Mont Lozere

Today I'm sharing a photo hike with you. This hike in the heart of the Cevennes National Park starts from Mas de la Barque. Mas de la Barque is accessible by car from the village of Genolhac, via the Col du Près de la Dame pass. Genolhac is a medieval village whose history dates back to the 11th century. It's located in the northern part of the Gard department, in the Occitanie region. This small town enjoys a Mediterranean climate and is drained by the Luech, the Homol, the Amalet, and several other small streams.

The hiking trail starting from Mas de la Barque follows the Bois du Commandeur forest road and leads to the bridge of Tarn river. The path continues along old transhumance routes and reaches the hamlets of Mas Camargues and Bellecoste, which boast a rural architectural heritage typical of the region. Furthermore, some of these buildings have been beautifully restored.

Mont Lozere is a granite massif that stretches like a large plateau for about thirty kilometers between the Sauveterre plateau and Villefort in a west-east direction, and from Pont-de-Montvert to Le Bleymard in a south-north direction. On this plateau, farmers raise cattle. The beautiful Aubrac cows graze in the pastures all summer long. This plateau lies entirely within the Cevennes National Park. Mont Lozere is the highest granite peak in the Massif Central, reaching an altitude of 1,699 meters at the Pic de Finiels.
The GR70, or Stevenson Trail, crosses the varied landscapes of the Auvergne and Cevennes regions, and in particular Mont Lozere. The young Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson, who in 1878 travelled through the Cevennes with his donkey "Modestine" from Monastier sur Gazeille in Haute-Loire to Saint Jean du Gard, recounts his adventure in a book "Travels with a Donkey through the Cevennes".

Starting from Mas de la Barque, near the gîtes, the path towards Bellecoste and Mas Camargue crosses an old beech forest, the Senegrière beeches. This group of beech trees, classified as remarkable trees over 300 years old, is characteristic of a local custom: pollarding the trees. The aim was to provide fodder for livestock with the dried foliage, as well as firewood.

Starting from Mas de la Barque

Hamlet of Bellecoste

The hamlet of Bellecoste is located in the commune of Pont-de-Montvert at an altitude of 1372m. It is a timeless hamlet located approximately 4 km from Mas de la Barque.
The preferred building material in this region is undoubtedly granite. Indeed, Mont Lozère forms a granite island amidst the limestone expanse of the Causses and the schist found elsewhere in the Cevennes. The architecture is adapted to the climatic conditions and the needs of rural life. The buildings are constructed to withstand the test of time, in all weather conditions.

Mas Camargue

Mas Camargue is located in the central area of ​​the Cevennes National Park.
This former farmhouse bears witness to the agricultural activity of the last century. Archival documents from the 15th century recount that this estate belonged to the lord of Portes. At the end of the 19th century, farmers from Mont Lozère acquired it. A victim of its isolation and the evolution of agriculture, the farm, despite its technological advancements and beautiful dwelling, was abandoned after the First World War. The Tarn River rises near this magnificent farmhouse, in a network of peat bogs.

Tarn river

The Tarn River originates on Mont Lozère, in the north of the commune of Pont de Montvert - Sud Mont Lozère in Lozère, and then crosses the limestone region of the Grands Causses and the Tarn gorges, whose average altitude is around 800 to 1,000 m up to Millau.
The Tarn river flows into the Garonne at Saint-Nicolas-de-la-Grave, in Tarn-et-Garonne. Along with the Lot, it is one of the Garonne's main tributaries. Its length is 380 km.

The "Roman Bridge," a misnomer as it was in no way built by the Romans but most likely in the 19th century, allows the trail to cross the Tarn River and return to Mas de la Barque via the Bois du Commandeur. Following this trail avoids retracing your steps back to the starting point, but in my opinion, it's less pleasant because it's more enclosed.

You can also check out my page on "the Cevennes" for more information about this magnificent region.

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