Tourism in Aveyron

2015

inAveyron NEWS / UNIQUE / DESTINATION / CULTURE, HERITAGE & SAVOIR-FAIRE

DISCOVERY GUIDE

LEISURE & ACTIVITIES / FLAVOURS & DELICACIES / PRACTICAL INTERNET

Always

real! www.tourisme-aveyron.com

www.tourisme-aveyron.com

Golinhac

Conques

St-Côme d’Olt

Ste-Eulalie d’Olt Lac de Bannac

Belcastel

La Bastide l’Evêque

Plan d’eau du Val de Lenne

Sauveterre de Rouergue

Peyre

It is here that Pierre Soulages finds his major inspiration. And from where, the museum dedicated to him today carries the power of French contemporary creation. It is here, in Millau, that the record viaduct takes full swing to the Mediterranean and superbly illustrates the moment frozen in time that Aveyron represents. Take the time!

The centuries needed to build the cathedral of Rodez, the abbeys of Conques and Sylvanès, the fort of Villefranche-deRouergue, the high perched villages, the invincible castles and the many Romanesque churches that found their right place in the landscapes. The time of the seasons that add snow on the fallen leaves, the strong summer light on the Rougiers and the flower abundance in the spring. This eras and landscapes alchemy was made possible because the progress ambition of the Aveyron respects the balance of things

and the richness of the heritage. With the “Vivre Vrai” (Real Living) as its motto, the Aveyron does not cheat, neither on the density of its history, nor on the ability to embrace modernism and make it an asset for development. Welcome in this rigorous and sweet land, hanging from the clouds, bordered by horizons and verticality. I invite you to walk with us for a while and to share the privilege of a human-sized region.

Welcome to Aveyron!

“(...) privilege of a humansized region.”

Jean-Claude LUCHE Senator of Aveyron President of the General Council of Aveyron President of the Aveyron Tourist Board

Brousse le Château

France’s most beautiful villages in Aveyron The Rouergue Bastides Larzac Templar and Hospitaller sites Major Sites of the Midi-Pyrénées GR®: The road to Santiago de Compostela Rodez-Aveyron Airport

1 hour from the Mediterranean!

CLIMATE IN AVEYRON

© IGN 1989

Hours of annual sunshine

2 700 2 600 2 500 2 400 2 300 2 200 2 100 2 000 1 900 1 800 1 700 1 600 1 500 1 400 1 300 1 200

SWISS

Lyon Clermont I TA LY

Bordeaux A75

Toulouse

[Real Living]

Montpellier

Marseille

Heures 100 miles

S PA I N

T MEDI

Vivre vrai !

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«

I have always liked the French countryside and I think that the Aveyron is its ideal.

The people are great, they are normal. » Jean-Marie Périer

[contents]

MAP / 2 - EDITORIAL / 3 - LET’S MEET! / 68 - TOURIST INFORMATION / 70

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ALWAYS REAL!

DESTINATION AVEYRON

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AUBRAC CARLADEZ AND LA TRUYERE GORGES CONQUES AND THE MARCILLAC VALLEY THE LOT VALLEY ROUERGUE AND AVEYRON GORGES RODEZ AND THE AVEYRON VALLEY LEVEZOU MOUNTAINS AND LAKES MILLAU, TARN VALLEY AND GORGES ROQUEFORT COUNTRY AND LARZAC

NEWS SOULAGES MUSEUM LIVING HERITAGE WELL-BEING IN THE COUNTRYSIDE -

AVEYRON WITH A DIFFERENCE MILLAU VIADUCT UNESCO

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CULTURE, HERITAGE & SAVOIR-FAIRE ROUERGUE BASTIDES TEMPLAR AND HOSPITALLER SITES CONQUES AND ITS TREASURE SYLVANES ABBEY CHATEAUX AND MUSEUMS ART & SAVOIR-FAIRE FESTIVALS AND SHOWS

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LEISURE & ACTIVITIES HIKING LAND, AIR, WATER FISHING WINTER, UNUSUAL KIDS’ CORNER SPORTING EVENTS

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FLAVOURS & GASTRONOMIC DELICACIES GASTRONOMIE RECIPES STARRED CHEFS MARKETS

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It’s like being at the seaside!

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It’s calm and peaceful

good reasons to take a holiday in Aveyron

www.tourisme-aveyron.com

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Its heritage is intact

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You can be transported to another time...

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You can learn while having fun!

Lac de Pareloup on the Lévézou plateau, Aveyron’s inland sea

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Immensity and peace regained on the Aubrac plateau

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Najac, one of ten villages in Aveyron classified as the “most beautiful villages in France”

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Micropolis, the “city of insects”, where you can learn everything while having fun!

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Estaing Castle

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Millau viaduct - sleek design in harmony with the landscape

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Tripous, a favourite Aveyron breakfast dish

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Millau, the glove capital

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Bungee jumping in breathtaking surroundings

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Rougier de Camarès

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You can get a taste of luxury

6. ... yet be modern!

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You can have a whole meal for breakfast

Always

real!

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You can do scary things!

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We have our very own Colorado!

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More information NEWS

Musée Soulages www.musee-soulages.grand-rodez.com Café Bras www.cafebras.fr Tourist office - Grand Rodez Tel.: +33 (0)5 65 75 76 77 www.tourisme.myrodez.com

SOULAGES MUSEUM: A MUSEUM UNLIKE ANY OTHER

Opened in 2014, the Soulages museum is a great success, 2

enlivened by the richness of work by the artist and numerous temporary exhibitions.

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An extraordinary donation

Pierre Soulages: top-selling artist at auctions Pierre Soulages, a painter of international renown, was born in Rodez in the Aveyron region. His work is shown in nearly ninety museums around the world. His retrospective in 2009 in Paris, at the national modern art museum - Georges Pompidou Centre - drew close to 500,000 visitors (a record number, following that of the Dali exhibition). He is the French artist that reaches the highest prices on the international contemporary art market. His latest canvas was sold for over € 5 million.

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The Soulages Museum houses a unique donation, consisting of some 500 pieces estimated at nearly € 40 million.

The Soulages Museum’s collection is representative of Soulages’s earliest paintings, which are the most sought after.

The permanent collection consists of paintings on canvas, paintings on paper including the famous walnut-stain works, all of his prints (etchings, lithographies, silk-screen prints), sculptures, preparatory cartoons for stained-glass windows in Conques, films, photographs, rare books, and so on. The permanent exhibition rooms cover nearly 2,000 m2. A room of 500 m2 welcomes modern and contemporary art events. The Soulages Museum, in co-operation with the Bibliothèque nationale de France, stages a vibrant homage to the great art printer Aldo Crommelynck until 8 March 2015.

The museum will subsequently house the exhibition of Claude Lévêque « le bleu de l’oeil », from 24 April to 25 September 2015.

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Café Bras Unique architecture in Corten steel The Soulages Museum is a decidedly contemporary building, designed by the Catalonian firm RCR arquitectes Passelac and Roques Narbonne, associated architects.

Its distinctive feature is that it is entirely wrapped in Corten steel on the outside, a material that procures shades from rust-red to brown; inside the building, dark, native steel adorns walls and floors.

The museum is nestled in the heart of a tree-filled garden with a variety of species, sprawled over three hectares with a children’s play area and a walking trail designed by architect Emmanuel Nebout.

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A place for living The Soulages Museum is a real place for living, offering visitors a restaurant area, “Café Bras”, an extensive reference library (rare works and books, documents on the artist, his entourage and his time, catalogues and films), rooms for children where they can make their own artworks and learn more, an eighty-seat auditorium, a hypermedia fresco from the French National Audiovisual Institute, a shop, multimedia visitors’ tools, etc.

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Conques stained-glass windows (sketches)

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Soulages museum, Rodez - RCR Arquitectes © Grand Rodez photo library - C. Meravilles

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Pierre Soulages - © Gaston Bergeret, 2009

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Pierre Soulages in his studio - © Fritz Pitz, 1968

The museum has an exceptional eating area designed by Michel Bras, celebrity chef and culinary artist from the Aubrac region which served as inspiration for painter Pierre Soulages.

The Bras cuisine is labelled Aveyron, but also spiced up with nods to the world, like Pierre Soulages work is universal.

”Food of the body and of the soul, common-sense cooking that uses the minimum, the essential, that comes

More information pages 26-27

more from love than from knowledge

A museum that forms part of the heritage of Rodez, backed by 2,000 years of history.

- that is what we want to create”.

Michel Bras

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NEWS

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The label is a sign of state recognition implemented to distinguish French companies with exceptional craft and industrial know-how.

Each « Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant » labelled company holds rare and recognised expertise based on the mastership of traditional or high technicality techniques often linked to a territory. The living heritage companies support French products by maintaining productions at national level. They valorise iconic know-how and mark the economic and cultural identity of France.

Discover the living heritage companies of the Aveyron

LIVING HERITAGE If Aveyron today boasts a rich heritage of buildings and culture, it is partly due to its history, but also to the work of man.

Different eras have left their traces, but through memory and outstanding skills that have stood the test of time, craftsmen daily breathe new life into this heritage.

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No fewer than 22 Aveyron companies carry the label Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant, a pledge of quality. All those companies are animated by professionals recognised for their respect for the profession and their perfect mastery of the tools.

They share the same philosophy to emphasise the French manufacturing heritage.

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Were you attracted by those companies?

Follow the “EPV” route. Find them. Visit their workshops! Be tempted!

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Take a company tour www.tourisme-aveyron.com ”visit” section

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More information Next time you visit Aveyron, if you are near Sévérac-le-Château, feel free to stop at the Aveyron service station, where you will see an exhibition on Aveyron companies that perpetuate craftsmanship and keep this great heritage alive.

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Knife-making

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Carpentry

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Cabinet making - Carpentry

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Pottery

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Stone cutting

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Cheese making

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Faience

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Saddle making

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Leather glove making

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NEWS

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The Aveyron invites to leisure and escape and it can be felt in its landscapes and values.

You will discover numerous spa, massage or wellness centres to relax in a serene atmosphere.

Get pampered in an unusual decor, a farm or a castle.

Aveyron, well-being in the countryside Cransac-les-Thermes, unique spas in Europe!

It is good to unwind in this fabulous natural site, comfortably installed on the large sunbeds of the thermal spa. Its architecture made of soft wood, slate and glass invites to relax. The spa is harmoniously distributed over individual treatment units and a wide selection of modelling, body and face treatments...and a relaxation space where you enjoy the relaxing and unwinding effect of the natural thermal gases where you will discover the virtues of aromatherapy.

The thermal centre of Cransac-les-Thermes is an ideal and calming place for anyone wishing another facet of well-being in Aveyron. The steam of Cransac-les-Thermes makes it the only resort in Europe to practice spa therapy based on hot natural gases, with well known benefits.

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New for 2015 : the casino in Cransac In the 1990s the spa city of Cranzac dreams of opening its casino.

20 years of waiting but 20 years of preparation ending with the opening of that casino in 2015. It is the news of the year.

The spa visitors are bubbling with glee. Place your bets!

Natura Bien-Être, wellness amidst nature!

Located in Brommat in north Aveyron, the aquatic leisure centre Natura Bien-Être invites you to relax and unwind at the centre of Carladez in a space bordered by beeches.

The centre consists of hydrotherapy equipment such as the pool, the whirlpool, bubble baths, the hammam, the sauna... but also fitness installations for complete sessions. It is a refined mix of two mindsets: lively or tranquil and thus allowing everyone to find what they like.

www.casino-cransac.com

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Cransac-les-Thermes

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Natura Bien-Être

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Casino de Cransac

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Château de Labro

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Aquavallon

You can find all the wellness centres on www.tourisme-aveyron.com (“Bouger” section)

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More Information Tourist Office - Cransac Tel.: +33 (0)5 65 63 06 80 www.cransac-les-thermes.fr Tourist Office - Mur-de-Barrez Tel.: +33 (0)5 64 66 10 16 www.carladez.fr

From the hammam to spa therapy, from sauna to hydro massage, via the hydrotherapy and the spa: all the techniques contribute to relaxation in Aveyron.

Aquatic leisure spaces For relaxing moments with the family several aquatic centres await you with hydrotherapy space, massage jets or whirlpools for adults and fun pools with slides for the children.

That is also wellness in the Aveyron.

You can find all the aquatic centres on www.tourisme-aveyron.com (“Bouger” section)

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AVEYRON WITH A DIFFERENCE

Higher than the Eiffel Tower!

New in 2015

TIME SUSPENDED The bridge that breaks all records 2460 metres long - a record for cable-stayed bridges - its highest 343 metres high - another world record - 2 x 2 lanes based on 9 points.

