France - Cevennes - Stevenson trail from Le Puy en Velay to Chasserades 8 days.

Description	Dates and prices

Self-guided hiking tour in Southern France - On the footsteps of the 19th century writer R L Stevenson

This Robert Louis Stevenson trail is a linear long distance walk through the Velay mounts, Gevaudan and Cevennes regions of Southern France. It is also known as the GR70.

While walking southwards the landscape is evolving each day and crosses some of the most remote rural areas of France including villages like Pradelles, Pont de Montvert and Florac on the edges of the Tarn Gorge.

The first part crosses Haute Loire in Auvergne up to Langogne and The famous Cevennes areas is not reached until you climb the Mount Lozere on the second part of the trail that finally ends in the Gard area and Languedoc region (now called Occitany but the regions in France are quite complicated to understand due to the History and we won t go into further details here !)

Day 1

Arrive in Le Puy-en-Velay. Le Puy is a lively cultural medieval city surrounded by low mountains. Its old charming centre with numerous museums, the famous Cathedral, the 10th century cloister. If you arrive early you will enjoy these marvellous visits. Half board and overnight in 2 star hotel

Day 2

LE PUY-EN-VELAY to LE MONASTIER-SUR-GAZEILLE 19 km – 5h30 of walking + 530 m / - 220 m Follow the trail of Saint Jean François Regis, while getting out of the city the footpath climbs up to the plateau offering a spectacular viewpoint over the Puy basin. Then, today’s walking itinerary goes down to the Loire River and Coubon before reaching the plateau of Monastier-sur-Gazeille where you will stop for the night. Half board and overnight in 2 star hotel

Day 3

LE MONASTIER-SUR-GAZEILLE to LE BOUCHET SAINT-NICOLAS 22 km – 5h30 of walking + 585 m / - 305 m Half board and overnight in a Guest House Le Monastier is the departure point where RL Stevenson started his walking trip. The trail first crosses the plateau where the soft volcanic mounts emerge here and there, and then jumps over the Gorges of the Loire River in Goudet where the basalt columns are a remnant of the lava flow and finally reach Bouchet-Saint-Nicolas where the lake is said to be a former crater

Day 4

LE BOUCHET SAINT-NICOLAS to LANGOGNE 25 km – 6h00 of walking + 320 m / - 595 m Half board and overnight in 2 star hotel Today the Stevenson trail crosses several villages where there are still signs of rural traditions. The route is punctuated with stone crosses, ancient public washing houses and shoeing horses workshop and arrives in Pradelles, classified among the Most Beautiful Villages of France. This old fortified village, its imposing houses and tall façades with their stone walls and arcades, overlooks the Upper Allier valley and Naussac Lake and used to be an important stopping place for merchants importing goods from the South of France. The walk continues to Langogne where you will spend the night.

Day 5

LANGOGNE to LE CHEYLARD L'EVEQUE 16 km – 4h00 of walking + 310 m / - 120 m Half board and overnight in gîte d'étape (a comfortable gîte) In Langogne you reach the North Eastern part of Languedoc area and leave Auvergne behind you. This is a medieval city with a 12th century church and many other treasures. The walk crosses the Gevaudan territory where a wolf-like wild beast spread the fear and terror more than 100 years before Stevenson journey.

Day 6

Day 6 LE CHEYLARD L'EVEQUE to LA BASTIDE-PUYLAURENT 23 km – 6h00 of walking - + 355 m / - 450 m Half board and overnight in 2 star hotel The trail follows the Regordane Route which crosses the Central Massif and the Cevennes and was the ancient route (in the past centuries) to link Paris to the Mediterranean Sea. The Mediterranean vegetation follows the Allier River up to La Bastide-Puylaurent

Day 7

LA BASTIDE-PUYLAURENT to CHASSERADES 12 km – 3h00 of walking + 450 m / - 205 m Half board and overnight in 2 star hotel Today the hike follows the trail up to “La Mourade” located at 1310 meters altitude. You walk on the height-of-land of the Central Massif which is the watershed boundary between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic

Day 8

CHASSERADES end of the tour after breakfast.