Stevenson's Trail
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STEVENSON’S TRAIL ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON’S CÉVENNES TRAIL ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON’S CEVENNES TRAIL SUMMARY On the 22nd. September 1878 the young Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson left on foot from Monastier sur Gazeille in the Haut-Loire with a pack donkey called Modestine. 12 days, 156 miles and a host of adventures later he arrived at St. Jean du Gard, his trek immortalised in the 1879 classic, ''Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes'' Today we invite you to recreate his fascinating journey with considerably more certainty and comfort. You stay in locally selected guesthouses, eat the best of local cuisine and carry only a light day bag. In short, a classic walking tour that takes you both through literary history and delightfully unexplored regions of rural France. Starting from the volcanic plateau of the Velay, Stevenson's Trail takes you south through a country of mountains cut by river valleys and criss-crossed by ancient footpaths and drovers tracks through remote areas of forgotten France. From Le Puy, by way of the Haut Loire where high summer pastures of wild flowers and yellow gorse are set off by wooded hillsides of dark green pines, you will find Romanesque Abbey Churches, fields sown Tour: Stevenson’s Trail with the world famous Le Puy lentils and sweet scented May Narcissi. Code: WFSST1-3 Type: Self-Guided Walking Holiday The Velay gives way to legendary Gevaudan in modern Ardeche, a gently undulating landscape of Price: See Website enchanting woods, ancient stone bridges over mountain streams to the Trappist Abbey, Notre Dame des Single Supplement: See Website Neige (our Lady of the Snows) where Robert Louis spent the night. Dates: April - October Walking Days: 5, 6 or 11 Reaching the half-way point, you enter the UNESCO protected National Park of the Cevennes to ascend Nights: 6, 7 or 12 the heather-clad slopes of Mont Lozere. Guided by prehistoric standing stones you gain the highest point Start: Le Puy en Velay Finish: St Jean du Gard on the trail -- that strange, granite rock-strewn, 'Summit of Finiels' (1699m) which rewards you with it's breathtaking panorama of the 'Sea of Mountains' stretching to the far horizon as though untouched by time. Is the Stevenson Trail for me? Of course it’s for you! Wonderful walking, delicious The Cevennes of Cevennes, as Robert Louis Stephenson called it, lies ahead. Descending through the French food and the spectacular scenery. The land of the Protestant Camisards (where the 17th century military road built to control their area cuts idyllic rural countryside and literary connections across wide moorlands) there are lichen-covered dry stonewalls, terraced hillsides, villages and hamlets make this a particularly engaging route. with stone-covered roofs among cascading streams. Pine trees give way to evergreen oaks that cling to the dry rocky hillsides of the Mediterranean, sweet chestnut groves and myrtle bushes and your destination at St. Jean du Grad What’s Included? HIGHLIGHTS Accommodation: Hand picked auberges, inns and small hotels. Meals: All breakfasts, 5,4,9 evening meals Baggage Transfer: Luggage transfer is included. Congratulating yourself on finding the finest trail in rural France Information Pack: Guide Book, detailed maps and information Pack and emergency support. Drinking in the vast views of the Sea of Mountains and the blue Mediterranean skies. Hunting for the Black Virgins in the basalt steep-stair streets of Le Puy Soaking in the atmosphere over a glass of vin and delicious local cheeses in a field of wild flowers. Looking out over the ‘Sea of Mountains’ in the Cévennes & feeling on top of the world Exploring 2 UNESCO World Heritage Sites and the National Park of the Cévennes STEVENSON’S TRAIL ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON’S CÉVENNES TRAIL ITINERARIES Day Route M DETAILED ITINERARY We offer three itineraries on Stevenson’s Trail 1 Arrive Le Puy En Velay 0 DAY 1: ARRIVE LE PUY-EN-VELAY covering the North, South or entire length on the 2 Walk from Chasserades to Le 9.5 trail. The ancient medieval town, now a UNESCO Bleymard World Heritage site, is dominated by 3 3 Walk to Le-Pont-de-Montvert 12 ‘Puys’ (steep volcanic plugs) crowned by the Walk to Florac 14.5 THE NORTH: WFSST1 4 11 massive statue of Mary, the ancient Cathedral 5 Walk to Cassagnas and St Michel’s chapel. Almost unchanged in a 6 Walk to St-Etienne-Valley- 14 LE PUY-EN-VELAY TO CHASSERADES Française 1000 years the medieval houses, alleys and 7 Walk to St-Jean-du-Gard 8.5 steep-streets nestling below are bustling with Walking Days: 5 8 Au Revoir to the Stevenson