Malpertus

Architecture and village

Fauna and flora

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A short walk through a protected natural area to the ruined hamlet of Malpertus, from which there are stunning views onto the Dourbie valley.

3 points of interest

Architecture
Malpertus
The ruined hamlet of Malpertus is a splendid and moving site, with its feel of a paradise lost which one would like to restore to its former glory. The views onto the Dourbie valley are stunning. The short grass makes it easy to see far, and spot friends or enemies early. Weapons were hidden here in World War Two, stored in a rock shelter at the Roc du Salidou, just behind the buildings. The hamlet’s last inhabitant left this site, inaccessible except on muleback, in the 1960s. Today it is home to diverse small fauna: birds, insects, lizards, common frogs, etc.
Fauna
The Dourbie
In the upper reaches of the river, a diverse and fascinating wildlife has developed despite the strong current. The clear running waters condition the presence and future of the brown trout. It cohabits with minnows, otters… You may see a white-throated dipper on a rock, or else a grey heron or wagtail on the bank. But it is in the clear waters and under rocks that a whole little aquatic world exists: molluscs, crustaceans, insect larvae, etc. They pile up quite harmoniously, dozens per square metre. Some stick to the rocks; others drift, lurk or float. It all depends on the equipment nature has provided them with: bristles, suckers, hooks, sheaths weighted with gravel...
Flora
The common alder
A wise tree lives in the sunshine with its feet in the waters of the Dourbie: the common alder. You can identify it even in winter by looking for its strobili on the ground or on its branches - female inflorescences shaped like small pinecones. The alder’s tangled roots are solidly anchored in low riverbanks, thus ensuring their protection. By symbiosis between alders and a bacteria called frankia living in their root, nitrogen is fixed in the ground at about 60 to 200 kg per hectare per year! This is a bonanza for poor soils, which are quickly enriched.

Description

Signposts will guide you all along this route. In the description below, the signposted place names and/or directions are given in bold italics between quotation marks:

Starting at "Les Parcs à Moutons", go to "Ruines Malpertus", then "Les Faïsses" and "La Tranchée" before returning to "Les Parcs à Moutons".

This walk is taken from the guidebook Massif de l’Aigoual, published by the communauté de communes Causses Aigoual Cévennes as part of the collection Espaces naturels gardois and the label Gard Pleine Nature.

Departure : 800 m upstream from Les Laupies
Arrival : 800 m upstream from Les Laupies
Towns crossed : Dourbies

Forecast

Altimetric profile

Recommandations

Make sure your equipment is appropriate for the day’s weather conditions. Remember that the weather changes quickly in the mountains. Take enough water, wear sturdy shoes and put on a hat. Please close all gates and barriers behind you.

Is in the midst of the park

The national park is an unrestricted natural area but subjected to regulations which must be known by all visitors.

Information desks

Tourism & national parc'house

Col de la Serreyrède, 30570 Val d'Aigoual

https://www.sudcevennes.com office-du-tourisme-causse@wanadoo.fr 04 67 82 64 67

The Maison de l'Aigoual houses the tourism office Mont Aigoual Causses Cévennes and the Maison du Parc national. This visitor centre provides information on and raises awareness of the Cévennes National Park, its sites and events as well as the rules that must be observed in the National Park's central zone.

On site: changing exhibitions, video projections, Festival Nature events and shop Open year-round

Find out more

Transport

liO is the regional public transport service of the Occitanie/ Pyrénées – Méditerranée region. It facilitates everyone’s movements by prioritising public transport. For more information, call 08 10 33 42 73 or go to www.laregion.fr