A little walk in Lozère: the Gorges de la Jonte and the Grands Causses

Hello everyone,

Lozère seems like a department that’s been forgotten on this forum—just like in real life, actually.

So if you love strolling through peaceful, exotic places, landscapes that remind you of Mongolia in some spots and of ruiniform shapes in others, and watching the flight of large griffon vultures in the Gorges de la Jonte and the Tarn, I’d like to share a few photos of these places I love. I’ve been exploring here for about thirty years, and I recently took a walk in mid-April with a few detours to the Larzac plateau, which straddles Aveyron and Lozère.

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We head straight to the start of the Gorges de la Jonte. Our accommodation is right in the middle of these gorges, between Le Rozier and Meyrueis.

Le Rozier, a small village where the Jonte meets the Gorges du Tarn:



The village has three campsites side by side, with a beautiful view:



The Gorges de la Jonte at a spot called Les Douzes:

The next day, a lovely walk on the causse towards Saint-Pierre-des-Tripiers:

Two examples of caussenarde architecture in Saint-Pierre.





At the edge of the village, we come across this Buddhist statue—strange but fitting perfectly into the landscape, especially since it faces the cross. The two religious cultures seem to coexist peacefully.



The meadows are full of little orchids, and I spot a flower I don’t recognize—it looks like a fritillary. If anyone can confirm, thanks in advance!



We arrive at La Bourgarie, the last house in the village before descending via the GR trail into the Gorges du Tarn. It’s been renovated, and the chimney is stunning—it looks just like the ones in Upper Aragon, Spain. There are still roofers in the area skilled in working with lauze (stone slabs).



Taking the GR trail, you descend into the Gorges du Tarn—just a little preview:

A day of wandering through the rock formations of Nîmes-le-Vieux:

After leaving the Gorges de la Jonte near Meyrueis, heading toward Florac, you climb onto the plateau toward the rock formations of Nîmes-le-Vieux. These places are shaped by water and wind, and the few inhabitants who bring them to life are those who practice pastoralism—you know, those beautiful sheep that give us Roquefort.

A well-marked and clearly explained trail will let you walk around the rock formations in about 1.5 hours, but you can also wander, stop, and discover little spots—it’ll take longer, but it’s so beautiful.







In sheltered spots, all kinds of flowers bloom. These tiny daffodils (they look like bonsai!) were taking advantage of the nice weather to come out:



To finish, the classic photo—you know, the one with the sheep around a *lavogne*. Unfortunately, no sheep this time; they hadn’t come out yet because the grass isn’t tall enough. But the *lavogne* is always in the same place:

The water is a beautiful color, and no, it’s not edited!

Hi Hannah, No, not forgotten since I’ve been there several times, but I don’t know why I never post about my trips in France! Anyway, I think I’ll be there in early May! I’ll take some photos and add them to your post! Thanks for sharing! francia

Thanks, Francia, for your feedback!

I’ll continue with a little detour to the southeast of Saint-Affrique. By chance, on a small road, we saw a sign for the Russian church of Sylvanes. Curiosity led us down a pretty little road that took us to a wooden church—this church was built in Russia and transported by train to Millau to be reconstructed on this site. It seems to be part of an ecumenical tradition. But I’d rather share this explanatory link: www.egliserusse-prieure-sylvanes.com/histoire_654.htm



A few kilometers further, at the entrance of a village, we came across this new road sign—I couldn’t resist taking a photo. Clearly, this day was all about curiosities!



On our way back via the Causse du Larzac, we stumbled upon this fortified stronghold in St-Jean-d’Alcas. This little town is worth the detour—we’re back in Aveyron. I recommend this site to learn more about the history of this impressive fort, which is actually a true fortified town: http://www.aveyron.com/templier/alcas.html

What a lovely stroll—it really brings back memories.

The Russian church makes you feel like you're in Armenia (which I’m discovering through photos right now). I don’t remember it at all...

The church was moved to this spot just 20 years ago—what a weird idea! But even after looking around, I didn’t spot any wolves or little critters 😉 Though the whole thing still seems a bit quirky, the place at the top of a hill after a climb through a small woods is really beautiful. Some wood restoration work had just been done, and it was closed when I passed by, but it was supposed to open two days later.

