A nature getaway in the heart of a protected national park in the Cévennes

A hike to discover the villages on the slopes of Mont Lozère and their traditions. The villages and hamlets of Mont Lozère share a rich heritage of everyday life, reflecting a vibrant village and rural existence. Storm bells once punctuated the rhythm of hamlet activity and served as a sound marker. During the long winter months, the storm, a low-hanging wind sweeping through the powdery snow, limited travel between villages and often caught travelers by surprise. They relied on the sound of the bell rung by the villagers, signaling the proximity of shelter.

A hike to discover Mont Lozère and its unique natural features: the granite and its erosion, revealing, on the valley slopes and in the valley bottoms, jumbles of rounded granite boulders or even solid rock. Also discover the peat bogs, covered in sphagnum moss, capable of storing up to 3,000 cubic meters of water per hectare. Finally, explore the Loubière forest, one of the most beautiful fir forests in the Cévennes, where the silver fir, rare in its natural state, has been widely cultivated by foresters.

A hike to discover the Château du Tournel, which housed the Barony of Tournel from the 12th century onwards. This schist citadel, of which only ruins remain today, perched above the Lot River, seemed impregnable. At the foot of the stone walls and towers overlooking the upper valley lies the old hamlet of Tournel. The castle was abandoned in the 17th century after the destruction of part of its fortifications, ordered by Richelieu. Also explore the village of Saint Julien du Tournel and its 12th-13th century Romanesque church.

A hike to discover the Tarn River, which rises in a valley, in a network of peat bogs that ensure a significant flow for the river from its very first kilometer. At its source, the Tarn is a cold stream with pure, acidic, and low-mineral waters. Also discover the Mas Camargues farm, an ecomuseum of Mont Lozère, and the Templar territory. The trails and forests at the summit of Mont Lozère belonged until 1795 to the Knights of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, who had established the Gap Francès commandery in the hamlet of L'Hôpital. Their property was marked by standing stones bearing the Maltese cross, the emblem of the Order.

A hike to discover the summit of Finiels, the highest point of Mont Lozère. The high summer pastures of Lozère have long formed a sufficient barrier to limit economic and cultural contact between the northern and southern slopes. The ridge separates the Protestant Cévennes from the Catholic Margeride. On a clear day, one can discover a panorama stretching from the Alps to the Mediterranean. The hike follows the GR 70, the route taken by Robert Louis Stevenson and his donkey Modestine during his Travels with a Donkey across the Cévennes in the 19th century, as well as the Route des Chômeurs (Unemployment Road), built in the 1930s by workers. The path is also marked by numerous "montjoies," standing stones erected by the Hospitaller monks to mark the paths and their vast property. Some of these stones even bear engraved Maltese crosses.

End of stay after breakfast.