity, culture (poetry, troubadours, chivalry) and spirituality (expansion of monastic orders, the Templars, Catharism, etc.) also grow.
In short, around the 12th century, a refined cultural and spiritual civilization emerged in the then Languedoc region. This was short-lived. According to some sources, the decline was initiated by the crusade against the Albigensians or Cathars (1209). This decline only really set in during the dark 14th century. One setback follows another with the arrival of the plague, the many wars and famines.
A language is more than a means of communication. It partly determines our actions and thoughts. Good language skills and usage often give a population group more cohesion. Later, not only spoken but also written language is important. After all, all kinds of traditions come to us that way. During the five centuries of Roman rule, Latin was the common language. Before that, Gallo-Roman was still used.
In the north, Latin was quickly mastered by Celtic and Gallic elements. After the invasion of the Barbarians, the north was more influenced by the Franks. The south is more influenced by the Romance languages and is therefore influenced by other cultures. North of the Central Massif, the 'langue d'oui' was spoken, while in the south the 'langue d'Oc' was spoken. As early as the 10th century, the langue d'Oc was spoken as an autonomous language from the Pyrenees to the Alps. Catalonia, Provence, Gascony, Limousin, Auvergne and Dauphine belonged to the same sphere of influence. The oldest known written document in Occitan would be the Chanson de Sainte-Foy d'Agen, which dates from around 950. Under the influence of the troubadours, the vernacular became richer during the 11th and 12th centuries. During that period, the Languedoc had some 500 troubadours who together left no fewer than about 2600 texts.
The langue d'Oc, later called Occitan, became the most important European language. Occitan is closely related to Latin, but has clearly independent features. Corsican and Catalan - both languages are still spoken today - are also related to the langue d'Oc. In recent decades, there has been renewed advocacy for the introduction of Occitan as a written and spoken language. Occitan is being taught again at the University of Toulouse, and there are even a few publishers in the region that publish works in Occitan. In contemporary language use - even in the Cevennes - you can regularly come across Occitan words and sounds. For example, 'lou' is not a proper noun, but rather the name for the definite article 'the'. Montanha (montagne) means mountain. The o is pronounced ou and the a at the end of a word is pronounced as o. Fajas is the word for beech and font is a spring. Pradel means meadow of small size and serre is a jagged mountain range. Pailhes is the place where the straw is stored and there is much more. For now, just remember that in the dialects in the south, there are many Occitan words and sounds to be found.
Cevennes and causses in Lozere are known for their very affordable prices. In a number of smaller towns, you can find small hotels with moderate comfort, but very cheap. The real (and busy) tourist infrastructure can be found in the larger cities, on the edge of the Cevennes and near important rivers (Gardon, Tarn, Jonte, etc.). Almost every town has at least one restaurant where you can enjoy an extensive and delicious meal for little money. The cuisine in the Cevennes and on the causses is not spectacularly gastronomic, but it is solid and good bourgeois. You usually eat pure natural products. Famous dishes are made with 'cepes', a type of large mushroom, goat cheese or round palardons, and many types of salads made with pieces of cheese, bacon and tomatoes. Naturally, everything is covered with fragrant herbs. The Frenchman drinks a 'vin ordinaire' or a better country wine.
You won't find youth hostels here, but rather the so-called "gites d'etape". These are comparable to youth hostels, but are accessible to everyone. There is no age limit, no closing time, but a lot of fun. You can find them near GR trails. There is a kitchen corner, sanitary facilities (showers and toilets) and blankets are available. Booking is not strictly necessary, except for groups. But a phone call in advance can never hurt. You will then be expected, but the actual confirmation of your reservation will take place on site when you have put your backpack on your bed. Because gites d'etape (not to be confused with gites ruraux or holiday homes) are usually private initiatives, each gite is different. In recent years, the gite accommodation in the Cevennes has improved considerably. You often even find a fireplace and sometimes a refrigerator. A relais is then again a primitive version of a gite d'etape. There is usually no shower (but running water), the space is limited and you sometimes have to sleep in the hay.
Both in the Cevennes and on the Causses, there are many gites. They are within reach of your hike and in some places there are even two or more gites. The updated list is published annually (available from June).
Officially, wild camping is not allowed in the Parc national itself. You can always ask permission from a farmer, or set up your tent near a gite d'etape. However, keep in mind that in the solitude of the Cevennes you will find very few isolated houses or farms. Because of the fire hazard, making a fire is taboo. If you don't care about minimum comfort, you can also stay overnight in so-called "abris" or shelters. This is usually an old sheepfold or abandoned barn and you will need to bring a sleeping bag.