Conceived by French engineer Michel Virlogeux and designed by English architect Norman Foster, it began operating on 17 December 2004 following 17 years od research and works. It fits discreetly into the landscape in accordance with the wishes of the architect and those Aveyron communities affected.

It used advanced technological solutions: a thin metal deck supported by stays on 7 very slender stacks made from high-performance concrete.

The result: exceptional finesse and equilibrium.

Today, around 5 million vehicles cross the Millau Viaduct every year. This is the link that completes the essential work of opening up the Massif Central, the meridian (A75). Linking Clermont-Ferrand to Béziers, it is now the shortest, the smoothest and less costly route between Paris and the Mediterranean and Spain.

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Discover in the spring of 2015 in the area of the Viaduc de Millau, a new room and new installation dedicated to the Aveyron, its values and attractiveness.

There it is, at the end of the motorway’s grey ribbon.

That’s it, the Millau Viaduct, the bridge of all superlatives: the highest and the longest in the world.

A line stretched high above the valley.

So thin yet so powerful, it is the fruit of human genius.

Technical details...

Some facts about the viaduct: > total height of the structure: 343 m. > length of the viaduct: 2,460 m. > weight of the carrier: 36 000 ton. > height of the carrier: 270 m above the Tarn. > height of a pylon: 87 m. > cost of the structure: 400 million euro including 80 for the toll barrier. > number of people who worked on the construction: approx. 3 000.

An exceptional visit!

Trip details...

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Housed in an old caussenarde farm, the viewing area of the Millau viaduct invites you to discover this exceptional structure - a Major Site of the Midi-Pyrénées - as well as the natural, cultural and gastronomic culture of Aveyron.

Reception area and tourist information Discovery area Gourmet area / designed by starred chef, Michel Bras Area for Major Sites of the Midi-Pyrénées Viaduct area Viewpoint

A taste of Aveyron Here, in Aveyron, it was out of the question to make room for the sad motorway sandwich.

Fast food yes, but by Michel Bras (3*)... and that gives the 2008 fooding award for the best sandwich station! The gourmet space offers the visitors a real creation that revisits fast food, based on gastronomic Aveyron heritage and local produce. Passionate about their region, Michel Bras, his brother André and his son Sébastien have worked with the iconic “flambadou” or “capucin”, a tool that creates a small conical bread, filled with the best products of the Aveyron, for new and tasty fast food, savoury and sweet... enjoy!

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Michel Bras’s capuchins

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The Millau viaduct area

More information The Millau viaduct viewpoint www.tourisme-aveyron.com Tel.: +33 (0)5 65 75 40 12

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AVEYRON WITH A DIFFERENCE

UNESCO recognition

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Aveyron has two UNESCO listed heritage sites.

And what sites they are too!

Large sections of the road of Saint-Jacquesde-Compostelle were listed in 1998, over its whole crossing of the Aveyron.

The Causses and the Cévennes were listed in 2011, as a Mediterranean cultural agropastoral landscape.

On that huge territory of more than 300 000 hectares, stretched over 2 regions and 4 departments, 22 municipalities are located in Aveyron.

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FOR THE HERITAGE OF MANKIND The Causses and the Cévennes Mediterranean cultural agropastoral landscape listed as world heritage in 2011

Roads of Saint-Jacquesde-Compostelle in France were listed as world heritage in 1998

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Griffon vulture

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Flock of sheep on the Larzac

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Shell, the emblem of the road to Santiago de Compostela

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Bridge on the Dourdou in Conques

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Hikers on the GR®65

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* Limestone plateau highlands, characteristics of the south of the Massif Central. ** Paths used by transhumant herds. *** Natural depressions converted into troughs.

The landscape of the Causses and the Cévennes is the result of human activity and their flocks throughout the ages. This created open environments, dotted with drailles**, lavognes*** and great floral diversity. The villages and the stone farms reflect the organisation of the monasteries and the religious orders from the XIth century. The region represents a living agropastoral economy that today earned it listing in the Human world heritage. www.causses-et-cevennes.fr

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Throughout medieval times Saint-Jacquesde-Compostelle was a major destination for countless pilgrims from all over Europe.

That road to Spain played an essential role in the development of cultural and religious exchanges. The elements that preserved their original look are listed as world heritage.

Out of those seven sections two are located in Aveyron: Aubrac-Saint-Chély-d’Aubrac and Saint-Côme-d’Olt-Estaing, and the abbey church Sainte-Foy and the bridge of Conques, the bridge of Estaing, the bridge of Espalion and the pont des Pèlerins, in Saint-Chélyd’Aubrac.

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World Heritage, what does this mean?

“The sites registered possess an extraordinary value and therefore must be protected, so that future generations can appreciate them. These concepts are aimed at strengthening the respect and the attachment of the people to the cultural and natural heritage.”

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DESTINATION AUBRAC

A country of diversity

Aveyron is a mosaic of natural regions.

Each has its own landscape and its own identity, buildings and way of speaking.

A few kilometres away, across a valley and around the corner, another world awaits you. The walnut beeches are successors of the beech groves and the groves to the aridity of limestone.

What resemblance is there between an opulent residence on fertile land of the Valley and a buron (a stone mountain bothy)? None, apart from character and authenticity

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Aubrac, the land of the infinite On the highlands of the Aubrac, forests and pastures share a vastness of curves, roundness, which goes on forever. The former country of volcanoes is now appeased. This is now only evidenced by the round stones, as if wisened, which form a mesh within the landscape of rock walls and mounds.

AUBRAC. This land is mythical and when you discover it, you already have the impression of being in familiar territory. Its knives, cheese, aligot, transhumance... it is synonymous with freedom, space and purity.

You are at the end of the world.

La Maison de l’Aubrac (the house of Aubrac),

A Regional Nature Park for the Aubrac

located in Aubrac, the village to which the plateau owes its name.

This space, entirely designed to receive the public aims to present the territory in all its glory: its nature, history, culture, economy, gastronomy, traditions, throughout the seasons...

La Maison de l’Aubrac includes several spaces (tourist information, an exhibition, a shop, a bookshop, audiovisual service), as well as a gastronomic area (savoury and sweet sandwiches) and a botanical garden.

If you want to explore it all, taste and smell Aubrac!

The low-range mountain plateau of Aubrac boasts a heritage that is still well preserved and specific to the region.

Its rural economy, landscapes, biodiversity, agro-pastoralism, history, traditions, food, crafts, environment and cultural heritage are recognised, but are nevertheless vulnerable and at risk.

To preserve and promote the richness of this exceptional region, local communities are creating a regional nature park.

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The Aubrac Breed

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Buron

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Laguiole knife

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Boralde

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Aubrac cow

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Transhumance festival

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Mushrooms

More on the transhumance festival page 47 More on Laguiole knives page 44-45

With their lyre-shaped horns, their eyes as if lined with kohl and their wheat robes, Aubrac cows are recognisable in an instant. Rustic, but plentiful, Aubrac cows have become emblematic of the plateau that gave birth to it.

Every year, in late spring, the animals transhume the valleys and surrounding causses to enjoy the grassland of the plateaus. Life is lived to the sound of the cowbells and wild calf races, until the autumn in an unchanging cycle. Until the 1950s, the Aubrac breed was irreplaceable and was particularly successful in the appreciation for its milk, meat and the strength of its oxen for ploughing.

Milk was collected directly into the mountain pastures and processed into cheese in the burons. When this activity disappeared, the mechanisation, agricultural policies and above all and especially unfortunate crosses with breeds presumed ameliorative - sounded the death knell of the Aubrac breed.

Fortunately, in the 70s, a few diehards have decided to save it by conviction, commitment to tradition.

The future in their favour. Today, the beauty of their black eyes has managed to seduce far away from its bases for his qualities once again recognised.

More information Tourist office - Aubrac-Laguiole Tel.: +33 (0)5 65 44 35 94 www.aubrac-laguiole.com Tourist information point Aubrac-Laguiole (Saint-Chély-d’Aubrac) Tel.: +33 (0)5 65 44 21 15 www.aubrac-laguiole.com Tourist office Saint Amans des Côts Tel.: +33 (0)5 65 44 81 61 ot-stamansdescots.pagesperso-orange.fr Tourist office Sainte-Geneviève-sur-Argence Tel.: +33 (0)5 65 66 19 75 www.argencetourisme-aubrac.com Tourist office Saint-Geniez-Campagnac Tel.: +33 (0)5 65 70 43 42 www.st-geniez-dolt.com

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DESTINATION CARLADEZ GORGES DE LA TRUYÈRE

More information Tourist office Mur de Barrez Tel.: +33 (0)5 65 66 10 16 www.carladez.fr Tourist office Entraygues sur Truyère Tel.: +33 (0)5 65 44 56 10 www.tourisme-entraygues.com Tourist office Saint Amans des Côts Tel.: +33 (0)5 65 44 81 61 ot-stamansdescots.pagesperso-orange.fr

Carladez, between two worlds

The splendour of Conques

DESTINATION CONQUES VALLON DE MARCILLAC

In the extreme north of the valley lies Conques, a major stop on the road to Santiago de Compostela.

Its old houses with wooden sides and slate covered roofs have remained just as they were a thousand years ago.

They house two of the wonders of world heritage: the Romanesque abbey and its treasures.

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More information on Conques page 40

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Imagine a plateau cut by two mighty rivers: that’s the Carladez.

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The Laussac Peninsula

In the extreme north of Averyron, it hesitates between Rouergue and Auvergne, between the Cantal Mounts and the first southern chestnut groves.

Here, the Salers cows are reared as well as Aubrac cows and people enjoy truffles as much as aligot... and families walk together on the Sentiers de l’Imaginaire (paths of the imaginary).

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Laussac Peninsula

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Truyère Gorge

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Sentiers de l’Imaginaire

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Conques

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Details of the Conques Abbey

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Marcillac Valley

A water tower

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Three large hydroelectric dams have been built over the Truyère: Sarrans, Montézic and Couesque.

These retainers, which were made at the end of the 2nd World War, are remarkable in many ways, particularly in terms of technology, with underground plants and complex groundwater supply and drainage systems. These developments have been beneficial to the region, bringing electricity to remote villages since the 50s, and having permitted an early tourism diversification of these territories; the development of a renowned fishing destination... with an environmental impact that stands as a model.

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More information on the “Sentiers de l’Imaginaire” page 57

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A vineyard to discover

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The Marcillac Valley is a peaceful territory with a difference.

A Mediterranean enclave in the heart of Aveyron. Among its red soils and its limestones plateaus lies the AOC Marcillac vineyard. It is mixed with numerous testimonies to a particularly rich history: Romanesque churches, picturesque villages and a considerable amount of chateaus, mainly due to the organisation of feudal Rouergue society. The religious congregations, then the bourgeois of Rodez have also contributed to this abundance of fortified houses. Perched vineyards, pink houses in the valleys, bursts of pearl from the plateau’s mansions, breathtaking panoramas... the Valley will seduce you too.

A Peaceful Valley...

It is quite possibly the most romantic place in Averyon, a green islet on the Sarrans lake. The old 9th century chapel, which protected the area, is now surrounded by water in the impoundment of the dam.

The result is magical.

Established in the 9th century under the influence of the Conques Abbey, the Marcillac vineyard has shaped the landscape of its numerous terraces.

At its peak, in the late 19th century it covered all the southern slope before practically disappearing in favour of the Languedoc’s large industrial vineyards.

Since the 1960s, it has experienced renewed interest.

Its unique character, a rare main grape variety (the Mansois or the Fer Servadou) have made it popular. Since 1990, this small 200-hectare vineyard is an AOC. Its production remains separate from the major distribution channels.

This is the chance to discover on-site the products that suit it so well...

More information Tourist office - Conques-Marcillac Tel.: +33 (0)5 65 72 85 00 www.tourisme-conques.fr Tourist information point Conques- Marcillac Tel.: +33 (0)5 65 71 13 18 www.tourisme-conques.fr

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La Poterie du Don,

DESTINATION THE LOT VALLEY

unique in Europe!

Its salt-glazed stoneware is a bridge between tradition and the present, the essential accessory for any table defending France’s regional cuisine.

The Don du Fel is unique in Europe.

With its international gallery, its European boutique and all the works of Suzy Atkins and the Poterie du Don, it offers visitors a range of contemporary ceramics, with which no other place can compete.

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The pays

d’Olt

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Olt, was the name of the River Lot before the French language imposed its law on the Occitans. Fortunately our language triumphed, at least as far as names are concerned. Really, don’t you think that Olt sounds better? The word conjures up images of the Wizard of Oz, doesn’t it?

