When you set foot in Haute-Loire for the first time, what strikes you is the relief. It surprises us at every turn. Probably because it has 300 amazingly shaped volcanoes. Here are our unique ideas for enjoying the mountain, its panoramas and the scenery that surrounds you like no one else!
1- Climb to the top of the Mézenc for a 360° sunrise from the roof of the department
You can guess the light of day as you wind through this gentle forest path in Les Estables, the highest village in the Massif Central. And then we see it, this "Bald Giant of the Cévennes" perched at 1753 m.
A light breeze blows and it is the reward: a breathtaking panorama of the south-eastern quarter of France bathed in the shimmering rays of the sun.
A 45-minute ascent will have been enough to converse with Mont Gerbier-de-Jonc, the Sancy massif, the Cévennes, the Alps and Mont-Blanc.
2- Pamper your body and your taste buds in the most gourmet village in the Massif Central
Saint-Bonnet-le-Froid is the getaway for all gourmet epicureans. A gastronomic mecca which has been able to enhance the riches of its region thanks to the talents of its great chefs, 4 of whom are distinguished in the famous red guide (stars or gourmet bibs). A record for a village of only 250 inhabitants!
And to pamper your body, we offer you some well-deserved respite at the Sources du Haut Plateau spa. A place where the key words are relaxation and a change of scenery, all in an authentic natural setting. An equally omnipresent nature conducive to walks in the forest or in the vast wild spaces populated by trees, wild fruits (raspberries, blueberries, etc.) and champignons.
3- Be surprised by the symphony of volcanic mounds in the Meygal massif
Summer and winter alike, the Mézenc and Meygal massifs are vast playgrounds. From the wild gorges where the nascent Loire makes its way from Mont-Gerbier de Jonc, to the volcanic massif which keeps Mont Mézenc in sight, the roof of the department at 1 m, there are many activities: winter (alpine skiing, Nordic skiing, biathlon, snowshoeing, dog sledding, paragliding, snow-kiting), hiking, cycling, cani-activities, pack donkey, horse riding, fishing, climbing, acrobatic course...
4- Board the highest steam train in France
Let's go for a trip like no other aboard a train that seems to have come out of another time... As its joyful whistle resounds, wisps of steam rise... The Velay Express is there, ready to welcome you !
Comfortably seated aboard the elegant Belle Époque carriages, the adventure can begin. A trip to the last century, at an altitude of more than 1 m through the towns of Raucoules, Tence and Le Chambon-sur-Lignon.
5- Trudge along the ridges of the Ravin de Corboeuf, Colorado Auvergnat
It is as if the earth's crust had opened up to reveal its layers of beige, green and bluish clay over a thickness of nearly 50 meters.
A slow geological work that gives these Ravines de Corboeuf false airs of canyons. If you take advantage of a beautiful view from the hamlet of Chastel (Rosières), it is by taking the 3,2 km discovery trail that surrounds it that you will take in the full dimension of this sedimentary mastodon. A walk for the less exotic…
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