Cantal—have you heard of it? (page 1 of 4)

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After Southern Tanzania, I’m sharing a travel story about the Cantal region with you...

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For us, at the start of 2025, Le CANTAL was a true “Terra Incognita”!!

After seeing some tempting TV reports, we decided to fill this gap—especially in terms of landscapes. On the same trip, we’ll also head to the Arcachon Basin, the International Seaplane Gathering in Biscarrosse, and my native Landes region...

So, on May 20th, we left Marseille in the rain and thunder, heading toward Nîmes, Saint-Hippolyte, Mont Aigoual, Florac, and stopping in Marvejols to give my arthritic back a break for the night.





The next morning, we decided to revisit the Parc aux Loups du Gévaudan (Europe’s largest wolf park). As someone used to photo safaris in the wilds of East Africa, I’m not a fan of zoos at all—but I *do* have a deep admiration for wolves!!



Since it’s pretty unlikely I’ll ever see one in the wild, I’ll settle for this Parc aux Loups in Marvejols. This will be our third visit to this incredible gathering of these fascinating canines.

Some are still finishing their chilly night...





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The enclosures are “spacious” and the animals are grouped by packs and by regions: Europe, Canada, Siberia, etc.

The weather is nice, but it’s pretty chilly on this 20th of May in Lozère. We explore at our own pace, independently, but occasionally join a naturalist guiding a group to catch a few of her explanations.













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Then we cross the plateau d’Aubrac to Chaudes-Aigues and the Gorges de la Truyère.

The Aubrac alone would deserve lots of photos—it’ll actually be the focus of our next trip....

Now we’re in le CANTAL..... 🙂

Everywhere, flowers—especially big patches of broom.



At the bottom of the gorges, the pont de Tréboul:



Upstream on the Truyère, the barrage de Grandval: (there are several dams along the Truyère)



In one of the bends of lac de Grandval, at the Belvédère de Mallet:



And everywhere along the roads and in the meadows, orchids:



Finally, we arrive at the village of Faverolles, where we’ll spend three nights in a guesthouse.

... To be continued, if you're interested.

I know the nearby Cantal a little and Aubrac much better. 😉

Interested in a different perspective than mine! 🙂

Hi Alain

The only part of Cantal I know is the Vic-sur-Cère area, where I spent quite a few vacations... when I was 8–10 years old 😏 That tells you how long ago it was! Anyway, I’m jumping in 😎

I’d love another perspective than my own! 🙂

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you’ll be kind about my photo story. We were total newbies in this area, and our discoveries happened day by day without much planning. We might’ve walked right past places that would’ve interested us too... I often say: We’re ALL different...!!

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I only know the Cantal region around Vic-sur-Cère

Hi Muriel, In the second part of your trip, you might just relive some childhood-vacation memories! 😊 That said, it’ll be quite a change from Tanzania… 😏 😉

Thanks for joining us!

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- Thursday, May 22: on the morning of the first full day in Cantal.

The sky is overcast, and it’s chilly in the early morning. That doesn’t exactly encourage an early start. We’re right next to the Viaduc de Garabit, which I really wanted to see and capture in photos. No luck; a light drizzle starts, and it even turns into a shower just as I’m taking the last shots. 😕









In the rain, we head toward Saint-Flour. The town looks beautiful from a distance on its promontory, but inside, I found it a bit gloomy.... Much nicer was the market two days later, ... in the sunshine. However, we did discover a restaurant where we enjoyed some amazing dishes with really warm hospitality. (FYI: "Chez Geneviève" – booking recommended or arrive very early)

In the afternoon, still some cloudy patches, but no rain. We continue our exploration, taking small roads toward the upper Truyère valley, upstream from Lac de Grandval.



This last image really captures a feeling we had throughout our stay in Cantal: during this time, we saw every shade of green in the landscapes, along with flowers, and honestly, it was really lovely.



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By the banks of the Truyère River, below the village of La Barge, you’ll find the site of a listed historic monument:

- The Château d’Alleuze, dating back to the 14th century, which was partially destroyed several times and rebuilt.









- Right next to it, the Église St-Illide:





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- On Friday, May 23, despite the weather uncertainties, we decide to go for a hike that was recommended by the owner of the guesthouse where we’re staying. Given my almost total lack of experience, I wanted an easy hike, not too long, and with little elevation gain. 🤪

We pass by the Lac de Grandval again first. Throughout the day, short sunny spells alternated with threatening cloudy passages....!! Sometimes we had to wait for the scene to be properly lit to take a photo...





The chosen hike is a loop starting (and returning... in theory) from the hamlet of Morsanges.

- It’s the Boucle des Gorges du Bès. (A route of about 7/8 km with 290 m of negative elevation first, then positive, of course).

Le Bès is a waterway that winds through a fairly steep gorge before flowing into the Lac de Grandval.

Here, at the start of the hike, the gorge opens up just before the lake:



- Here we go....



We’re in le Cantal, but on the opposite bank of la gorge du Bès, it’s la Lozère:





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I recently discovered this castle and church. It's gorgeous! 😊

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Continuing the hike through les Gorges du Bès.

-In the first third of the walk—downhill—we cross a forest:



Then the sky comes back into view, and we’re surrounded by flowers: daffodils, pansies...







While below us, le Bès flows...





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In some places, the trail is a bit dizzying and secured with chains for those prone to vertigo:





That evening, while reading a document about le Bès, I learned that its banks are home to river otters (another personal dream). But there’s even less chance of spotting them than seeing a wolf in the wild.... Oh well, tough luck for me.







At the top of the gorge across the way, all that remains of the château d’Arzenc-d’Apcher is a section of wall, and to its right, l’église Notre Dame de l’Assomption:



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The only remnant of the château d’Arzenc-d’Apcher. A village of 51 inhabitants.



All the remarkable rocks lining the trail on this hike have a name... which I didn’t remember! There’s also a well-known climbing spot here!









Near Arzenc-d'Apcher, a sizable waterfall "drops"—though it’s almost completely hidden by vegetation. Here’s the lower part, its final burst.



... To be continued.

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Garabit Viaduct, Truyère Gorge... those names ring a (vague) bell... The Bès Gorge area looks beautiful; shame there isn't a bit more sunshine to brighten it all up.

There was still some sunshine during the frequent but short breaks in the clouds. We still caught "a bit" of blue sky now and then...! 😎

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A final glance at la gorge du Bès and we begin our ascent back to the plateau. I take it slow, since we’re only halfway in terms of distance.





The slope eases as we reach the meadows and then le hameau des Chazals, from where it’s just a matter of following a small road back to the starting point.





The only ones we’ll cross paths with are these "Aubrac" cows—though their gaze isn’t always friendly, despite their distinctive markings.



Note that a large number of marked hikes in Cantal are off-limits to dogs, even on a leash! The livestock might feel threatened and charge. For hikers, it’s best not to get too close to the cows and take a detour if needed...!!

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- On Saturday, May 24, we're changing our stay location. Tonight, we'll be in Thiezac, very close to Vic-sur-Cère.

One last stop in Saint-Flour for a quick visit to the market. Then, we'll have a meal at « Genevieve’s » before hitting the road toward Murat.

- MURAT



From there, we're heading out for a long loop via small roads, which will keep us busy for part of the afternoon.



We'll pass through the Col de Prat de Bouc, La Combe, Brezons, Lacapelle-Barrès, etc., until we reach Vic-sur-Cère. Everywhere, it's a vibrant green landscape... with splashes of yellow!







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On this route, we’re almost entirely in grazing pastures. We’ll run into a few other tourists like us, a few tractors with trailers carrying young calves, and we’ll always spot orchids here and there...











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