Separating Aubrac from the rest of the world (well, the south side), the Lot crosses the Aveyron from the east to the west. A lively, powerful river, which has dug deep gorges in the landscape. Upstream, the widest points of the valley saw the establishment of towns along the riverbanks that radiate towards the surrounding plateaus. Saint-Geniez d’Olt, Sainte-Eulalie d’Olt, Saint-Côme d’Olt, Espalion, Estaing, Entraygues at the confluence of the Truyere. All have a remarkable architectural heritage, which reflects the rich history of this valley, a real “buffer” between the north and south of the Massif Central. Downstream, the Lot subsides, and the valley widens between Capdenac and Salvagnac.

Another world begins.

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More information

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The vineyard’s balconies Saint-Côme-d’Olt, but especially downstream of the Espalion, around Estaing, then further on in Entraygues and Le Fel, vineyards mark the southern slopes of the valley and its terraces.

These small vineyards have been there since the Middle Ages. They have contributed to the prosperity of the valley, in its exchanges with the surrounding plateaus. Today, these products are highly confidential and are recognised and classified as AOCs.

The Estofinado Did you know that in Averyron cod swims up the rivers? Well almost!

The gabarriers brought dried cod back from their travels. A rare commodity, but easy to preserve, which results in one of Aveyron’s typical dishes when mixed with potatoes and eggs. > See recipe page 63

Bozouls On the comtal limestone plateau, Bouzouls marks the transition to the High Rouergue.

This is where you will find one of the most beautiful natural sights of Aveyron: the Bozouls hole.

This canyon, due to the erosion of the Dourdou on limestone plateaus, forms a steep vertiginous peak of around a hundred meters, part of a 400-meter horseshoe.

Legend has it that the devil dug this cliff to collapse a church.

Could it be true?

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Cruising the Lot On the downstream part of its course across the Aveyron, the Lot is navigable. It was also once a waterway widely used to bring goods from Aveyron to the cities of the southwest.

The barges were loaded with wood, ore, wool and leather. Today, an original idea to follow the route of Gabarriers on a calm portion of the river: the boat ride (and restaurant) starting from Flagnac.

Terra Olt And to be fully immersed in the life of the people in the Lot valley at the start of the past century, come and discover the fun visual space “Terra Olt” in Saint-Parthem.

A perfect mix of tradition or historic life and current technology.

Discover this new dedicated and renovated space by regional volunteers. A visit to be made with the family, for the delight of young and old...

Are you interested in geology?

Then don’t miss the visit of Terra Memoria in Bozouls!

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Estaing

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Espalion

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Boat cruise on the Lot

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Don du fel

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Terra Olt

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The Bozouls Hole

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Tourist office Saint-Geniez - Campagnac Tel.: +33 (0)5 65 70 43 42 www.st-geniez-dolt.com Tourist Office Espalion - Estaing Estaing Tel.: +33 (0)5 65 44 03 22 www.tourisme-estaing.fr Tourist Office Espalion - Estaing Espalion Tel.: +33 (0)5 65 44 10 63 www.tourisme-espalion.fr Tourist office - Bozouls Tel.: +33 (0)5 65 48 50 52 www.bozouls.com Tourist office Entraygues sur Truyère Tel.: +33 (0)5 65 44 56 10 www.tourisme-entraygues.com Tourist office Vallée du Lot (Flagnac) Tel.: +33 (0)5 65 63 27 96 www.tourisme-valleedulot.com Tourist office Capdenac-Gare Tel.: +33 (0)5 65 64 74 87 www.tourisme-figeac.com

More on the Lot Valley pages 52-53

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DESTINATION ROUERGUE AVEYRON GORGES

The Crafts of Sauveterre 5

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From gorges to 100 valleys Ségala is a rich mixed agricultural region (cattle, sheep, cereals) which extends over the entire western tip of the Aveyron. It is a plateau Highland grove cut by many small valleys (hence its nickname of the land of 100 valleys) and the Aveyron and Viaur gorges. An infinitely varied landscape, which includes Ségala, lower Lot Valley and the Bassin de Decazeville, the Gorges de l’Aveyron, the country Viaur, small Causses.

In terms of architecture, diversity is equally striking: small built heritage caselles and dovecotes, medieval walled towns, villages and large farms Ségala fluctuating between Slate and tile bear witness to the industrial past of the Decazeville basin...

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Ranked as one of France’s most beautiful villages, Sauveterre-de-Rouergue welcomes amid its own stones an artisan centre, thus perpetuating one of the bastide’s primary vocations. The workshops of all the established artisans, all manufacturers are open to the public all year to discover creations which are the fruit of talent, expertise and passion. The recently refurbished Espace Lapérouse, is an innovative complex which includes both workshops, exhibition areas, classrooms and even accommodation for trainees, for total immersion in the world of craftsmanship.

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In Ségala, from Rouergue to the Aveyron gorges The Rouergue bastides Aveyron has 5 bastides all situated in this area. Villefranche-De-Rouergue, Villeneuved’Aveyron, Najac, La Bastide-l’Evêque, Rieupeyroux, Sauveterre-de-Rouergue.

These are “new” towns or villages which were built in the Middle Ages according to a remarkable geometric plan to populate and enhance the new territories.

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Fertile land!

Ségala was once the poorest region of Aveyron. Only rye (seigle in French) could grow here, hence the name Ségala: earth rye, a cereal little appreciated. But in the 19th century, the arrival of the railway into the countryside, brought about change.

Lime was used to improve the soil could be transported and used extensively. Since then, thanks to this little historical contrast, Ségala became Aveyron’s richest agricultural region.

The “Bassin” Aubin and Decazeville, the only mining region, and the only real industrial region of Aveyron, is bringing to life a page that turned definitively in 2001 with several museums (the Aubin Mining museum, the Pierre Vetter Geology Museum, the Cransac Memory Museum) and the visit to the “discovery” site (an open-air coal exploration site).

A journey following the footsteps of minors. Gueules noires (miners), red votes, union tribunes, peasant workers... an exciting story to share.

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More information Tourist office Villefranche-de-Rouergue Tel.: +33 (0)5 65 45 13 18 www.villefranche.com Tourist office - Sauveterre-de-Rouergue Tel.: +33 (0)5 65 72 02 52 www.aveyron-segala-tourisme.com Tourist office - Najac Tel.: +33 (0)5 65 29 72 05 www.tourisme-najac.com Tourist office - Decazeville Tel.: +33 (0)5 65 43 18 36 www.decazeville-tourisme.com Tourist office - Cransac-les-Thermes Tel.: +33 (0)5 65 63 06 80 www.cransac-les-thermes.fr

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Belcastel

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Ségala River

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Ségala Landscape

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Leisure in Villefranchede-Rouergue 5 Crafts in Sauveterrede-Rouergue

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DESTINATION RODEZ THE AVEYRON VALLEY

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Laissac

An exceptional heritage

Lying upstream from Rodez, Laissac invites you to discover France’s second-largest livestock market. Every Tuesday morning at 8, you can see this unique place teeming with traditions. Tradesmen haggle, hands are clapped, deals are clinched... it’s the “patcha” as locals call it.

Not far from there is the Bourines estate, former property of the Aubrac Monastery that used to be one of the great powers of the area in olden days. The thirteenth century castle is surrounded by massive farm buildings that are still in use today (pigsties, cart sheds, watering places for sheep and cattle, a threshing floor, a fortified dungeon-attic, etc.). A unique fortified farm!

Rodez, a Grand Site of the Midi-Pyrénées, welcomes you to visit and discover its outstanding heritage.

Amidst widely diverse natural regions, the area of Rodez was occupied by man at a very early stage. It enjoys an extraordinary heritage and has been awarded the label of “Pays d’art et d’histoire”.

The cathedral and its steeple, a masterpiece of late-Gothic architecture, dominate the surrounding landscapes. The first thing that strikes one about the town nestling around it is the colours: pink sandstone and the vibrant black of slate roofs. The individual mansions and houses of Rodez, rebuilt after the Hundred Years War, can be discovered from one square to the next, while some courtyards hide little gems of Renaissance architecture. But the town has also kept up with the times, offering a remarkable vista of contemporary architecture.

Heritage and modernism cross here without borders.

A pedestrian path from the Soulages museum leads to the discovery of the historic centre, the town houses, the Fenaille museum and its collection of menhir-statues, unique in Europe, and the Denys-Puech museum dedicated to the sculptor’s talent.

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A town inspired by nature

2015 event:

The Tour de France crosses the Aveyron in 2015 Rodez leg city in pages 58-59

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and the Aveyron valley

More information about Soulages Museum in pages 8-9

Food and celebrity chefs

Rodez

Lying in the heart of the Aveyron region, Rodez is both a work of art and a force: that of a cathedral arising from the mists of centuries where art, history and vital force blend.

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Activities for the whole family

Sévérac-le-Château

Its culinary tradition forms part of Aveyron’s genetic heritage.

Rodez is no exception and showcases its cuisine in a wide choice of elegant, traditional, or gourmet restaurants. Its host of markets are lively hubs in the historical centre.

Star chef Jean-luc Fau concocts his refined, authentic cuisine like a painter. At the Soulages museum, Michel and Sébastien Bras have initiated a new kind of restaurant where creativity, sensations and discovery serve as inspiration.

The old chateau, perched upon a promontory, commands the entrance to the Aveyron Valley, a few kilometres from the source.

Sévérac is a land of transition between the Aveyron valley, the Regional Natural Park of the great causses and the Tarn gorges which mark the entrances. This summer come and relive the 2000 years of history of the city in the sounds and light show to the rhythm of the Jean le Fol medieval show.

A horse-riding and leisure centre, an eighteen-hole golf course, a water-sports and -games facility, preserved nature areas, and hiking trails offer a variety of pleasures that will delight the whole family.

More information

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Rodez cathedral clock tower

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Historic centre

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Golf

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Statue Menhir

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Domaine de Combelles

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Aquavallon

Tourist office - Grand Rodez Tel.: +33 (0)5 65 75 76 77 www.tourisme.grand-rodez.com Tourist office - Laissagais Tel.: +33 (0)5 65 70 71 30 www.laissac-tourisme.com Tourist office Sévérac-le-Château Tel.: +33 (0)5 65 47 67 31 www.tourisme-severaclechateau.com

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IN MICROPOLIS, THE CITY OF INSECTS, DISCOVER NATURE WHILE HAVING FUN!

DESTINATION LEVEZOU MOUNTAINS AND LAKES 1

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The Lévézou...

Working alongside working ants, lazing around with butterflies, strolling through the vivarium rooms on the lookout for various types of tropical insects, building a web with spiders or even trying to seduce mantises.

This rich and varied programme is offered in the heart of Lévézou in Saint-Léons.

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Pareloup, the seaside in the country

... mountains and lakes The Lévézou is a vast plateau which covers the centre of Aveyron, between the Tarn and Aveyron gorges at an average of 900 metres altitude.

A harsh winter climate that is conducive to predator fishing while the summer weather favours aquatic activities due to the number of lakes.

A vast preserved space, which extends out of sight, alternating forests, pastures, hedgerows and small valleys with clear flowing waters.

In this rural landscape which is like a snapshot of rural Aveyron where the lakes of Lévézou come to nest.

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Les genêts, doucement balancés par la brise, Sur les vastes plateaux font une houle d’or ;

Tourist office Pareloup-Lévézou Tel.: +33 (0)5 65 46 89 90 www.levezou-aveyron.com

Et, tandis que le pâtre à leur ombre s’endort, Son troupeau va broutant cette fleur qui le grise ;

A cruise on lake Pareloup

(...)

For the time of a boat trip on its quiet waters, le Papillon Jaune will help you discover the secrets of the Lake of Pareloup.

A different way to explore the immensity and beauty of that environment.

Cette fleur toute d’or, de lumière et de soie, En papillons posée au bout des brins menus, Et dont les lourds parfums semblent être venus De la plage lointaine où le soleil se noie...

(François Fabié* - Les Genêts) 5

* French poet born in Durenque in the heart of Lévézou in 1846.

Roots that deeply characterise his works.

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More information

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Camping on the banks of the Pont-de-Salars Lake

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Nautical activities

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Lévézou mountains

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Pareloup Lake

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Cruise boat on lake Pareloup

www.micropolis-aveyron.com

The Pareloup lake is among the top largest 10 reservoirs in France (the second in the south).

1290 hectares, 130 km of shoreline... this giant, created in the 50s by EDF, is so well integrated into the landscape you would think it had been there forever. It is used a great deal for relaxation and water sports in all its forms (rowing, sailing, jet skiing, water skiing etc.).

Fishermen themselves, enjoy Lake Pareloup, but also other lakes of Lévézou for their diversity and wild coves. Magical places where they try to catch record-breaking pike (in 2013 a pike of 1.32 m long and weighing 18 kg!!) and carp.