Trail. Nights: 6 shops traditional lace making, little restaurants Average Daily Distance: 12.1miles and café terraces. Grade: Moderate to Strenuous Description: The Northern section of ENTIRE ROUTE: WFSST3 Overnight: As you’ll stay privately with one of Stevenson’s Trail explores the Haut Loire and our hostesses in their own historic home you’ll LE PUY-EN-VELAY TO ST-JEAN-DU- the Romanesque Abbey Churches are a delght. have a unique chance to soak up the GARD atmosphere and discover the town floodlit at Walking Days: 11 night. Or maybe take the gourmet dinner option Day Route M Nights: 12 at Du Parc. Average Daily Distance: 13miles 1 Arrive Le Puy En Velay 0 Grade: Moderate to Strenuous DAY 2: LE MONASTIER-SUR- 2 Walk Monastier-sur-Gazeille to le 14 Description: Follow Robert Louis Stevenson’s GAZEILLE TO LE BOUCHET-ST- Bouchet-St-Nicolas journey in it’s entirety to get the most from your 3 17 NICOLAS (1217M) Walk to Langogne visit to this beautiful corner of France. 4 10 14 mls / 23km. 6hr15. +460 m, -175 m. (Private 5 Walk to Cheylard L’Évêque 12 6 Walk to La Bastide Puylaurent 7.5 Day Route M transfer from Le Puy to Monastier) 7 Walk to Chasserades Au Revoir to the Stevenson Trail. Where RLS had to jettison the egg whisk and a 1 Arrive Le Puy En Velay 0 leg of mutton. 2 Walk Monastier-sur-Gazeille to le 14 Bouchet-St-Nicolas Your adventure in Stevenson’s footsteps begins! 3 17 Walk to Langogne THE SOUTH: WFSST2 4 10 Descend to cross the Gazeille River before 5 Walk to Cheylard L’Évêque 12 climbing to Courmarcés and St-Martin-de- LE PUY-EN-VELAY / CHASSERADES TO Walk to La Bastide Puylaurent 6 7.5 Fugéres by ancient lanes and byways. Cross the ST-JEAN-DU-GARD Walk to Chasserades 9.5 7 Walk to Le Bleymard 12 gorge of the Loire at Goudet (ideal spot for picnic Walking Days: 6 8 Walk to Le-Pont-de-Montvert 14.5 lunch) to reach the high volcanic plateau. On Nights: 7 9 Walk to Florac 11 passed several small hamlets set amidst a 10 14 Average Daily Distance: 11.6m Walk to Cassagnas patchwork of black volcanic soil and green fields Grade: Moderate to Strenuous 11 Walk to St-Etienne-Valley- 8.5 of Puy lentils to the isolated hamlet of Le Description: This is the most popular section Française 12 Bouchet Saint Nicolas. of the trail as you are walking in the Cévennes 13 Walk to St-Jean-du-Gard National Park for the majority of the walk. Overnight: Tonight’s modest auberge, owned by the local farming Villeseche family, is a rendezvous for walkers and locals alike or sometimes we stay in one of the little village houses. Local style dinner and breakfast included. STEVENSON’S TRAIL ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON’S CÉVENNES TRAIL DAY 3: LE BOUCHET-ST-NICOLAS 12 mls / 18.5 km. 5hrs45. +240 m, -380 m Chabalier, the historic hamlet of Chasserades, TO LANGOGNE (915M) (14.5mls / 23.5 kms 7hrs for Monastery) and tiny Mirandol with its distinctive ‘Lauzes’ roof tiles and massif 30m Viaduct. 17 mls / 27km. 6.45hrs. +315 m. -575 m. Where RLS met Father Apollinaris and overcame his terror. Overnight: Either the fantastic Hotel Les When RLS got a goad and things start to go Sources, or a friendly, welcoming B&B. Dinner Fine valley walking today through rolling hills and more smoothly! Included. forests by Les Pradels to breathtaking views of Today the high plateau ridge to the market town the distant Blue Cévennes Mountains. Joining DAY 7: CHASSERADES TO of Landos is followed by super walking via the medieval route to Luc before descending by BLEYMARD (1413M) Arquejol & the railway viaduct, crossing a deep rough mule track into the Allier valley and the ravine. Detouring briefly, you can reach Rocher Ardeche department at Laveyrune. An hour 8.5 mls /14 kms, approx 4.5 hrs de la Fagette (1265) with distant views to further on and the route divides for the From Chasseradès the trail lies by tiny Mirandol rounded volcanic mountain tops, Naussac Monastery or the small village of La Bastide. with its distinctive ‘Lauzes’ roof tiles and massif reservoir and nearby historic Pradelles, follow. 30m Viaduct. The forest-covered Goulet Massif We often stop in at Stephanie’s café on the Overnight: You may choose to stay at either is the first major climb on the trail and more than square in the austerely beautiful Pradelle before place. We usually stay with Florence and Pascal rewarded by the breathtaking panorama. descending to the larger market town of at their Hotel in the centre of La Bastide, which is (1413m) La Bleymard, gateway to the Cevennes Langogne. (pop 3282) modest, simple and welcoming with dinner included. National Park, lies below via the drove road, ‘La Overnight: Despite the main road it remains a Drailles des Mulets’ and a steep decent by the backwater reminiscent of a bygone era.