The Cevennes is a mountain range in southern France, a southern extension of the Massif Central. The highest peaks are found in the north around Mont Lozere (1,699 m). In the southern Cevennes, it is the Mont Aigoual (1,567 m) that exerts the most attraction. For convenience, one speaks of the northern Cevennes (Mont Lozere) and the southern Cevennes (Mont Aigoual). The concept of Cevennes covers many meanings. One speaks of the mountain range of the Cevennes, of the Parc National des Cevennes (nature park) or in a broad sense of the Cevennes as a regional concept. Administratively, 50 percent of the Cevennes (in large part this is the northern side) belongs to the department of Lozere. Forty percent is located in the department of Gard (the southern Cevennes) and another 10 percent belongs to the Ardeche.
Since 1970, the central part has been recognized and protected as a national park. In this Parc National des Cevennes - 91,400 hectares large - only 600 people live and work. The adjacent area has an area of 237,000 hectares and there live about 41,000 people. It is immediately clear that this region is very sparsely populated. The creation of a national park initially involves the protection of nature.
That is why strict government regulations are also imposed. For example, only locals are allowed to pick flowers, plants, or wild fruits. Wild camping is prohibited and making a fire is punishable by severe penalties. Hunting is also more strictly regulated. In addition, the French authorities want to preserve the unique character of a region, primarily to prevent land speculation. You should not think that you are walking around in a neat city park.
The natural conditions in the French national parks have remained, and that is a good thing. West of the Cevennes are the causses. They are dry plateaus (800 to 1200 meters above sea level) that are sparsely covered with shrubs or low-branched pine trees. Sheep graze on those dry fields. In the winter, the wind rages over the plains, and during the summer months, the sun scorches the last blades of grass away. A distinction is made between 'grands' and 'petits causses', but this only indicates the extent of these plateaus.
Important grands causses are: the Causse Mejean, the Causse du Larzac (1400 square kilometers), the Causse du Sauveterre, and the Causse Noir (200 square kilometers). Only the latter is more or less forested.
The rugged mountain landscape of the Cevennes is characterized by jagged ridges, which are called "les serres". You will notice this immediately as you go deeper into the interior. The deeply cut ravines are called "les valets". Between 600 and 900 meters, chestnut trees grow, in the vernacular they are called "les chataigniers".
In the northern Cevennes (around Mont Lozere), the underlying rock is granite. In the south, the slate formations rise high above the landscape. In between, you will find a few scattered limestone rocks, mainly near the important rivers.
In the vicinity of l'Hospitalet and Barre-des-Cevennes, you will find a few "petits causses", but they are still much less arid than the real causses. Everywhere you will find plateaus, rock formations, but also wooded areas. Important forest belts can be found, among others, near Mont Lozere and Mont Aigoual, and that is a good thing.
This way you also walk in the shade, protected from the intense sunshine. Until about 1000 meters high, there are also the summer oak, the pine, the beech, the birch, and the like, in addition to the chataignier (chestnut). Above the 1000-meter mark, there are the so-called "garrigues", typical of the whole of southern France.
On the higher mountain slopes, the vegetation becomes sparser. These "garrigues" then mainly consist of: juniper bushes, broom, boxwood and heather. Even in the interior of the Cevennes, there are some remarkable sub-regions, including: la Vallee Française, Montagne de la Vieille Morte, Montagne du Bouges, la Vallee Borgne, and the like. There is no shortage of landscape diversity in the Cevennes.
The causses have a porous subsoil. It consists of limestone and marl (fine-grained limestone remains mixed with clay). That is why you find quite a few underground holes, caves, and rivers in these areas. The plateaus are cut through by deeply carved riverbeds. The poor soil is not suitable for crop cultivation. You will find sheep flocks there. They produce wool, meat, and cheese (goat cheese and Roquefort).
Of course, this is always a small-scale approach. You will not find any real large farms here. The causses are also characterized by "lavognes" or "lavagnes". These are artificially created water pools that serve as drinking water reservoirs for the animals. The "sotchs" are then again naturally formed pools with a bit of green around them. Sometimes limestone rock formations can take on peculiar and impressive forms. You can find them near the canyons, the deep valleys carved out by erosion. The concepts of causses and Cevennes are often confused. In the broadest sense, the inhabitants of the causses will also call themselves Cevenols (these are the inhabitants of the Cevennes).
Cevennes and Causses are a natural area of great beauty and diversity. They harbor a rich and varied fauna and flora, as well as spectacular landscapes.
Old romantic Hotel, L'Etoile Guest-House is a mountain retreat in the South of France. With a beautiful park along the Allier River, L'Etoile Guesthouse is located in La Bastide-Puylaurent between Lozere, Ardeche and Cevennes. Many hiking trails like GR®7, GR®70 Stevenson trail, GR®72, GR®700 Regordane way, Cevenol, GR®470 Allier River Springs and Gorges, Margeride, Ardechoise. Many hiking loops. The right place to relax.
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