Itineraries via Google Map

Discover the many walks starting from or near Isis Campsite in the Cevennes

The sculptors of the mountains

“Bancels, traversiers… that’s what the terraces of the Cevennes are called
True sculptors of the landscape, the Cevenol have used their hands to carve out the flat of the slope to cultivate vines, olive trees, chestnut trees, mulberry trees, etc. Look closely at the onion fields near St André de Majencoules and the sheep grazing on several levels near the Col de l’Asclié

The development of the land was not limited to the terraces. Numerous hydraulic structures were built, because water in the Cevennes is as precious as it is devastating

Today, the people who live here continue to maintain the area and brave every torrential downpour. Time and again, they rebuild the low walls and dig up the earth, so that tomorrow the Cevennes mountains will shine as brightly as they do today”

The Régordane trails – 152km

“A path that was a veritable Celtic motorway! It linked Nîmes to Gergovie (now Clermont-Ferrand) and was so well travelled that the wheels of the carts in some places left ruts 40 cm deep in the stone (particularly on downhill slopes, where the only way to slow the carts was to “put sticks in their wheels”)

The north-south axis of the Rhône valley only really took off in the 14th century, when the port of St Gilles was in decline in favour of Marseille. As a result, lively villages such as Vielvic, renowned for their inns and fairs, saw fewer and fewer carts, pilgrims and merchants passing through, and the creation of the railway meant that the last convoys of muleteers disappeared forever

The Régordane motorway does not exist today, which is perhaps a blessing in disguise. Take advantage of the small roads and visit the medieval festivals of Génolhac and Villefort”

On the trail of the Huguenots – 242km

“After following the Gardon de Mialet and crossing the French Valley, we climb to the Plan de Fontmort. The view from here is breathtaking. In the foreground of the Cevennes valleys rises the muffled murmur of thousands of voices. Those of the Huguenots who, for a century (the Desert period from 1685 to 1789), defied intolerance and despotism. The Cevennes was the scene of a bitter resistance, which the Desert Museum retraces

This land of faith and clandestinity has left an indelible mark on Protestants today. Every year, at the end of the summer, the Assembly of the Desert is held in Mialet. For a whole day, families and individuals come together to share a Protestant faith that is still very much alive today

Here, a lone cypress tree indicates the existence of a family cemetery, and there, a grotto found at the bend in the path bears witness to clandestine meetings”

Following Stones and Water – 218km

“Near Chasseradès, Gargantua, the Hercules of Gaul, with one foot on the Gardille river and the other on the Goulet, drinks the water of the Chassezac. The Cevennes springs region invites you to experience the legend with him. At the foot of Mont Lozère, the Lot, Altier and Chassezac rivers are born here

Here, water is the source of life and taming it requires rigorous experience.
The Cevennes has skilfully combined stone and water. The rich geology that shapes this land has enabled us to build
bridges, fountains, wash-houses, “levades” (small dams), béals (irrigation channels)…

Hot or cold, it offers a wide range of services, from agriculture to therapeutic treatments, from energy conversion to sports and leisure activities. With its 165 hectares, Lac de Villefort is one of the largest lakes in the region, where you can swim, sail and fish”

Trees and people

“The first thing you notice when you drive through the Cevennes is the diversity of tree species: oak, chestnut, maritime pine, beech, spruce, fir, etc
There are several reasons for this diversity. Altitude, exposure and mankind are all factors

The extension of the chestnut grove (from the Middle Ages onwards) and the introduction of maritime pine (for mining needs in the 19th century) are its most representative actions
After the intensive deforestation that began in the 18th century and countless floods, each more intense than the last, the situation was such that reforestation became urgent

It was from 1875, under the impetus of G. Fabre, that almost 68 million trees were planted on the Aigoual by the Administration of Water and Forests
G. Fabre was also one of the instigators of the meteorological observatory and the arboretums. The first of these was built in 1902, followed by a dozen more, but only 2 remain to this day (l’Hort de Dieu and la Foux)

It’s important to get to know these places of nature, whose splendour all too often falls prey to fire. Nowadays, initiatives (maintenance, protection, opening up to the public, etc.) are being organised around the … “

The Magnans route – 130km

“Take a mulberry tree; then a worm that feeds exclusively on the leaves of this tree; leave it to the worm to build itself a cocoon; collect the cocoon before metamorphosis; you can now make silk

The Anduze region was home to the first silk mills, dating back to the 13th century
After an extraordinary boom until the 19th century, silk production in the Cevennes went into decline, mainly due to the invention of artificial silk

For some years now, silk production in France, and more particularly in the Cevennes, has been enjoying a new lease of life. The workshop at Gréfeuilhe, near Monoblet, can now take care of everything from chrysalis smothering to silk weaving. Thousands of mulberry trees are being replanted on the terraces of the Cévennes… Does the golden tree have a place there?
Did you know that a cocoon can produce up to 1,500 metres of silk thread?”

Mont Aigoual circuit – 118 km

“To get a good overview of these beautiful Cevennes Méridionales
Splendid scenery, a literary break with André Chanson, short walks around the Lac des Pises and in the hills, a visit to the Bramabiau nature reserve and the weather museum at the Mont Aigoual observatory”

We would also like to thank one of our institutional partners (the Gard department) who, many years ago, produced maps and texts (extracts here) translated into several languages. We have a few precious copies available for you at reception, and hope that one day they’ll come out of their boxes to offer you some more beautiful impressions