I think it came from the Kirov area—it feels like you’re in Armenia, and on the causses, it’s like being in Mongolia. What a change of scenery!

From a geological—and therefore geographical—perspective, France is the country that offers the greatest diversity of "models" in such a small territory... so much so that "apprentice" geologists come from all over the world to see, in a nutshell, a ton of things (as my geology professor at Arts et Métiers said, quite a few years ago now ;)).

So it’s no surprise there’s such a variety of landscapes—we’ve got a really beautiful country.

Talking about Mongolia

The hamlet and Przewalski's horses

Still on the Causse Méjean, you can observe these small Mongolian horses from a distance.

The association for Przewalski's horse, TAKH, was founded in 1990 with the goal of recreating a population of Przewalski's horses living in the wild before reintroducing them to Mongolia, the land of their ancestors.

In 1993 and 1994, the first eleven individuals arrived on the Causse Méjean. On this limestone plateau traditionally focused on sheep farming, the horses were able to reproduce and form a herd in natural conditions. In 2004 and 2005, 22 horses flew back to Mongolia to return to the steppes from which the species had disappeared.

These are the last wild horses, the ones you can see drawn on the walls of Lascaux.....

The photo isn't mine—I messed up all my shots😠 too far away....

hi there, up for your next walks in Lozère if you want! I just got back from the Stevenson trail and I’d really love to go back and explore the area a bit more. See you soon!

Hello,

I don’t know when I’ll be back, but I’ll keep your suggestion. I’ll finish the travel journal this week.

Hannah

hi Hanah, I don’t know if you’re familiar with it, but I’d recommend reading *Les Cévennes, rêve planétaire* by Marie-Joséphine Grojean—I really enjoyed this book!

After the Luberon, are the Cévennes on their way to becoming the new promised land?

Marie-Joséphine Grojean, author of *(https://example.com)* (Albin Michel) and director of the film *(https://example.com)*, settled in Sauve, on the foothills of the Cévennes. Around her, on the causse, the last wild horses on the planet—the Przewalski horses—as well as a Mongolian yurt maker, an ostrich farmer, a Russian château, a Hebrew studies center, and Lakota Indian ceremonies... Originally from around twenty countries, thousands of people—artists, intellectuals, new farmers, ecologists, and artisans of all kinds—have chosen the Cévennes mountains as their home, transforming them, quite literally, into a "global village" open to the lifestyles of tomorrow. It’s as if this "land of refusal and refuge," where Julius Caesar and Louis XIV met resistance, which once sheltered the *Camisards* and *Huguenots*, continues, at the dawn of the 21st century, to play its role as a rebel by resisting the tide of a homogenizing globalization.

Thanks for pointing out that book—I wasn’t familiar with it.

*New Lubéron*—I really hope not. Everything about the history of these mountains and these struggles seems contrary to the "bobo-ized" spirit of the Lubéron.

A laboratory of ideas, collective practices, and all kinds of communities—plus, of course, the profitable ventures: a bison farm, another for Arabian thoroughbreds. It’s still very protected, even if I don’t like that term—it sounds a bit like an "Indian reservation" 😉... Anyway, let’s take a trip to the Causse du Larzac

The kids who go to this school are really lucky, and the artisans can still showcase their skills:



The little road climbing up the causse takes us to Saint-Martin-du-Larzac, where peasant struggles against the establishment of a military camp took place in the 1970s.

You can also visit three dolmens there (marked trails) and the church is stunning, especially the stained glass.



A quick stop at La Blaquière to relive a bit of the nostalgia from those years when solidarity wasn’t yet a hollow word. That’s where everyone—farmers, union members, activists of all kinds, peace movements—built the famous illegal but legitimate sheepfold.





"Fine craftsmanship," as they say. Not everyone knew how to handle the tools, but the result is there—and the sheep are still around.

