Station Prat-Peyrot - Road bike circuit #10
This circuit is the most handsome and westernmost in the Gard department. It promises a pleasant surprise at every turn : the charming village of Dourbies in its preserved valley, Trèves and its stone lanes at the foot of the limestone cliffs overlooking Le Trévezel, the village of Lanuéjols at the edge of the Causse Noir plateau, the small town of Meyrueis and its centre that sparkles in the sunlight…
8 points of interest
La Serreyrède - nathalie.thomas 
WaterClimate frontier
The pass is also a climate frontier. The Atlantic side is predominantly exposed to the west wind and receives rainfall that is fairly regularly spread over the year. The Mediterranean side, however, is drier and hotter and constitutes a massive barrier to the occasional southeast wind (the marin), thus forcing its humid air to rise suddenly. This makes the clouds’ water content condense, which can give rise to so-called Cevenol episodes: heavy rainfall (600 mm in 24 hrs) causing catastrophic floods. The Aigoual, Mount Aigualis the rainy (A. Bernard), is well-named! After Savoie, it is the rainiest place in France.
Ligne de partage des eaux - nathalie.thomas 
GeologyThe watershed
The current relief creates a frontier between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean: depending on the slope, water runs towards either the Ocean or the Sea. This is due to the uplift of the Cevenol sill, brought about by geological activity along the Cévennes fault, which borders draw the northern limit of the Languedoc region. This natural sill marks the geographical border between the northwest slope – verdant, not too steep – and the southeast slope, which falls away abruptly in the Languedoc and continues to be subject to powerful erosion.
Village de l'Espérou - Béatrice Galzin 
HistoryThe village of L’Espérou
The village of L’Espérou lies on the border of Dourbies and Valleraugue local councils. A draille (track for livestock to migrate to summer pastures with their shepherds) crosses the village. As in many villages in the Gard, the two places of worship – one Catholic, the other Protestant – are opposite each other. The village is located in a varied environment that is suitable for outdoor activities and sports.
Dourbies - nathalie.thomas 
FaunaThe 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...
Aulne glutineux - nathalie.thomas 
FloraThe 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.
Trèves - nathalie.thomas HistoryTreves
In Antiquity, the village square was a cemetery. The name Trèves is believed to derive from the Gaulish trebo – meaning 'village' according to some sources or the Celtic water goddess according to others – or perhaps from trivium, crossroads... The track going over the Roman bridge at Le Trévezel, restored in the 18th century, was in fact an important road in Antiquity. There is another hypothesis if you consult Boissier de Sauvages' 1820 dictionary, in whose opinion Treva or Trebo are Occitan words referring to phantoms or spirits. You might well be tempted by this version once you know the history of the Pas de Joulié cave described below! (B. Mathieu)
La place du village - Béatrice Galzin HistoryTrèves
From Tabrî, meaning “village close to the water” in the Chasséen culture (Baume Lairoux, La Verrière, etc.), which lay on the trade route between the Gabali tribe, the coast and the Arecomici tribe. It was given a wooden bridge by the Romans, occupied first by Arian Visigoths and then by Nicene Christian Franks, and destroyed by Muslims around 730. It was revived in the Carolingian period with its Romanesque bridge, and was loyal to the Kings of France, who granted it a consuls’ charter in the 14th century and the bell on top of the church, which had remained Catholic. In the 17th century, Trèves had hemp fields, whose hempen cloth was used in the draperies in Lodève. Its blue sheep’s cheese, its galena mine and its terraces of almond trees and lentils belong to the past. Only the Pétassou (local pagan character and festival) remains (M.MOULINIER, historian).
Le centre de Meyrueis et sa tour - Béatrice Galzin 
ArchitectureThe village of Meyrueis
The geographical location of Meyrueis is remarkable, nestled between the Aigoual massif, the causse Noir and the causse Méjean. Here the Camin Ferrat crosses the Jonte river. Pilgrims and transhumant flocks of sheep stopped in the village before continuing their journey. Many merchants came to its large fairs. Stroll through the lanes and relive the flourishing past of the belle époque. From the prosperous bourgeois residences to the marketplaces, everything still speaks of the past! Sheep’s wool from the plateaux was woven here, silk was spun. There was intense economic activity. In the 17th century, Meyrueis became a centre for hat-making. By 1860, 17 milliners were busy making hats for Languedoc and Provence, beautiful and exceptionally high-quality hats made from felted wool and silk bourette. Discontinued as of about 1920, this activity left room for tourism, which today animates the village.
Description
From Prat Peyrot outdoor activity centre, take the D269 to the Col de La Serreyrède pass, then the D986 to L’Espérou.
- At the roundabout, head to Dourbies on the D151.
- After the village of Dourbies, continue on the D151 towards Trèves/Nant.
- At the Col de la Pierre Plantée pass, take the D47 to Lanuéjols via Trèves.
- At Lanuéjols, take the D263 and then the D986 to Meyrueis.
- As you leave Meyrueis, head towards Florac on the D996 to the Col de Perjuret pass.
- At the Col de Perjuret pass, climb Mont Aigoual on the D18 via Cabrillac. There-and-back to the summit of Mont Aigoual.
- Return to the Prat Peyrot activity centre on the D18.
- Departure : Prat-Peyrot
- Arrival : Prat-Peyrot
- Towns crossed : Meyrueis, Val-d'Aigoual, Dourbies, Trèves, Lanuéjols, Gatuzières, Fraissinet-de-Fourques, Rousses, and Bassurels
Forecast
Altimetric profile
Recommandations
Before committing yourself to a circuit, ensure that it is suitable for your activity level and ability. Respect traffic laws and other road users; stay in control of your speed and trajectory. Make sure to be seen and travel in single file when in a group. Remember that the weather changes quickly in the mountains. Take enough water. Safe trip !
Information desks
Tourism & national parc'house
Col de la Serreyrède, 30570 Val d'Aigoual
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
Tourism office Mont Aigoual Causses Cévennes, Saint-André-de-Valborgne
les quais, 30940 Saint-André-de-Valborgne
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.
Access and parking
From Meyrueis or Valleraugue, take the D986 towards the Col de La Serreyrède pass, then take the D269 to Prat Peyrot.
Parking :
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