The world of the infinitely small within everyone’s reach Micropolis invites you to immerse yourself in the fascinating world of insects and biodiversity.

You will discover the “Who’s who” of insects in 15 exhibition rooms, their relation with mankind, with plants... you will also be able to observe more than 70 living species in their intimacy in the butterfly room, the giant ant hill, the vivarium room, the pond... and investigate with the notebook of the little entomologist distributed free of charge to our young visitors.

Adventure is everywhere at Micropolis: in the 3D cinema, on the giant interactive wall, outdoors with the insects carnival, a poetic and humorous route... you will also discover in July and August, the birth house of Jean-Henri Fabre, the famous entomologist born in Saint-Leons, and all the unusual objects it houses... to discover the insects even more close by, opt for a guided tour and the family animations by joining, after booking, a small group accompanied by a guide.

Sensations and conviviality guaranteed.

MICROPOLIS CELEBRATES ITS 15TH ANNIVERSARY IN 2015!

An exceptional programme awaits you throughout the year. The site opens on 7 February with the festival of the little animals, free creative workshops with Professor Poupon and his creepy crawlies factory.

Launch of a brand new interactive exhibition on 11 April: “the fantastic world of Jean-Henri Fabre” and in July and August, the famous ‘minuscules’ will be the summer stars in insect city.

Very beautiful surprises await everyone to celebrate that nice birthday throughout the season!

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DESTINATION MILLAU GORGES AND TARN VALLEY

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The Tarn Valley and Raspes: preserved nature and hiking to heart’s content!

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What if it were possible to live stronger, faster, higher?

This is possible here, between Millau and the Tarn gorges. Imagine.

Above your heads tower tremnendous cliffs, crowned by great Causses. The even higher in the sky are the sails of paragliders and the flight of the vultures. At your feet, the waters of the Tarn full of kayakers.

A craving for space?

Just steps from the city, you can tackle France’s most fabulous playgrounds.

By foot, bicycle, while in the air, on the cliffs.

A tightrope walking act for a town which is probably the most sporty in France, hosts major sporting events in very in-trend extreme sports and knows, despite all, how to retain the charm and authenticity of a very long history.

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The town of leather and gloves For more than 10 centuries, the skin of animals raised on the plateau converge towards Millau to be transformed into leather and then into gloves.

This ancestral expertise has withstood time and is appreciated by the great designers.

This essential part of history of this area is also preserved in the Millau Museum and is appreciated on a daily basis by some fifteen workshops grouped together in a leather collective. > See page 44

Millau

the Tarn Valley and gorges Important landscapes Three causses: the Larzac, the Méjean and the Sauveterre deeply cut by the gorges of the Tarn and the Dourbie portray a real western setting. Immense steppes, windswept, the chaos of the rocks, canyons... The flora of these large areas uprooted from the forest over three millennia of pastroralism is remarkable, as is its infrastructure.a

The Grands Causses regional natural park (Parc naturel régional des Grands Causses) The Grand Causses Regional National Park was created in 1995.

It extends over 97 municipalities and includes 66,000 inhabitants. With more than 327 000 hectares, it is one of the biggest parks in France, a group created to protect and enhance a large rural area inhabited, its traditions, its culture, its vitality... not to create a sanctuary. From the Causses to the the meadows of Lévézou, from the Rougiers to the foothills of the Cevennes and the Aubrac, the heart of the Grands Causses regional natural park beats to the rhythm of the dairy sheep’s route and the men who lead them.

Continuing along the gorges, between Millau and Albi, come and discover the Tarn Valley through the Raspes. The valley remained wild for a long time, and is home to exceptional flora and fauna.

Its landscapes form a perfect backdrop for small villages perched up high with breathtaking views, interspersed with dolmens and menhir statues. Take a hike on foot or bike... we’ll take care of everything, so you can just enjoy!

The Graufesenque In the Gallo-Roman era, Millau (then named Condatomagus) was a very important production centre for sigillata poterry (decorated with stamps), which were exported thoroughout the whole Gallo-Roman empire.

It is one of the most ancient examples of “industrial” activities known to man.

Excavations have uncovered the remains of the pottery workshops and many styles of pottery found in the site and in the Millau Museum.

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Camping on the banks of the Tarn

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The Tarn Gorges

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The Millau Viaduct

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The Lerouge Bridge in Millau

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The Tarn Valley and Raspes

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Graufesenque Pottery

More information Tourist office Millau Grands Causses Tel.: +33 (0)5 65 60 02 42 www.millau-viaduc-tourisme.fr Tourist information point Vallée et Gorges du Tarn Tel.: +33 (0)5 65 59 74 28 www.millau-viaduc-tourisme.fr

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DESTINATION ROQUEFORT COUNTRY LARZAC

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A country of legends...

A great and beautiful tradition built this country and guides men towards their future.

Here, for many centuries, the famous Roquefort cheese was produced and slowly matured in the village’s natural cellars.

So for how long exactly? This is a difficult question as human life is closely linked to bovine rearing from the earliest ages.

Absolute certainty, which serve as proof to the UNESCO world heritage: for 3000 years, together men and sheep roam these lands that they have slowly wrested from the forests, built, meshed with paths, farms and villages. See herds of sheep trail across the Larzac plateau as far as the eye can see. This story, that of the Templars Hospitallers, the great religious orders and local lordships was built around these first founding elements which are just as alive today.

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Larzac Causse

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Roquefort Cellars

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Sylvanès Abbey

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Cardabelle

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Camarès Rougier

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Herd of Lacaune sheep

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Cabanière

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More information Tourist office Pays de Roquefort Tel.: +33 (0)5 65 58 56 00 www.roquefort.com www.millau-viaduc-tourisme.fr Tourist office Larzac Templier Causses et Vallées Tel.: +33 (0)5 65 62 23 64 www.tourisme-larzac.com Tourist office Rougier de Camarès Tel.: +33 (0)5 65 49 53 76 www.ot-camares.com

Roquefort country and le Larzac

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A little geography Roquefort country stretches from Larzac to the Monts de Lacaune in the south, passing by the Rougier de Camarès and the Raspes of the Tarn valley, on the downstream part of the Aveyron crossing, towards which converge beautiful rivers: Sorgues, Dourdou, Rance...

After the Larzac, the altitude reduces.

The climate is loaded with Mediterranean accents, landscape and buildings.

The Midi is not far away.

Roquefort, a miracle of nature A million years ago in the Jurassic period, seismic activity and the alternation between glaciations and thaw fractured and collapsed the corniche on the Combalou plateau.

This geological accident gave birth to the “fleurines”, natural chimneys in the heart of the rock which ventillate the cavities of the basement while maintaining a constant temperature and humidity. This was the setting for an extraordinary adventure. Today, almost a thousand people work on refining the famous Roquefort cheese. This is a tradition which dates back over one thousand years whose secrets are safely guarded in the deepest of Combalou’s natural caves.

Behind Roquefort cheese lays a whole series of skills and trades: from producing the milk to selling the cheese, not to mention transporting the milk, repeatedly analysing it throughout the manufacturing process, the different stages of dairy processing, the slow maturing of the cheese in cellars, and all the different handling stages before it gets shipped. Roquefort is the result of cooperation, an interweaving of minutely worked-out procedures and techniques, transmitted and honed over centuries.

The offspring of Man and nature that has been tamed, it hides in the depths of its cavities the imprint of a people on its environment.

Sylvanès Abbey In an exceptional natural and patrimonial setting, ancient Sylvanès Abbey is the mecca for culture, art and spirituality of this territory. It should be discovered as much for its architecture, as for its holy music festival and the serenity which emanates from the site. . > See page 41

Templar and Hospitaller sites pages 38-39

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culture, heritage & savoir-faire

Averyron’s most beautiful villages With ten places listed as the “Most beauiful villages in France”, Aveyron is the highest ranking French department. These are the places which have managed to stay away from the ravages of time while still agreeing to modernise and welcome visitors.

These are exceptional villages which possess a unique heritage whose inhabitants have dedicated themselves to safeguarding it.

Belcastel, Brousse-le-Château, Conques, Estaing, La Couvertoirade, Najac, Peyre, Saint-Côme-d’Olt, Sainte-Eulalie-d’Olt and Sauveterre-de Rouergue will lead you off the beaten track and will tell you Aveyron’s rich stories: stories about the building orders, the lords and the great abbeys; the modest stories of the pilgrims, shepherds and peasants which have paced this landscape and shaped their hands.

More information www.plusbeauxvillagesdefrance-aveyron.com www.tourisme-aveyron.com (“Discover” section)

Belcastel, the Aveyron Valley.

A place selected for the emotions of the soul.

Brousse-le-Château, Raspes du Tarn.

At the confluence of two rivers.

Freeze frame

Conques, chemin de Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle.

The treasure and light of Romanesque art.

Estaing, the Lot Valley.

A medieval city at the gates of the Renaissance.

La Couvertoirade, Larzac.

The Templar and Hospitaller Story.

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Najac, the Aveyron Valley.

A village perched upon a haven of greenery

Peyre, the Tarn gorges.

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Conques

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Brousse-le-Château

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Belcastel

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Saint-Côme

Architecture througout the centuries.

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La Couvertoirade

Sainte-Eulalie-d’Olt, the Lot Valley.

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Peyre

The cliff-face village.

Saint-Côme-d’Olt, the Lot Valley.

Land of traditions.

Sauveterre-de-Rouergue, Ségala plateau.

Bastide of arts and crafts.

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Villeneuve-d’Aveyron The bastide was built at the beginning of the 13th century on a Roman sauveté based around a Benedictine monastery. Villeneuve was, respectively, a sauveté, a comtal bastide and then a royal bastide at the end of the 13th century.

The new towns... of the Middle Ages

Najac

Villefranchede-Rouergue

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Aveyron has 6 of the 300 bastides - or new towns - built in the southwest between 1229 and 1373. A real urban revolution in stark contrast with the maze of narrow alleys nestled between the previously known fortifications. Straight streets, blocks of houses, villages perfectly organised around a central plaza, the evidence of 150 years of prosperity comes in the form of this remarkable area in the west of Aveyron.

culture, heritage & savoir-faire

Villefranche was founded in 1252 by Alphonse de Poitiers, the Count of Toulouse and brother of King Saint Louis.

It has a typical bastide layout: very regular, with streets intersecting at right angles, converging towards the central square edged with arcades and dominated by the church of Notre-Dame (fifteenth century).

From the primtive castral village dominated by an imposing fortress, the village stretches along a single road in the middle of the 13th century in the form of a new neighbourhood.

It is distinguished by the widening of the road which became a large square.

La Bastide-l’Évêque Founded in 1280 by the bishop of Rodez, Raymond de Calmont to compete with Villefranche, the bastide stretches out over a granite plateau which dominates the Aveyron gorges. Its location away from the main roads explains the modesty of its plan, and its centre is occupied by a market square and a church from the 14th and 15th centuries.

Rieupeyroux The former Benedictine sauveté from the 11th century extends across the hillside in an orthogonal plan dominated by the Modulance Chapel.

The heritage of the village blends the civilian traces of the Middle Ages and modern times (arcades on la place du Gitat, timbered houses, fountains).

Saint-Martial church, rebuilt in the 14th century is a remarkable example of the fortified architecture of southern France.

Sauveterrede-Rouergue

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Ranked among the ”Most beautiful villages of France” Sauveterre-de-Rouergue is a magnificent royal thirteenth century bastide, built around an arcaded square and surrounded by beautiful half-timbered houses and opulent mansions from the late Middle Ages.

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Bastides discovery

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Villefranche-de-Rouergue

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Najac

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Sauveterre-de-Rouergue

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Rieupeyroux

More information www.tourisme-aveyron.com “Discover” section

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culture, heritage & savoir-faire

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The mystery of the Templars and Hospitallers

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To discover

Monk-soldiers, poor, chaste and faithful people, the Knights Templar still raise questions today and stirs the dreams of young and old.

The sword and the cross, the power of an order that’s both religious and military, the crusades in the Holy Land and the mists of impregnable fortresses.

Among the best preserved testimonies, in the west, of this exciting story, five fortified sites are found in Aveyron in the majestic areas of the Larzac and its foothills.

At the foot of these almost thousand-year-old hills, it seems that the story has never even stopped. Close your eyes, listen.

Can’t you hear the jingling of the weapons and the voice of the men shouting to give each other courage?

Sainte-Eulaliede-Cernon

5 fortified sites: 5 strong personalities!

La Couvertoirade

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La Couvertoirade invites you to a journey in time. The medieval village will appear like a mirage at the very centre of the causse...

