GR®700: the Régordane Way
Topo guide, le chemin de Régordane
Topo guide, le chemin de Régordane - nathalie.thomas
La Bastide-Puylaurent

GR®700: the Régordane Way

Architecture and village
Fauna and flora
History and culture
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Hike 240 kilometres of a trail once used by merchants and mule-drivers, Crusaders and pilgrims heading for St Gilles’ tomb or to Le Puy-en-Velay for its Black Madonna.

The Régordane Waywas absolutely central to circulation in Antiquity and the Middle Ages. As you hike it, you can explore the movement of people, merchandise and ideas at each stage. The Régordane Way still bears the traces of the fight for freedom of conscience and the successive challenges that it brought to the Catholic Church: Arianism, Catharism and Protestantism. It runs through very diverselandscapes, beginning with coniferous forests and lava flows in the norththat are gradually replaced by sweet-chestnut trees, broom and holm oak, and then by garrigue(Mediterranean scrubland)as you approach the Petite Camargue.

3 points of interest

  • Tradition

    The fairs at Villefort

    Since 1511, Villefort market has been held on Thursday mornings. In the early 19th century, there were up to 14 fairs a year. Children had to attend mass at Saint-Loup-et-Saint-Roch Chapel to be allowed to go to the fairs. Large crowds were attracted to the fairs by their good reputation. The fair held on 14 September was one of the most impressive, with countless cattle blocking the village's squares and lanes. Today, Villefort is a lively place with bric-a-brac shops and artisan fairs.

  • History

    Troubled times

    Villefort was embroiled in the religious wars of the 16th and 17th centuries. In 1629, Henri de Rohan besieged the village. Rue de la Bourgade was torched by the Huguenots. In the 17th century, town walls were built around Villefort, which were demolished between 1808 and 1813. During the French Revolution, heraldic shields recalling the Ancien Regime were chiselled off walls, testament to the locals' hatred of their lords. A cross on Place du Portalet is a reminder of the 1794 execution of a defiant priest from Saint-Frézal-d'Albuges. The First World War caused many local casualties. During the Second World War, Villefort was occupied by the Germans. A resistance movement nevertheless emerged in the area, consisting of many different groups. 

  • Agriculture

    The tourism boom

    Villefort dam, located a kilometre north of the village, was filled on 14 July 1964, creating an economic alternative to agriculture. Tourist activities developed: fishing, swimming and water sports. Local tourism is also founded on the canton's abundant natural heritage, with a great number of hiking trails, canyoning in the Chassezac gorge, skiing at the Mont Lozère ski stations, etc.

Description

This document presents only the segment of the trail between la Bastide-Puylaurent et l’Affenadou, most of which is on the territory of the Cévennes National Park. You can find the entire itinerary in the official guidebook, Le chemin de Régordane (ref. 7000),published by the Fédération française de randonnée pédestre (FFRandonnée)and sold in the National Park’s centres, online at www.cevennes-parcnational.fr, in bookshops and sports shops, and at boutique.ffrandonnee.fr. All information about the Régordane Way is also available at www.chemin-regordane.fr.

  • Departure : La Bastide-Puylaurent
  • Arrival : L’Affenadou
  • Towns crossed : La Bastide-Puylaurent, Prévenchères, Pourcharesses, Villefort, Saint-André-Capcèze, Ponteils-et-Brésis, Concoules, Génolhac, Chamborigaud, La Vernarède, and Portes

Forecast

Altimetric profile

Recommandations

N.B.: For a variety of reasons, the actual way-marks can differ from the route described in the guidebook. Please follow the way-marks. Make sure your equipment is appropriate for several days of hiking, but also for the day's weather conditions. Remember that the weather changes quickly in the mountains. Take enough water, wear hiking shoes and put on a hat. Close all gates and barriers after yourself.

Information desks

Tourism'house and national parc, Génolhac

Place du Colombier, 30450 Génolhac

http://www.cevennes-tourisme.fr/contact@cevennes-tourisme.fr04 66 61 09 48

This office is part of the National Park's associated tourist-information network, whose mission is to provide information on, and raise awareness of, the sites and events as well as the rules that must be observed in the National Park's central zone.
Open from april to october

Find out more

Tourism office Mont-Lozère, Villefort

43, Place du Bosquet, 48800 Villefort

https://www.destination-montlozere.fr/contact@destination-montlozere.fr04 66 46 87 30

This office is part of the National Park's associated tourist-information network, whose mission is to provide information on, and raise awareness of, the sites and events as well as the rules that must be observed in the National Park's central zone.

Open year-round

Find out more

Transport

Train line Clermont-Ferrand - Nîmes

Calculateur d'itinéraire Lio

Utilisez le calculateur liO pour organiser votre trajet en région Occitanie.

Autres régions

Calculez votre itinéraire en Auvergne Rhône Alpes sur Oùra

Source

Comité départemental de la randonnée pédestre 48http://lozere.ffrandonnee.fr/
Comité départemental de la randonnée pédestre Gardhttp://gard.ffrandonnee.fr/
Fédération française de la randonnée pédestrehttps://www.ffrandonnee.fr/

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