Cévennes

We ease into our first day on the bike with an unforgettable ride up the amazing Gorges du Tarn. This deep canyon is beautiful on its own, but quaint villages, medieval bridges and the many castles that line the entire route combine to make this one of the most enjoyable bike rides in France. Still, you’ll work today, and you will be happy you did when you see the food that is placed in front of you at dinner!

The first part of our ride today traces Stage 14 of the 2015 Tour de France. The optional ’Les Vignes’ climb was immortalized in Tim Krabbé’s classic cycling novel, The Rider.

Now that you’re warmed up we’ll climb some cols! Today’s loop leaves straight from our hotel, traveling south through Florac before the wonderful, hidden ‘backdoor’ to our first big climb of the tour – Mont Aigoual. At 1567 meters, this is the highest we will climb this week, but it will be well worth the effort. From the top, on a clear day, you can see the Mediterranean Sea, the Pyrenees and even the Alps.

Our descent brings us to the pretty valley town of Meyrueis, where we take a deep breath before climbing up to the Causse Méjean. One of 7 ‘Grands Causses’ (high limestone plateaus) in the Massif Central, this steppe-like plateau is home to a herd of the last truly wild horses in the world – Przewalski’s horse.

Climbs today include Mont Aigoual (last seen in the 2020 Tour de France), plus the ascent up to the wild plains of the Causse Méjean (6 km, 250 m).

This morning we follow the Tarn River upstream to Le Pont Montvert, tracing Robert Louis Stevenson’s 19th century voyage in reverse. Look around and you’ll see the terraced fields where Stevenson and Modestine spent a restless night before their walk down the Tarn River to Florac.

Today’s major climb, the Col du Pré de la Dame, begins in Génolhac, and offers both hairpins and fantastic views all the way across the Rhone River to Mont Ventoux. Your reward is an equally amazing descent down the other side of the highest mountain in the Cévennes, Mont Lozère, passing forgotten hamlets, pristine pastureland and hilltop castles. Then, a little further up the road, our baronial mansion will be waiting for us.

With your first ascent of mighty Mt. Lozère behind you, but perhaps still present in your muscle memory, we’ll take it a little easier today both in terms of mileage and climbing.

Our route winds through three departments, Ardèche, Gard and Lozère, and offers the shade of immense pine-wood forests, the freshness of small river valleys and some of the best country roads we’ve been on yet. This is your chance to recover and conserve energy for tomorrow, while reveling in the solitude and unadulterated beauty of the region. Back at the hotel, you’ll appreciate an afternoon of rest and relaxation, followed by another delicious dinner.

There are no cols on today’s ride, but you’ll climb nonetheless!

Be sure to fuel up at breakfast this morning because we have our longest day on the bike today.

We’re heading back up Mt. Lozère today; this time over the Col de Finiels (1541m). While it’s an easier climb than two days ago, the views are no less spectacular. Our route will then take us up the Col de Perjuret (1031m), made famous by Roger Rivière, who in the 1960 Tour de France overshot a curve and tumbled into a ravine, effectively ending his career. We’ll pay homage at his monument on the way up, and vow not to repeat his mistake on the way down the other side; a much more forgiving descent of 15 km, ending at our chateau-hotel for the night.

Dinner on your own tonight.

We’re back in deep gorge country, and today you’ll be treated to one of the prettiest, the Gorges de la Jonte. Our 25-km ramble down the gorge will take us past its impressive 450m high sheer rock faces. While you’re looking up to admire the sights, you may get lucky enough to catch a glimpse of one of the several hundred vultures who make their homes among the cliffs.

Our climb out of the gorge takes us to the top of another one of the Cévennes’ impressive limestone plateaus, the Causse Noir. Sparsely populated and often wind swept, we’ll ride its gentle roads to our final hotel, and celebrate the end of a truly amazing adventure tonight over dinner.

Today we drive you back to Montpellier for your connection home or your local hotel if you are staying in France.