Tour of the Lévézou Mountains (Aveyron)

Starting in Saint-Beauzély, dominated by its medieval castle-museum, the trail climbs towards Curan, offering breathtaking views of the shimmering lakes that have made this "water tower" of the department famous. Passing through Ségur, you'll discover a preserved rural heritage, where old granite buildings bear witness to a tenacious agricultural and pastoral way of life. The route then reaches Vézins-de-Lévézou, a fortified village whose castle overlooks the source of the Muse River and dense beech forests. Nature becomes wilder around Saint-Léons, birthplace of the renowned naturalist Jean-Henri Fabre, where the biodiversity of the micro-landscapes invites close observation. Between verdant hills and heathland, hikers will encounter unassuming Romanesque churches and the typical hedged farmland of the Rouergue region.

Dominating the heart of the Aveyron region, the Lévézou massif rises like a vast crystalline base where grassy ridges meet secluded valleys. Its peaks, such as Mont Seigne and Puech du Pal, offer exceptional panoramic views of the Cévennes and the Cantal mountains, revealing a landscape of heathland and high-altitude peat bogs. This land of centuries-old pastoralism preserves a robust built heritage, marked by traditional schist stone farmhouses and bell gables that defy the winds. Between the pastures where Lacaune sheep graze, nature expresses itself through rare wild flora, from sundews to peat bog orchids. The history of the massif is also reflected in its charming villages, such as Ségur and Vezins-de-Lévézou, former seigniorial strongholds that watched over these isolated highlands. Here, the landscape is a mosaic of hedgerows and beech forests, creating a rugged yet soothing mid-mountain atmosphere. It is a territory of wild wandering where every sunken lane tells the story of the resilience of the peasant-builders of Rouergue.

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Distance: 109km, Elevation maximum: 1141m, Elevation minimum: 621m, Elevation gain uphill: 2646m
IGN Maps: 2439SB - RODEZ / LAISSAC. 2440SB - SALLES-CURAN / LAC DE PRALOUP / CASSAGNE / BEGHONES. 2539SB - SEVERAC-LE-Chateau / LAPANOUSE. 2540SB - SAINT-BEAUZELY / AGUESSAC/GORGES DU TARN.