For more on the subject, I recommend Christian Rouaud’s film *Tous au Larzac*. It’s far from the clichéd images of "hippies" we’re constantly fed to make us forget that a struggle led by farmers and supported by a large part of the activist, union, and associative scene was too much. The film reminds us that united, we can win. I’ll paste a trailer, but since I’m hopeless with tech, I hope it works 😎. Until tomorrow—enough for today. Hannah https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Ktq8o7QM74Y

Hi there, We're thinking of spending a few days in the Gorges de la Jonte and the Tarn. We'll be traveling by bike, and we're considering staying in Le Rozier or Peyreleau. Are there any other places with small hotels or guesthouses that you'd recommend? Best regards, Annik & David

Hi there,

In Meyrueis, you’ve got the *Gîte de la Draille*—it has 4-bed dorms and double rooms, and the value for money is unbeatable at 32 € for half-board in a dorm last year. It’s run by a young couple who love their region and can give you all the tips for exploring on foot or by bike.

Have a great trip!

Charly😉

Hi there,

Without a doubt, stop at the Hôtel de la Jonte in Les Douzes after Le Rosier on the way to Meyrueis. Great value for money, friendly welcome, and an excellent meal.

😉 Lovely walk! I often go to the Gorges du Tarn, in fact I’m planning to go next week with a camper from Périgueux.........yes, really!

Thanks so much for the reply—unfortunately, I read it too late. We ended up staying in Le Rozier, which was lovely. The weather was gorgeous, and it’s such a beautiful region that I’m rediscovering. Since I live in Palavas, I’ll definitely go back and keep those great tips in mind. Annik

Here’s the story of this church. The priest in charge of Sylvanès at the time had quite a bit of influence and was invited here and there. Plus, he had in mind the construction of an ecumenical "church," meaning open to the four major Abrahamic faiths: Catholic, Protestant (or Jewish, I can’t remember), Orthodox, and Islam. One day, at a festival, he meets a Russian Orthodox priest (a bigwig) and tells him about his vague project. The other explains that, over there in the Urals, I think, he works with young people, training them in woodworking trades. And very quickly, they agree: the priest will have his young people build a wooden church, cross-shaped, with each religion having its own branch of the cross. Once finished, they’d dismantle it, load it onto trucks, and rebuild it here. Wood is cheap there, labor costs nothing, so they’d just have to cover the transport. We’ll see... Later, the priest announces that it’s done—time to come get the beast. But the beast is a monster: tons of wood to transport, requiring a fleet of trucks... and they hadn’t budgeted for that. So the church stays in the Urals. One day, our priest is invited to a celebration, a wedding I think. Still as chatty as ever, he tells his story to a well-dressed young Catholic, who listens attentively and then says: my uncle is a big shot in French rail freight and also a devout Catholic—I’ll talk to him. Bingo: God knows how, this guy offers to send a train over there in exchange for a few prayers—3 Hail Marys and 2 Our Fathers! And just like that, the wooden pieces end up in Lacaune, the young Russians reassemble the structure, and voilà! Isn’t that beautiful? The story doesn’t end there. After a few years, they realize the walls are rotting. An expert explains that these pines can fight off pests in the Urals but not the gentle humidity and critters of Lacaune. Uh-oh! Our priest pulls out all the stops to get his insurance to intervene, but they brush him off—he should’ve used good French wood, not Bolshevik timber! Then he’s at a baptism, still holding court, telling his story to anyone who’ll listen. And another miracle! There’s a big boss from XXX, the insurer that refused to pay out a cent! And he steps in to help his policyholder, including shock treatments to restore the health of the church-mosque-temple... When I visited, a nun received us, but we’d warned the tourist office of our arrival. After all that, how can you not believe in miracles?

Hi there,

Thanks for your humorous history lesson! Turns out having a way with people can still work miracles ;)

😉 Fun !

Hi Hannah,

I came across your post from 10 years ago. No matter—your photos really "speak" to me, and the Causse Méjean hasn’t changed. Thank you.

I also put together a travel journal on another forum during a stay on this causse, mostly focused on vultures and nature. Here’s the link in case anyone’s interested:

https://forum.image-nature.com/viewtopic.php?f=162&t=65201

After several pages about the Causse Méjean, my post continues in other regions of France...

- Recently, in June 2025, I crossed the Causse Méjean. I passed near the Przewalski’s horse enclosure. I was really lucky to see a large group, which I managed to capture with my telephoto lens. It’s far, but it’s so nice to see them!! There were 3 foals.





Best,

Puma2A ...