Château de Montalet
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Château de Montalet
Molières-sur-Cèze

Château de Montalet

Architecture and village
History and culture
Water and geology
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This walk takes you from the banks of the Cèze to the ridges overlooking Molières as you admire the views of the castle.

3 points of interest

  • Water

    The Cèze

    A study carried out into the navigability of the Cèze by boat was a failure: the river’s flow is not regular enough. While its level is sometimes very low in summer due to drought, the Cèze can be dangerously unpredictable: it can reach exceptional heights in just a few hours. With its spring 25 km upstream in the Cévennes mountains, it receives all the surface runoff during storms, which considerably increases its flow.
  • History

    Montalet Castle

    This is one of the largest feudal castles in the Cévennes. Its purpose is believed to have been surveillance of the area located between the Régordane Way and access to the Ardèche valley. Its ramparts were originally flanked by seven towers. Its shape on the ground seems to represent a bird’s wing, perhaps as a reminder of the coat of arms of the Bérard de Montalet family. The castle seems to have been abandoned by the Bérard de Montalet as early as the 15th century. Since 1985, an association of volunteers has been working to restore it. A mediaeval day is organised in the first half of May.
  • Architecture

    A mining past

    The track going down to Molières is dotted with remnants from a flourishing mining past. In a large bend, you can spot a former slag heap now covered by pines. A little further, a sort of large keep reminds us that there is a mine shaft. Further still, you will see a footbridge that the miners used every day to get back to their homes, some of which were several kilometres away.

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 from "MOLIÈRES-SUR-CÈZE", head towards "CHATEAU DE MONTALET" via "Molières - La Borie" and "Les Bassins". Then walk towards "Le Petit Montèze" and "Mas Loubet" until you reach "Plateau du Mas Neuf", before going back down to "MOLIÈRES-SUR-CÈZE".

This hike is taken from the guidebook Cévennes Haute Vallée de la Cèze, published by the Communauté de communes Cèze Cévennes as part of the collection Espaces Naturels Gardois and the label Gard Pleine Nature.
  • Departure : Molières sur Cèze
  • Arrival : Molières sur Cèze
  • Towns crossed : Molières-sur-Cèze, Saint-Ambroix, and Saint-Jean-de-Valériscle

Forecast


Altimetric profile


Recommandations

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

Information desks

Tourism office CezeCévennes, Bessèges

14 rue de la République, 30160 Bessèges

https://www.tourisme-ceze-cevennes.com/ot.besseges@gmail.com04 66 25 08 60

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

Tourism office Cèze-Cévennes Saint-Ambroix

Place de l'ancien Temple, 30500 Saint-Ambroix

https://www.tourisme-ceze-cevennes.com/ot.stambroix@gmail.com04 66 24 33 36

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

Bus stop : René Hermitant
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

Access and parking

From St-Ambroix, take the D 51 to La Croisée, and then the D 130 and D 244 to Molières-sur-Cèze.

Parking :

Market square

Source

Parc national des Cévenneshttp://www.cevennes-parcnational.fr/

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