How surprising to discover its 15th century ramparts that proudly stand, and inside, in a maze of alleys, its traditional houses, its oven, its church, its castle and all the installations linked to the collection of the precious water on the causse: roof tanks, calades, lavogne...

The southern charm of the village square, with its 17th century fountain, gives SainteEulalie a Provence look... But the bricks of the Commandery will transport you far beyond the Provence... The history engraved in the “maison mere” of the Larzac will take you to the Orient via the Mediterranean. The visit of the commandery will bring you lots of surprises...

La Cavalerie Created by the Templars, located on a crossroads, La Cavalerie was very coveted throughout history...

In the 15th century, it suffered the repeated assaults of highwaymen companies, and later was the backdrop to violent conflict during the religious wars...

The ramparts of La Cavalerie still show the testimonials of that eventful history.

Viala-du-Pas-de-Jaux

Saint-Jean-d’Alcas

Here, no ramparts, but a huge tower that serves as a shelter for the population and the flocks and safe storage for the harvest in case of attack. It measures some 30 metres in height!

At the top, from its terrace bordered with machicolation, you will discover the landscapes of Larzac.

That village is undoubtedly the most feminine of the five sites.

The construction of that fort with harmonious proportions was commissioned by the Cistercian abbess... A place where calm and harmony reign from now on but that hides testimonials of a turbulent history, made of pacts and even “tricks” sometimes...

More information Conservatoire Larzac Templier et Hospitalier Tel: +33 (0)5 65 59 12 22 www.conservatoire-larzac.fr

More information www.tourisme-aveyron.com “Discover” section 1

Sainte-Eulalie-de-Cernon

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La Couvertoirade

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Viala-du-Pas-de-Jaux

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For more than 15 years, the Larzac Templier et Hospitalier conservatory, created on the initiative of the Conseil Général de l’Aveyron, has been active in the preservation and valorisation of this exceptional heritage. Large restoration, historical research and valorisation work has been carried out. There are several discovery packages, adapted to everyone’s taste: - for history fans: “privilege” visits and publications; - for heritage enthusiasts: guided and audio guided tours in five languages; - for walkers: a topographic guide (“tour du Larzac Templier et Hospitalier”) and hiking sheets as well as a convivial rendez-vous to celebrate the return of spring: the march of the commander; - for the youngest: comics, surprises and workshops...

- for schools: a surprising discovery programme to offer the students an unforgettable encounter with history, the heritage, but also their classmates and themselves...

- for all: “les estivales du Larzac” : historical reconstructions to relive the big moments of medieval times with their emotions, festivals and fury, by being spectator and player in turn!

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culture, heritage & savoir-faire

CONQUES, WHERE MYTH MEETS MAN

Whether you reach it by foot along the dusty road to Santiago de Compostela, or by the more practical means of car transport, the approach to Conques is always exciting. Is it the will of the site, the survival of a faith that has led millions of men on the roads for several centuries?

Is it the desire to see this jewel of Romanesque art and its jewellery treasures? Is it the lights of the master of outrenoir or fear of judgment?

Conques is magical and inspired more than anywhere else in Aveyron; the spirit of the place lives here.

Faith, engineering, hopes and fears of men.

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Hidden away in the south of Rouergue, where the Larzac ends, the Sylvanès Cistercian Abbey is a place of serenity and harmony. Under the high nave which looks back over centuries, even sounds become magical. Here, music is sacred.

The cult of Sainte-Foy: Conques acquires its notoriety from the 9th century with the cult of the relics of Sainte-Foy. A monk of Conques manages to remove the remains of the martyr (a theft euphemistically called “translation” at the time).

A commendable initiative it seems, as numerous miracles soon occurred and thus established the abbey’s notoriety.

The pilgrimage of Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle, of which Conques was an essential stage, contributed to developing the cult - until then restricted to Rouergue - throughout Christianity. That major role in the history of our religion and the exceptional quality of the architecture that bears witness to it, earned Conques a place in the world human heritage.

Started in 1151, the construction of the Abbey will spread over more than hundred years.

The abbey will experience its heyday for a century and a half , expanding its domain and influence a bit more every day, before knowing a certain decadence and the outrages of the Revolution. Listed historical monument in 1854, acquired by the municipality of Sylvanes in 1970, it has known an exceptional revival since.

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The treasure

The Tympanum

Composed of shrines, first and foremost the extremely famous majesty of Sainte-Foy, the Trésor de Conques is one of the five big treasures of medieval jewellery making, and the only in France that unites so many objects of the high Middle Ages. The word “Treasure” not only evokes the material and artistic wealth of the gold and silver plated coatings, decorated with watermarks, antique engraved stones, cut stones, pearls or enamels. It mainly represents the religious importance allocated to the content, those precious holy bodies, those richly decorated wooden boxes.

In the western portal of the Abbey church, a deep cove in the arch houses the Tympanum of the Last judgement, one of the major works of Romanesque sculpture of the first half of the 12th century, by its artistic qualities and originality and its dimensions.

6.70 m wide by 3.60 m high, it presents hundred twenty-four figures in a remarkably preserved condition.

The artist has captured in stone the dramatic moment when Christ said those words: “(...) Come, O blessed of my Father, possess the kingdom prepared for you. Then he will say to those who will be on the left hand: away from me, the cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil... And they will go, to eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life”.

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Sylvanès, the enchanted abbey

The stained glass windows

by Pierres Soulages Since 1994, Conques Abbey has been endowed with glass windows designed by Pierre Soulages.

The material used - a colourless, transluscent glass which respects but adapts the changes in natural light suggests in the inside as well as the outside of the building, a rather excpetional surface continuity between the walls and windows. In this way, the layout of the bars in the windows and the lead are involved in the plastic organisation of a work that is among one of the most original achievements of comtemporary art.

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The Majesty of Sainte-Foy

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The Tympanum of the Abbey

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Pierre Soulage’s stained glass windows

More information Tourist office - Conques-Marcillac Tel.: +33 (0)5 65 72 85 00 www.tourisme-conques.fr

Unique acoustics

Festivals / Conques and Sylvanès

The 12th century church abbey has a typically Cistercian flat chevet.

Its surprising dimensions provide outstanding acoustics which are suitable for singing. The width / height of the nave, near the square, gives a relatively low and slower echo without any disturbance from pillars. This was all that was required to give birth to a long musical history.

“Conques, la lumière du roman” This summer programme presenting famous music and vocal groups unites medieval music with contemporary sounds within the prestigious setting of the Romanesque abbey.

International Holy Music Festival - World music - in Sylvanès

More information Abbaye de Sylvanès Tel.: +33 (0)5 65 98 20 20 www.sylvanes.com

Every summer , the voices of the great sacred traditions in the world rise in Sylvanes, through music, song, poetry and dance.

In that big event at an international scale, the Abbey confirms its intention to increasingly promote the meeting of cultures, religions and men every year.

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culture, heritage & savoir-faire

There is

MUSEUMS

Aveyron has around eighty museums representing a wide cultural diversity.

Painting, archaeology, history, traditions, techniques... There will always be a subject that will appeal to you. In Aveyron relive ancestral traditions during a trip to the Musée des Arts et Traditions Populaires; follow the artistic journey of Pierre Soulage’s signature contemporary art, then contemplate the ancient statues-menhirs in the Fenaille Museum, without forgetting, in the heart of the Lévézou, the exciting discovery of the world of the infinitely small at Micropolis.

Brighten up a rainy day in Aveyron by going from surprise to surprise and visiting the Diving suit museum, and then the skin and glove museums, the Aubrac cow museum... and everything that you can imagine (or almost).

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Fenaille Museum

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Château of Najac

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Château of Estaing

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Toulouse-Lautrec as a child

More information Chateau / Museum www.tourisme-aveyron.com “Visit” section

Route of the Lords of Rouergue 21 castles have signed a charter to assure the reliability of the schedule, the quality of the reception and the wealth of information.

They open their doors to you. www.seigneurs-du-rouergue.fr

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CHATEAUS

a museum for everyone...

Here in Aveyron, the chateaus tell a story in a mosaic of buildings representing all periods and all types of architecture.

Aveyron has seen the birth of small lordships which have erected their fiefdom. The infrastructure is often made up of towers or fortified farms, changed over the centuries, destroyed during wars only to be rebuilt even better. This past shows, in all its simplicity, the long history of the department.

Later, in the 19th century, these chateaus makrked the prosperity of the aristocracy and the bourgeoisie, constituting real ceremonial houses in the fields.

The most well-known is that of Bosc, where Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec spent his childhood and began his inimitable art of drawing.

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

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The man who would go espace: on to becoming one of France’s great painters was born in Albi in 1864. In his family home, the Bosc chateau, situated in Camjac, he drew his first source of inspiration by spotlighting horses and portraits of agricultural workers. In 1897, a second incident rendered him crippled.

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec will not follow the path of children of great families. He became a painter. The rest is immensely famous: cabarets, Montmartre, alcohol... and fanstastic work.

In the Bosc chateau, you can discover his room with memories of Lautrec as a child, with the artist’s sketches, including one on the wall of the orangery.

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Gloves, cutlery... these activities are age-old, but they never run out of steam. They are the result of a passion for a well-made job passed down through generations of men and women.

Repeated a thousand times, the genius and creativity continues to express itself through even better, even more attractive products.

Once shunned, considered as outdated by a public eager for efficiency, speed and standard tastes, this expertise has come back into fashion; so much the better for elegance aficionados!

A heritage

of savoir-faire 1

Tanneries and glove trade Once the undisputed capital of leather, Millau has stood the test of time and now focuses on high-end products.

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Knife making Laguiole knives, of course!

Famous throughout the world, this is the one and only place where they come from.

This peasant’s knife first saw the light in Laguiole in 1828, and has been passed on from one generation to the next ever since.

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An array of leather gloves

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Glovemaking workshop

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Shepherd’s bag

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Laguiole knife

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Raujolles terracotta 4

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Armed with the knowledge handed down from pervious generations, the leather industry continues to conquer national and international markets, gaining visibility and thus allowing a further evolutions in its products and securing the prime position of Millau’s tanneries.

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Laguiole knife-making is a living, vibrant industry, as one can see from the workshops in the town of the same name. A passion for skilful work, tradition and modernity are the keywords for these knife makers who will welcome you and show you their craftsmanship. Some of the workshops can be visit all year round, giving you the chance to discover the numerous stages in the manufacturing of this famous knife. Do not miss this encounter with one of the Aveyron’s most typical, legendary products!

Raujolles terracotta Right next to the ancient Romanesque ceramic production site of la Graufesenque (Millau), Raujolles terracotta is perpetuating tradition.

The old brick home, created in 1830, has evolved while perpetuating this unique know-how.

Their handmade floor tiles are used in France, especially for major historical monuments such as the Chateau of Versailles, and also abroad (Singapore, Jordan, Kuweit, Japan etc.). www.terres-cuitesraujolles.fr

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More information www.tourisme-aveyron.com “Visit” section

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culture, heritage & savoir-faire 3

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Party

time

Summer is celebrated widely in Aveyron.

Every village or town holds a festival for a weekend or a week. People gather, laugh, drink, eat.

The countryside festivals from long ago marked the end of the summer’s main agricultural activities.

Today, they have managed to control their authenticity, their friendliness and their warmth while opening up to sounds other than the bagpipes! There’s something for everyone of every age and every taste during the Aveyron summer time: rock, medieval shows, sound and light, folklore, Occitanism, jazz... and all themes (wine, melon, stuffed chicken festivals etc.).

Estivada

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Festival en Bastides

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Fers et lames

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Fête de l’Estive - Transhumance

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Médiévales d’Estaing

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Hier un village

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Fers et lames Estivada This international festival of Occitan culture takes place in Rodez. Every year, big names feature at Estivada (Zebda, Massilia Sound System) warmly supported by an audience eager to embrace Occitane culture. Different stages for theatre, cinema, literature and music invite spectators of all generations to share a moment of conviviality. In Averyron, Occitanism is alive and proud to show it!

Festival en Bastides For 6 days, the “Arts de la Rue” (street arts) festival besieges the medieval bastides of western Aveyron with theatre, dance, circus, singing...

100 % anticonformist! 100 % intergenerational!

Every year, on the first weekend of September, knife makers, blacksmiths and farriers meet in Sauclières, for the fair “Fers et Lames”. This smithery and knife making trade fair unveils the ancestral know-how and traditions of the department.

Hier un village... a giant living mural in Flagnac

Fête de l’estive et de la transhumance

Hier un village

The festival of the seasonal move to the summer pastures, an age-old tradition, certainly deserves its own festival!

On the last weekend of May, the herds are taken to their summer pastures on the Aubrac.

