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Walking in The Languedoc |
| The Languedoc is a beautiful and historically and culturally rich region of
southern France. Quite apart from this history however the region has a
great claim to being one of the most attractive places for walkers and
hikers, due to the pleasant weather and beautiful scenery. There
are many different routes in Languedoc and this article intends to showcase
a few of them. First up is the Stevenson Trail, which runs from Le
Monastier, near Puy en Velay in the Haute Loire, to St Jean du Gard in The
Cevennes, taking in all the wonderful scenery in between. Another great
historical trail is The Via Domitia, the Roman Roads that you can use as
walking routes now. Arguably the most celebrated ancient route in France is
the Regordane Way and tours usually take the route north of Luc to Alès, the
gateway to The Cevennes, a distance of about 68 miles. These walks
can sometimes go international too, with the Le chemin de Saint Jacques
route being part of a longer road that eventually reaches Spain through
Languedoc. Moving west it also passes through Montpellier, Toulouse and
Oloron-Sainte-Marie too. The Languedoc region is also home to Mont Aigoual,
which lies north of Le Vigan and can be reached from Vallerauge by the "trek
of 4000 steps", another good walk. If you want to have a little running
water worked into your walk then you can discover rivers like the Rhone,
Vidourle, Herault and Dourbie by taking in a route in and around Ales,
Mialet and St Jean du Gard. The Cevennes mountains also have a national
park, so this too can make for a nice place to walk and is also a UNESCO
World Biosphere Reserve. If we`re talking about seriously long
distance walks, there are two good ones that criss-cross Languedoc. The
Cathar Trail is the first, which starts with the sea directly to your back
at Port-La-Nouvelle and heads west across the region. The second is the
official European long-distance footpath `E4` which crosses into Languedoc
in the south over the Pyrénées and ends up in Provence. Finally, the walk
around Chateau Puilaurens, in Aude, is a great one, taking in the
battlements and a nice hill. To be fair, the French take their
walking seriously and there are literally hundreds of routes marked out
around Languedoc for every fitness level and distance. It is important
however to have the right gear when walking, including sturdy, comfortable
boots and warm clothing. Speaking of boots in particular, Keen in the UK are a very good
brand and it pays to bear in mind you get what you pay for with good quality
gear. If you`re heading to Languedoc walking though you`re very much in
luck, so happy trekking! |
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