Amidst beautiful stone buildings and culinary delights, from La Canourgue to Mende – a journey of around forty kilometres – we followed the meandering course of the River Lot, mingled with its locals and sampled its specialities. And, above all, we explored its charming villages and marvelled at its castles steeped in history.
Did you know? After the Marne, the Lot is the longest river situated entirely within mainland France. And it doesn’t rise in the department of the same name, but in Lozère, on the southern slope of the Goulet mountain! Don’t thank us for the little lesson in hydrography – it’s free. And don’t worry, the lesson ends here. Well, not the river’s course, that is! Because that’s exactly what we spent a day travelling upstream along. Fancy a trip? That’s handy, as we’ve still got two spare seats in our beloved car. Are you coming?
- 75 €
- average budget
- 1
- day
9.00 am: exploring La Canourgue
Little Venice in Lozère
Saturday morning. As the countryside turns white, as Victor Hugo would say, we take our first steps in La Canourgue. Strictly speaking, the village isn’t built along the River Lot, but along the River Urugne – a tributary of the Lot. Oops, the first deviation from our plan. But La Canourgue is well worth the (short) detour.
There we discover a maze of narrow, winding medieval alleyways. We make our way through the arcades. We let our instincts guide us, and they’re doing a pretty good job! One after another, we come across a half-timbered house (it feels just like Alsace!). Then there’s a 15th-century mill. A collegiate church. And the clock tower, with its weather vane! But above all, everywhere we look, there are fountains, canals and bridges. In short, water! One thing is certain: La Canourgue certainly deserves its title of ‘Little Venice of the Lozère’!
11.00: A string of castles
Saint-Saturnin, Montjézieu, Le Villard & other festivities
With our picnic basket well stocked, our road trip can really begin. Our first stop takes us to the Château de Saint-Saturnin, with its turrets and pointed spires. It’s just like something out of a fairy tale!
Next comes the Château de Montjézieu, a far more imposing structure than its neighbour and dotted with arrow slits. We leave the world of fairies behind to delve into the turbulent history of the Gévaudan region, spanning the Wars of Religion and the Hundred Years’ War.
Continuing eastwards, you catch sight of Salelles Castle, before stopping at Le Villard. There’s no castle here, but a truly beautiful fortified complex. We pass through the ramparts via a monumental gate. Sheltered by the high walls, we discover a small church and some tastefully restored houses. We learn that concerts are held here in the summer. We’ll have to come back! In the meantime, on the Place du Foirail, we declare the feast open. One thing’s for sure: in Lozère, you certainly won’t go hungry!
Teddy is a photographer, Thomas is a videographer. But they have several things in common: they’re brothers; their first names begin with the letter ‘T’; and they’re both very talented! Do go and take a look at the photos they took during their stay in Lozère, particularly their superb shots of La Canourgue, Le Villard and Chanac.
2.00 pm: Chanac
Guided tour & beer trail
Our sat-nav is adamant: Chanac is on our right. And yet we’re heading left. It’s all down to a local from Le Villard, who whispered the address of this undeniably charming village in our ear.
We carry on, crossing the Lot to finally reach Chanac. The village is all uphill. It takes quite a bit of effort to make our way up Rue du Planaguet, so we treat ourselves to a break at Place du Plô – think #theplacetobe!
One last push, and we arrive at the foot of the Tour de Chanac, a listed remnant of a feudal castle. From here, there’s a 360-degree view over the Lot Valley. One thing’s for sure: we’ve certainly earned this view!
Rock Lion & Cave Chapel
15h30 : Sur les hauteurs de Balsièges
Esclanèdes, Cultures, Barjac: the road winds its way along the meandering course of the Lot. Suddenly, Balsièges and its famous ‘lion’ come into view. Yes, you read that right. A lion weighing several tonnes has taken up residence on the village heights! A stone lion! To pay your respects to the King of the Animals, a path leads off from the village. But it’s a steep climb! Leaving this hike to the more athletic, we opt for a gentler, post-lunch stroll.
So we head up into the hills by car. We’re off to Changefège, a showcase of the Lot Valley’s architecture. Here you’ll find the famous Philibert Delorme-style roofs, which resemble boat hulls. But there’s also a threshing floor, a bread oven and a fountain! From there, a path lined with low walls leads us to the Chapel of Saint-Chaouzou, built inside a cave and dedicated to Saint Joseph. Then on to a hermitage, also carved into the rock. One thing is certain: in the Lot Valley, there is plenty to discover.
6.30 pm: Mende
A magnificent cathedral & drinks with a view
Just a few more kilometres and we’ll be arriving in Mende, the largest town in Lozère. Our first glance is drawn to the cathedral. It has to be said, the cathedral is quite a sight! Built on the orders of Pope Urban V, a native of the region, it rises to a height of 84 metres at the bishop’s bell tower. And we even learnt that in the 16th century it housed the largest bell in Christendom, which is said to have weighed around 10 tonnes. Gulp!
To recover from the excitement, we stroll through the medieval centre and its cobbled alleyways. We marvel at the trompe-l’œil murals, giggle as we walk down Rue de la Jarretière, and are awestruck by the Tour des Pénitents. Then we made our way to the banks of the Lot. The Lot, which has guided our journey and is spanned here by a splendid bridge, the Pont Notre-Dame. The Lot, to which we bid farewell, between sips of a red IPA. The Lot, which we photograph one last time. Or perhaps not. Because one thing is certain: we’ll be back!
It’s well worth a visit
To round off your road trip on a relaxing note, head to the ‘Aqua Calida’ spa. Located in Bagnols-les-Bains, this spa makes use of waters that gush forth at 41 degrees, the benefits of which were already known in Roman times!
Plan your stay
Where to eat and where to stay?
How do I get there?
- Whether by car, motorbike or campervan, the Lot Valley is easily accessible from the A75 motorway. To reach the starting point of this road trip, take exit 40 off the motorway. From there, it will take you no more than 5 minutes to reach La Canourgue by following the D998! To continue the route, take the D809 towards Marvejols for 13 kilometres, before turning off onto the N88, which will take you to Mende. The full route is 45 kilometres long.