The Aubrac cows are decked out for the occasion, with brass bells, flowers, holly and cowbells. All along the way, the centuries-old rustic procession is greeted with festivities. In Aubrac, Saint-Chély, Saint-Côme, Saint-Geniez, Espalion... a sight worth seeing.

Every summer, the village of Flagnac becomes a theatre, a giant living fresco of music, lights and activity.

The villagers, the event’s designers, dress up and bring to life their grandparents’ past.

Find Jeannou, the Rougerat peasant and the grandmother, Marinou. Sensitive, intimate, touching.

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Les Médiévales d’Estaing All the festivals and events on www.tourisme-aveyron.com “Events” section

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For one weekend the village of Estaing is transformed and jumps back into medieval times during the “Médiévales”.

Troubadours, knights and villagers await your for numerous animations. Immerse yourself in the life of a medieval village in the second weekend of September.

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Buy a topoguide® guidebook and find out more about hiking FFRandonnée Comité Départemental de l’Aveyron Tel.: +33 (0)5 65 75 54 61 aveyron.ffrandonnee.fr

leisure & activities

Active?

Did you say active?

Are you the type to have ants in your pants? As a family or alone, you can’t sit still. You need to travel miles on foot, horseback, bicycle, boat, trudge over rocks, down the rapids, challenge the vacuum or simply discover, watch.

You’ve made the right choice; Aveyron is made for you, made for all levels!

It will surprise you with its infinitely varied playground featuring a whole host of spots for different disciplines against the backdrop of the beautiful landscape of preserved nature.

Take the time to experience it: you’re in Aveyron!

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Let’s walk in the woods (and beyond) 5000 km of marked trails (for long or short hikes): a dream for hikers in all its forms.

Short hike paths and trails are an ideal initiation for families while major routes fully satisfy the most seasoned. Through Causses, Aubrac, the woods and valleys, there is something for everyone, for all tastes, for all characters.

hiking

Des circuits téléchargeables sur www.tourisme-aveyron.com “Circuits” section

BY FOOT

BICYCLE

MOUNTAIN BIKE

ON HORSEBACK

The GR®65 (the famous road to Santiago de Compostela), the GR®71 (Larzac Tour, Templar circuit), the GR®62 (Causse noir Lévézou - Rouergue), the GR® Conques-Toulouse (other road to Santiago de Compostela) and the GR®36 (tour of Aveyron gorges) are the major routes which allow you to walk for several days amid stunning countryside and omnipresent historical evidence.

An excellent way to blend exercise with cultural education.

Small roads with little traffic, a brave altitude, shade and freshness: all the ingredients are there to make Aveyron a paradise for cyclists, like this Aveyron tour which links up the 10 most beautiful villages in 7 stages and combines sport with the exploration of the region’s heritage.

It is a sequence of varied landscapes that awaits you, where numerous cycletourism fans ride throughout the year.

Mountain bikers are not to be left out. Family itineraries, hardcore routes or crazy downhill trails for free-ride enthusiasts.

There is something for everyone, all you need to do is choose your favourite playground. Pretty, good, rolling, backbreaking, crazy. Mountainbiking in Aveyron is great!

The salt route (Aigues Mortes - Salmiech) has made horseback riding in Aveyron famous. For the 2015 edition, the north Aveyron, the gorges de la Truyère, the Aubrac plateau, the Lot valley and the Causses will be honoured.

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At the top

the stones

Four beautiful rivers (the Aveyron, the Tarn, the Lot and the Dourbie) are suitable for canoeing and kayaking (in summer, winter is for the heavyweights of the sport!).

Clear waters and fresh, beautiful landscapes of gorges, mills and villages along the water... not to mention the excitement of gliding and adrenaline rushes.

Laughter, joy and dips guaranteed!

With its exceptional ascendants, Millau, at the confluence of the Tarn and Dourbie, is a great place for free flight. When the conditions are ideal, dozens of hang-gliders and suspended wings in the air can be seen high up among the vultures in the silence. The best performers are able to reach the sea, around 150k away.

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(and under)

Sur l’eau

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Aveyron - especially the grands Causses - is the birthplace of caving, and will celebrate its 50 years in the federation this year.

On the cliffs and the “blocks” that dot the Causse, modern-day climbers have found a form of playground to fulfil their dreams. The major areas are concentrated in southern Averyron and its extraordinary dolomitic limestone (Tarn gorges, Dourbie etc.) but the lesser-known sites, sometimes adapted for beginners are scattered throughout the territory (Salles-la-Source, Gages, Truyère gorges etc.).

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Bathing in the Tarn Gorges

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Kayak canoe

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Climbing

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Via ferrata

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Paragliding

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Outdoor activities for every taste on www.tourisme-aveyron.com “Play” section Share your experiences on the blog bouger.blog.tourisme-aveyron.com

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Fishing, paradise destination

leisure & activities

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Day’s catch from the blog...

“The Lot, a river that throws you a line!“ 4

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A major fishing department

Take some clean, fresh and perfectly oxygenated waters. Add some deep, water bodies, a handful of powerful rivers, boraldes which flow from the Aubrac and streams which meander through the meadows.

Sprinkle in some little environmentally friendly agriculture and low human impact... and you get a fishing paradise. Yes, it exists, and it’s right here in Aveyron!

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Brown trout

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Zander

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Pike

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Carp

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River fishing

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Barbel

With 7000 km of first category rivers and 38 public lakes, Aveyron has a lot to enthuse fishing lovers of every level in every season.

The main rivers of the Tarn, the Lot, the Aveyron and the major reservoirs are the domains of predators (pike, perch) and very large carp.

Record to beat: 1.37 m and 19.6 kg for a pike!

The brown trout is present both on the Aubrac in the small valleys of Segala, the Lévézou mountains and lakes or the clear rivers rising from the Causses.

“5 in the morning, to the Lot river for a beautiful morning of fishing on the water reservoir of Livinhac-le-Haut. Clément, the excursion guide, explains that despite this excellent angling place, the night’s full moon has certainly been to our disadvantage.

Indeed, in those light conditions, the fish exceptionally feed during the night.

It is 6.15 am, the session starts. For 1.30 hour we test all possible bait when suddenly my rod bends and my spinnerbait is taken. After a few minutes of combat, I lift a magnificent bass of some 50 cm and 1.4 kg out of the water.

Great! After taking a picture, the fish is quickly returned to the water. 10 minutes before the end, Clement sees a pretty pike around his bait but it doesn’t seem hungry enough to bite.

A shame... Clement’s theory was true.

Fishing on a morning of full moon is probably not the best time, although nice surprises can happen. The morning was a real breath of fresh air in a quiet, sunny and green woody environment.“ ÉRIC

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Get yourself a fishing card Fédération de pêche de l’Aveyron - Rodez Tel.: +33 (0)5 65 68 41 52 www.pecheaveyron.com

More information www.tourisme-aveyron.com “Play” and “Circuits” sections

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loisirs & activités

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Fun-ebike

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Vélorail

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Randonnée à dos de dromadaires

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Treehut (château de Labro)

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Fun-ebike A perfect balance between respect for the environment and mechanical sensations, these ”motorcyclemountainbike” hybrids will show you the Aveyron region and its heritage on hilly tracks.

Fun, without noise pollution and accessible to all, go on an ecological excursion with 100 % fun guaranteed. www.fun-ebike.com

AVEYRON WITH A DIFFERENCE

Imagine a white world, the silence of a plateau sleeping for the winter.

Frost crunches under your feet.

You are alone, you are free.

The snow has replaced the leaves in a heavy coat of light. Some granite blocks form a black mark. It is a bothy.

Soon, life will resume, but for now enjoy the present moment and the winter that awaits us.

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THE GREAT WHITE

Winters are harsh on the Aubrac plateau, between 1200 and 1400 metres high.

The farms and villages are shut away behind their thick walls, but outside the snow shines, let’s enjoy it. With its gentle terrain, Aubrac welcomes skiers on a large Nordic area linking the main villages.

The tracks alternate between beautiful beech woods and the open spaces of the plateau, in a very “Canadian” ambiance.

Two human scale family resorts Laguiole and Brameloup, offer an alpine ski area suitable for your first steps on the boards.

Spaces dedicated to learning, wide slopes, all is in place to get initiated into the pleasure of gliding. And for skiers looking for more sensations, the slopes from green to black are made for you...

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Find those unusual accommodations on: www.tourisme-aveyron.com (“Dormir” section)

Hiking on camel back For the lovers of wide open spaces

Aubrac Snowfall

In Aveyron, the unusual experiences are also enjoyed through original accommodation.

So why don’t you too get tempted and experience holidays at the castle, in a wagon, a ranch, a yurt or even tree houses...

The immensity of the Aubrac plateau in winter is also favourable for snowshoe excursions.

Come to these enthralling landscapes for a breath of fresh air in the numerous circuits.

The endless wide open spaces will invite you to take the time and enjoy that unique moment... and for an unforgettable memory you could get tempted by a sleigh trip with dogs.

Fun and emotion guaranteed...

That is also winter in the Aveyron!

You’d think you were in Morocco or Tunisia... but think closer, these dignified quadrupeds roll their humps across the Causses of the Aveyron! Anyone can ride a camel, so don’t hesitate to try out this unusual experience in south Aveyron! The camel drivers will let you explore the Causses region with Angel, Isabelle and Malika, for an experience unlike any you’ve had before.

Peaceful promenades to contemplate the landscape and admire the Causses and Tarn Gorges from above! www.lablaquiere.com

Vélorail A former railway track, the Larzac Vélorail, offers an exceptional view of the famous Cernon valley. As a couple, family or friends, treat yourself to a train getaway or for the more courageous, a pedal car, and open your eyes wide to the discovery of Sainte-Eulalie-de- Cernon (mythical Templar city) Lapanouse-de- Cernon and the hilltop village of La Bastide-Pradines. www.veloraildularzac.com

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Noria, the Water House

leisure & activities

In an old 18th century mill, 20 rooms, 1000 m2 dedicated to an educational interactive and fun trip on the river’s edge. To learn more about blue gold and its role for our ancestors and the future of this vital resource. www.noria-espacedeleau.com

KIDS’ CORNER

Les sentiers de l’imaginaire, Averyron is a land made for families; it’s important to us. We like nothing more than to be gathered around a good meal, a mixture of generations: the dad, the youngest and the distant cousin that we do not know so well. So yes, welcome, families and children!

Here, nothing is just for show! Space, freedom, smiles, that’s the family spirit.

Most of our accommodation is adapted for children and numerous safe leisure facilities have been designed for them.

Parents really appreciate this!

There’s always something to do in Aveyron Discovering nature, sporting activities, culture... there are always great adventures to be enjoyed with your family and friends. Guided or left to your own devices, it’s up to you. Most museums and major attractions offer trips with children in mind.

All the activities to share with the family on www.tourisme-aveyron.com “Visit” and “Play” sections

Adventure A little dizziness, a rush of adrenaline?

Acrobatic and ziplining activities offer suitable facilities for all ages on perfectly safe equipment under the supervision of a qualified professional.

Animal parks Visit the medieval bestiary, the local wildlife, unusual animals, dressage shows, reptiles, ostriches...

Six zoos offer their own approach, from cute little animals to big cats.

On the farm

trails to stir the imagination...

In the heart of Carladez, the water, rocks, wood and iron tell the story of the landscape. Set off on this outdoor discovery on easy trails. www.carladez.fr

Cap Mômes, the kids’ festival In the small village of Salmiech, near to Lake Pareloup, this party is not just for children. For a whole day, roads and squares in the village become alive with performance: theatre, magic, circus and music dedicated to the little ones.

A dream for young and old alike. www.capmomes.fr

Children love animals, so Aveyron’s farms are open to all. Farmers will tell you about their jobs, explain their production and invite children to superb snacks on the farm.

And also Micropolis, the City of Insects (page 29)

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Terra Memoria, Vélorail du Larzac, tourist trains, horseriding, equestrian, ponyriding, robot museum, swimming, water sports, etc.

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Aveyron for sporty types

In Aveyron, we like sport, all sports but with more of a preference for outdoor activities. With a playground like this, it’s hard to resist! Here we like to exceed, do our best but we also like these sporting moments to be ones of conviviality. That’s how Aveyron’s sporting events are: enthusiastic, generous and beautiful.

And that’s why we like them from so far away!

leisure & activities

Marmotte d’Olt Fancy criss-crossing the Lot Valley to the Aubrac plateaus on a cycling trip with friends or family?

Natural Games A ralley for outdoor enthusiasts on a developed playground in the heart of the Grand Causses Regional Natural Park in natural adapted areas.

