CHASTANIER-CHATEAUNEUF HIKING HIKE

Begin your journey in the village of Chastanier, crossed by two rivers (the Chapeauroux and the Clamouse). Its 11th-century Romanesque church, perched on the rock in the center of the parish, is a former monastery. Continue on to the village of Châteauneuf-de-Randon, perched on a mountain. Châteauneuf has preserved its natural beauty and rich historical past, thanks in part to Bertrand Du Guesclin, the great French Constable. It was a fortress, of which the watchtower known as the "English Tower" still remains. Located south of the Margeride region, the village square features an imposing statue of Du Guesclin, and at the foot of the rocky outcrop, a granite cenotaph has been erected in his honor.