You can cross paths with big names in sensation sports: freeriders, climbers, kayakers, addicted drivers and slackliners.

Amateurs are not left out; they can test their ability and challenge professionals at different specific tests. Thrills guaranteed!

And by night, relax as different participants gather together in music venues.

Traces du Fromage In March, come and discover the local gastronomy via two 20 km hiking loops in different mountain huts along the way. You can sample carefully prepared aligot, sample the local drink, Gentiane... Sporting and culinary adventures guaranteed!!

It’s possible; the Marmotte d’Olt offers three routes suited to the level of each participant. Great for combining sporting and visual pleasures..

Roc Laissagais

Aveyronnaise Classic No less than 700 km with 90 % of the roads awaiting drivers over 3 days of enduro racing.

Festival des Templiers

Although special timed stages allow drivers a safe ride and obtain a ranking; the remaining kilometres are travelled at a slightly higher average speed in order to appreciate the eclectic landscapes. Yet another way to discover Aveyron!

Les 100 km de Millau

Rallye du Rouergue An official event in the French Championship, the Rouergue Rally unites the best drivers of the moment who never fail to put on a good show.

Every year, 120 cars choose to compete on the various types of course that the Aveyron circuit has to offer.

A must for lovers of fine machines!

The first trail in Europe, the Templar Festival is an unmissable sporting event in Aveyron.

Some 8000 runners of different nationalities come to compete to the cries of 70 000 visitors.

These 11 races give particular importance to the wonderful scenery of the Causses and the Tarn Valley. On your marks, get set, go!!!

Since 1972 the running enthusiasts congregate in Millau on the last Saturday of September to outdo themselves. Ready for the challenge?

Tour de France 2015 in Aveyron

All the sporting events on

The highlight of the summer, the Tour de France 2015 will stop at Aveyron for its 102nd edition. The arrival and start are scheduled for 17 and 18 July in Rodez, and the group will cycle on the roads of the Aveyron. See you soon on the roads of the tour!

www.tourisme-aveyron.com “Events” section

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In Laissac, on the occasion of this legendary mountain-bake competition, amateurs and professionals alike meet and compete in a natural setting of spectacular variety: Causses, villages of the Aveyron valley, Palanges forests. Forming part of the World Series marathon circuit, the Roc Laissagais race attracts an impressive number of world-class bikers. The competition also includes the French cycling federation’s Randos d’Or bike tours, on VTT-FCC labelled Lassagais circuits.

So get on your bikes!

www.letour.fr (leg 13 and 14)

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Good for your health!

Roquefort has some unsuspected virtues.

According to an English study, the longevitity of the “froggies” is due in part to the anti-inflammatory properties of the mold in raw milk cheese, especially Roquefort.

The “French paradox” is in fact from Aveyron.

NEW IN 2015

flavours & gastronomic delicacies

Gourmet

Discover the first edition of the guide “Deguster en Aveyron” from March 2015, fully dedicated to the Aveyron gastronomy: its specialities, its conviviality, its know-how, its region, its chefs... more than anything, the Aveyron should be tasted.

LAND

Talk about Aveyron to gourmets and their eyes light up.

It is a dream of abundance and incomparable flavours.

It’s a guarantee of absolute quality, a return to the senses, giving in to pleasure, to desires.

Everything is simple. Everything is good and right.

“Rouergue is one of those lands that’s full of nature which make you love living on this planet” said Curnonsky, the prince of the gourmets (1872-1956).

He said it all...

Aveyron is a cheese plateau!

With its wide-open spaces, fragrant grass that grows in abundance, Aveyron is a major milking territory producing great traditional cheeses, thus featuring highly in the national gastronomy. In the south, sheeps’s milk with tomes, pérails, Bleu des Causses (blue cheese) and of course, Roquefort, the most famous cheese. In the north, cow’s milk cheese: le Laguiole, l’Ecir and in the west, goats and their cabécous.

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flavours & gastronomic delicacies

Aubrac- aligot

Farçous

Recipe for 4 people

Wines of the extreme

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Vines cover the sunny slopes of the valleys at a high altitude and under extreme climate conditions, which give this area an exceptional character.

Another particularity: the grape varieties.

Le Fer Servadou (or Mansois), the Mauzac, the Chenin... The ancient and characteristic varieties have been bestowed the honour of excellent cultivation. With 4 AOC (Marcillac, Entraygues-Le Fel, Estaing, Côtes de Millau), the Aveyron vineyard displays a sacred character and a foolproof identity.

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Meats and labels

Meats, poultry, of course!

And now for some sweet treats!

Dans le cochon, tout est bon, surtout s’il est de l’Aveyron!

(Every part of the pig is good, especially if it’s from Aveyron!).

The finest cuts are placed in salt and then dried and smoked to make ham, raw and smoked sausages. The meat that’s a little too fatty, the rind and the offal are made into pies, fricandeaux or fritons (crackling). And the blood part sausage is kept for the cousins! Poultry is not left out as it represents the other pillar of traditional Aveyron cuisine.

Ask for the advice of those around you. You will surely receive the best addresses!

In Aveyron, no meal is complete without dessert. Why refuse sweetness after so much goodness? Depending upon the region, you will have the choice between numerous specialities.

In the bakery, the fouace (a round cake made with orange flower, found all over Aveyron, but with its capital in Saint-Cyprien), le Soleil de Marcillac, Gâteau à la broche from Villefranchois. You can also try the flaune of southern Aveyron (a sheep’s curd cheese dessert), a homemade île flottante, (an island of meringue floating in vanilla) and to finish, some chocolate from the Bonneval Abbey!

The meats of Aveyron, known for their quality, are served at the best restaurants.

The animals are carefully selected, with the Aubrac breed being recognised for both its milk and its meat. Follow the red labels!

A real traditional dish from Aveyron. Every grandmother has her own recipe. There’s always one here!

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Preparation Prepare mashed potato, add the butter and the crème fraiche, salt and pepper. Add the tome cut into strips to the hot mash.

Let it melt, stir, let it run. Your aligot is ready!

4

specialities to discover... or to make yourself!

Estofinado -

Flaune

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AOC wine Charcuterie traditionnelle

2

Gâteau à la broche

Ingredients 700 g of stockfish, 3 kg potatoes, 10 eggs, ½ litre of oil, parsley, alt and pepper..

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Preparation Soak the stockfish for eight days in water. Cook the fish for an hour and add the potatoes, peeled and cooked. Crumble the stockfish and mash potatoes. Add the parsley, salt, pepper.

Stir and pour boiling oil on the mixture to incorporate it gradually.

Break the eggs, beat them and add them. Check the seasoning and serve hot. If you want a twist, add sour cream, walnut oil or chopped hard-boiled eggs.

3

6 2 / 7 2 _ inAveyron

-

Preparation Chop the chard, parsley, onion, garlic and sauage meat and mix well.

Leave it to one side. In a bowl, mix the flour and eggs and add milk.

The batter must be a bit thicker than pancake batter.

Add the chopped ingredients and season. Heat some oil in a pan.

Turn them as soon as they are golden. Serve warm.

Ingredients 1 kg potatoes, 100 g butter, 250 g crème fraiche, 400 g fresh Tome de l’Aubrac cheese, salt and pepper.

Although this Rougerat dish from the cold remains a mystery, it will not cease to amaze you. Based on stockfish (dried cod), the miners from the Decazeville Basin have feasted on this for years.

2

Ingredients 4 or 5 chards, 1 bunch of parsley, 1 onion, 1 clove of garlic, 100 g sausage meat, 4 eggs, 2 tablespoons of flour, 100 ml milk.

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Recipe for 10 people

1

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Aligot is made with fresh Tome de Laguiole cheese, Aubrac’s great speciality. This cheese is mixed with cream, butter and potatoes which is then mashed together. You can add a little crushed garlic. The result is a spectacular, delicious fondue that glides off your spoon. Aligot is a main meal, often accompanied by tripe, sausage or a sumptuous beef rib.

During fine weather on the Larzac, it is a tradition to use curd cheese (sheep milk heated to 95°C) to make flaune. This cake is an emblematic dessert of Causses. Trying it is to love it!

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Ingredients 500 g curd cheese, 3 eggs, 2 tablespoons of flour, 200 g powdered sugar, 1 pinch of salt, orange flower water (or 1 orange or 1 lemon).

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Preparation Mix all the ingredients well until smooth. Perfume with orange flower water, or with orange peel or lemon to taste. Roll out to a paste.

Pour on the prepared mixture. Put it all in a thermostat on 5 or 6.

After 45 minutes to an hour, the flaune is beautifully browned.

Now just sprinkle icing sugar to decorate.

Find more recipes on the blog deguster.blog.tourisme-aveyron.com inAveyron

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Starred cuisine

Interview

Like art on the table

AVEYRON’S

TOP

Aveyron is the land of good food, earth and succulent dishes. This is the cuisine of simple peasants who loved to feast at major events and has truly become a real art form and a reference for quality and authenticty.

Today, when we say Aveyron, we need not say more. And when our Michelin starred chefs revisit their childhood memories, the flavours of Aubrac or the flavours of the market, we’re entering sublime territory, quite simply.

Jean-Luc Fau Tastes and colours In the heart of medieval Rodez, Emmanuelle and Jean-Luc Fau welcome you into a comfortable modern room, decorated with colourful homemade culinary paintings. It features a pleasant terrace on the leafy Embergues square. Throughout the seasons, they create dishes according to the market, blended with knowledge of Aveyron’s roots and modernity and imagination.

Goûts et Couleurs - Rodez Tel.: +33 (0)5 65 42 75 10 www.goutsetcouleurs.com

Guillaume Viala The land is an art

Michel et Sébastien Bras The 6th best restaurant in the world Exciting yet sensitive chef, Michel Bras, draws his inspiration from the Aubrac plateau that he loves so much. His cuisine is art, freshness and vivaciousness. It’s all of the joy and strength of springtime. Set in isolation, le Puech du Suquet (Relais et Châteaux) is a haven of peace and sobriety. This is where the wise and orchestral tribal leader performs his orchestral, symphonic cuisine and where he passes on the family heritage.

He is the undisputed leader of Aveyron cuisine, combining local products and creativity, aligot and Aubrac beef, sheep sorrel and kohlrabi architecture, fresh herbs and flowers of the Aubrac.

Bras - Laguiole Tel.: +33 (0)5 65 51 18 20 www.michel-bras.com Hôtel**** (Relais et Châteaux)

Born in the area, Christine and Guillaume Viala combine their love of their land with fine dining.

They have made authenticity and simplicity their core concepts. Located next to the Bozouls Hole, the restaurant offers a breathtaking view of this outstanding geographical site. The food is spot-on and authentic, with a passion for the beauty and goodness of the land. The flowers in the garden, the scent of the wood fire, these elements bring back happy memories, the little things that bring conviviality to your meals.

Le Belvédère - Bozouls Tel.: +33 (0)5 65 44 92 66 www.belvedere-bozouls.com Hôtel **

Michel Truchon Vagabond cuisine A charming establishment in the heart of a royal bastide. A simple, savoury, light cuisine guided by the seasons and respecting the product.

Lots of vegetables, herbs, flowers, fish from small-scale fishing, shellfish, Aveyron lamb, local poultry. A culinary culture linked to the love of the region, set between Albi and Rodez, the sun and austerity, gentleness and rigour.

Le Sénéchal - Sauveterre-de-Rouergue Tel.: +33 (0)5 65 71 29 00 www.hotel-senechal.fr Hôtel ***

6 4 / 7 2 _ inAveyron

For the filming of the programme Les escapades de Petitrenaud by Jean-Luc Petitrenaud on France 5, Cyril Lignac kindly agreed to answer a few questions.

Nicole Fagegaltier Sisters’ kitchen, a kitchen of the heart Situated overlooking the Aveyron, in the beautiful village of Belcastel, this restaurant is the family home of the Fagegaltier sisters. We can still imagine the smell of their mum’s cooking. Today, the best of Aveyron and its flavours are always still here but the cuisine is pure, assured. Vegetables are just as present as fish, spices and herbs.

Le Vieux Pont - Belcastel Tel.: +33 (0)5 65 64 52 29 www.hotelbelcastel.com Hôtel ***

Hervé Busset The spirit of the place Chef Hervé Busset offers cuisine that’s obviously guided by the imprint of the place and the atmosphere. Food that’s full of flavour and feeling, in close proximity to products and producers.

Every day, Hervé Busset leaves with his basket on the hunt for épiaires, yarrow or sage flowers to include in his dishes such as elderflower Estaing brown trout, his wild thyme farmhouse pork or even his homemade ground ivy ice cream.

Le Moulin de Cambelong - Conques Tel.: +33 (0)5 65 72 84 77 www.moulindecambelong.com Hôtel****

flavours & gastronomic delicacies

Cyril Lignac at home in Aveyron What speciality or ingredient should we bring back from Aveyron?

Cyril Lignac: An ingredient, an Aveyron beef rib.

A speciality, aligot.

What’s a must-have dish when you visit Aveyron?

CL: Aligot and sausage! It cannot be any other!

When I come down to Aveyron for the weekend, I eat aligot on Friday night, on Saturday at midday and then on Saturday night. I get my fix!

Do you have a favourite Aveyron dish?

CL: Aligot or charcuterie. I really like a good aligot sausage or a beef rib. Aligot’s to be celebrated! With a gâteau à la broche for desert.

And farçous for starters. I am not complicated.

I almost forgot: a Marcillac wine is a must.

10 Aligot, the famous mashed potato with fresh Laguiole tome cheese / Roquefort, the king of the cheeses, made from sheep’s milk, it needs no further introduction / Farçous, fried patties with meat and vegetables / Tripous, small rolls of veal and lamb belly / Estofinado, made from dried cod, potatoes and eggs / Gâteau à la broche, for special occasions / Fouace, an orange flower flavoured cake / Cheese soup. What about soup? The spoon must stand up in it... / Flaune, the sweet cake from Millau made with sheep’s curd cheese / Échaudés, dry cakes made with aniseed seeds.

All the Aveyron gastronomy on www.tourisme-aveyron.com “Taste” section Share on the blog deguster.blog.tourisme-aveyron.com

Interview : Quentin Bourdy & Noémie Honniat Your vision of the Aveyron cuisine?

QB: It is a product cuisine above all.

In Aveyron we are fortunate to easily find very good produce as our region is very rich. The department also has farmers, breeders and growers who are passionate about their work.

And it also is a matter of heritage and transmission from generation to generation.

Does a speciality from Aveyron remind you of your childhood?

QB: The respounchous.

Where do you go to digest after eating a nice Aveyron meal?

QB: Au trou de Bozouls.

What do you think of Aveyron?

NH: I really fell in love with the department. After growing up in the countryside in a small village near Toulouse, I always wanted to live in a similar place again and the Aveyron suits me perfectly.

Which Aveyron speciality has marked you most?

NH: During my first stay in Aveyron I have discovered the aligot, and it has really marked me. Furthermore, I also had the chance to taste the Aubrac platter with the wide open spaces and the cows in the background!

A sweet treat?

CL: Flaune.

All the good addresses are on www.tourisme-aveyron.com “Taste” section

To digest a good Aveyron meal, where do you go for a walk?

CL: To Belcastel.

An adjective to describe Aveyron cuisine?

CL: Generous, like the Aveyron people.

inAveyron

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Night and day, traditional, organic, straight from producers: there is always a market in Aveyron!

Les Marchés des Producteurs de Pays (country farmers markets) When you are in Aveyron, you are likely to see a farmers market both day and night.

Stroll around the stalls filled with authentic products, smelling the goodness of the land and chat with the producers.

Be tempted by enticing aromas, lively colours and a natural friendliness all sprinkled with a strong regional lilt.

Find out where your nearest farmers market is.

Market

freshness

www.marches-producteurs.com/aveyron

The market is a sacred place!

In villages and major Aveyron towns, this is an unmissable event which takes place once or twice a week. Colourful, fragrant and noisy.

The people here have certainly not given up their way of life.

In our Aveyron markets, vegetables are earth-covered, the chickens have feathers and the apples are not red enough to drive Snow White wild.

They are healthy, flavoursome and will continue to be so for a long time.

flavours & gastronomic delicacies

Find your market on www.tourisme-aveyron.com “Taste” section

6 6 / 7 2 _ inAveyron

inAveyron

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Tourisme Aveyron

Let’s discuss! www.tourisme-aveyron.com

LET’S MEET! @aureleaime

When I leave the mountains of the monts d’Azur, I get excited.

I can’t wait to be on the road to Millau!!! The soft valleys, Blog « Découvrir » decouvrir.blog.tourisme-aveyron.com the landscape that changes at each turn, the green of the trees and fields, the winding road and I escape. The tranquillity I feel makes the journey shorter.

Blog « Déguster » I really got lost on all those little roads around Rodez! deguster.blog.tourisme-aveyron.com Never mind, I come here to find and meet dear ones again, Blog « Bouger » magical places full of history, simplicity, the true values in life. The first time bouger.blog.tourisme-aveyron.com I saw Conques I felt like I was walking into a fairytale book, in the decor of an old theatre. My mind started travelling in those alleys and imagining life here, the villagers, their animals, their market, their love stories, their fights... My Aveyron story is very recent, two years at the most.

The charming accent, the authenticity, the wild and welcoming side, Aveyron??? You have to see the mix of modernism with history strongly attract. To such extent that it to believe it! A paradise of leisure, I am seriously considering leaving the Alpes Maritimes to retreat history, hikes, good food, gastronomy... to the Aveyron region and spend my retirement All that you will say? Yes!!! And more... where life still has a human quality!

Landscapes, monuments, adorable people!

Mone REGNIER (06) Accommodation in typical local places or in unusual locations that will bring you escape and happiness! Go! You will see I’m not lying!!!!

Adiou!

Nadine AUREILHAN (31) La page d’Artepp 10 janvier, 08:00

Let’s show!

Hello!

#Tous_en_Aveyron

@brigadeverte

Have a nice day.

@balitrandchris

@estellecavalerie

Let’s share! @__Sev__

@mathilde_brl @juliaveyron

Practical Aveyron on your mobile

geniez alexandre @AlexGeniez 29 août. Training in Aveyron.

There is worse... @Tous_en_Aveyron #salles-la-source

J’aime . Commenter . Partager

@tia.12

@valerie_blanc @unhommeapoele

Let’s share!

Tourisme Aveyron Thank you for sharing!

It looks like you spent a great holiday in Aveyron Your photos are superb, we adore the details that you captured on camera. We added some of your photos to the album of the fans of Aveyron.

Thanks again! Have a nice day

@kapstand

6 8 / 7 2 _ inAveyron

@fp_genealogie

33 . 11 décembre 2014, 09:50

inAveyron

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Road access

PAYS BELMONTAIS 12370 Belmont-sur-Rance Tel.: +33 (0)5.65.99.93.66 www.belmont-tourisme.com BOZOULS 12340 Bozouls Tel.: +33 (0)5.65.48.50.52 www.bozouls.com ROUGIER DE CAMARÈS 12360 Camarès Tel.: +33 (0)5.65.49.53.76 www.ot-camares.com CAPDENAC 12700 Capdenac-Gare Tel.: +33 (0)5.65.64.74.87 www.tourisme-figeac.com CONQUES-MARCILLAC 12320 Conques Tel.: +33 (0)8.20.82.08.03 +33 (0)5.65.72.85.00 www.tourisme-conques.fr Label T&H (handicaps visuel et mental) 12330 Marcillac Tel.: +33 (0)5.65.71.13.18 www.tourisme-conques.fr

CRANSAC 12110 Cransac-les-Thermes Tel.: +33 (0)5.65.63.06.80 www.cransac-les-thermes.fr DECAZEVILLE 12300 Decazeville Tel.: +33 (0)5.65.43.18.36 www.decazeville-tourisme.com ENTRAYGUESSUR-TRUYÈRE 12140 Entraygues-sur-Truyère Tel.: +33 (0)5.65.44.56.10 www.tourisme-entraygues.com ESPALION-ESTAING 12500 Espalion Tel.: +33 (0)5.65.44.10.63 www.tourisme-espalion.fr 12190 Estaing Tel.: +33 (0)5.65.44.03.22 www.tourisme-estaing.fr VALLÉE DU LOT 12300 Flagnac Tel.: +33 (0)5.65.63.27.96 www.tourisme-valleedulot.com

Discovery guide 2015. Publication: Comité Départemental du Tourisme de l’Aveyron. Illustrations: Christian Sabathier. Editor: Anagram, CDT Aveyron. Graphics: Gilles Garrigues. Cover photo: © P. Thebault / CG 12. Printing: Grapho 12 Imprimeur - 01/15. Circulation: 16,000 copies. Photo credits: Comité Départemental du Tourisme de l’Aveyron - Conseil Général de l’Aveyron - Abbaye de Sylvanès - Agence Grand Bleu - Association Art et Savoir-Faire - Atelier de Sauveterre - Bras / Laguiole - Causse Gantier - Fédération de pêche de l’Aveyron - Forge de Laguiole - Laëtis - Le Don du Fel - Les ifers - Micropolis - Musée Fenaille - Noria - Roquefort Société - Ségala Vivant - Studio Caféine - Terres Cuites de Raujolles - Vélorail du Larzac - Vibram Natural Games - J.-D. Auguy - A. Baschenis / Le Don du Fel - C. Bousquet / CG 12 - G. Diaz - S. Du Fayet / Grottes de Foissac J. Holdrinet / Natural Games - S. Kellinghaus - T. Lambelin / FAHPA 12 - F. Marty / Vélo 101 - A. Méravilles - J. Morel / Editions de la Cévenne - G. Sol - E. Teissèdre - P. Thébault / CG12 - J. Tomaselli / CDT 12 - G. Tordjeman - D. Viet / CRT Midi-Pyrénées - OT de Conques - OT de Cransac - OT du Grand Rodez - OT de Laguiole - OT de Millau - OT de Mur-de-Barrez - OT de SaintChély-d’Aubrac - OT de Sainte-Geneviève-sur-Argence - OT de Sévérac-le-Château - OT de la Vallée du Lot / Flagnac - OT de Villefranche - Fotolia - iStockPhoto - PureStock - Association Hier un Village / Flagnac - Maison Fabre - D. Jamme / Millau pour CEVM - Coopérative Jeune Montagne - P. Tournaire / Natural Games - P. Soissons - Antipode - C. Méravilles, G. Bergeret / Photothèque du Grand Rodez - F. Pitz - H. Durand / Coutellerie de Laguiole - Sac du Berger - Max Capdebarthes - Entreprises du Patrimoine Vivant - SARL Druilhet - SA Vermorel - Ferme de la Blaquière - Roc Laissagais - C. Bousquet / Photothèque Micropolis - Alberto Ghizzi Panizza - www.albertoghizzipanizza.com - La Marmotte d’Olt - J.-M. Périer - L. Béziat / Héliage Production 2014 / Architecte : Ecoumene Architecture - Cap Môme - Sellerie Gaston Mercier - Ateliers Frayssinhes - ASO / B. Bade - Q. Bourdy & N. Héniat - Thermes de Cransac / C. Mossière - Casino de Cransac - Natura Bien-Etre - Château Labro - Camping Le Caussanel - Le Papillon Jaune - Salon Fers et Lames - Air Globe / fun-ebike.com Non-binding document.

7 0 / 7 2 _ inAveyron

This magazine is brought to you from the General Council of Aveyron and was produced by the Aveyron Tourist Board.

Concerned with the preservation of the environment, the Aveyron TB selects providers committed to implementing an environmental policy.

This document is printed from vegetal inks on 100% PEFC certified paper from sustainably managed forests.

Route de Decazeville 12330 Salles-la-Source Information & Reservations: +33 (0)5 65 42 20 30 Email: contact@aeroport-rodez.fr www.aeroport-rodez.fr LONDRES - RODEZ DUBLIN - RODEZ BRUXELLES - RODEZ Réservation Ryanair Tel.: 0 892 562 150 www.ryanair.com

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Air links Airport Rodez Aveyron

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MUSE ET RASPES DU TARN 12490 Saint-Rome-de-Tarn Tel.: +33 (0)5.65.62.50.89 www.raspes-du-tarn.fr PAYS SAINT-SERNINOIS 12380 Saint-Sernin-sur-Rance Tel.: +33 (0)5.65.99.29.13 www.tourisme-saintsernin.com SAINTE-GENEVIÈVE 12420 Sainte-Genevièvesur-Argence Tel.: +33 (0)5.65.66.19.75 www.argencetourismeaubrac.com SALLES-CURAN PARELOUP 12410 Salles-Curan Tel.: +33 (0)5.65.46.31.73 www.salles-curan.fr SAUVETERREDE-ROUERGUE 12800 Sauveterre-de-Rouergue Tel.: +33 (0)5.65.72.02.52 www.aveyron-segalatourisme.com SÉVÉRAC-LE-CHÂTEAU 12150 Sévérac-le-Château Tel.: +33 (0)5.65.47.67.31 www.tourisme-severac lechateau.com VILLEFRANCHEDE-ROUERGUE 12202 Villefranche-de-Rouergue Tel.: +33 (0)5.65.45.13.18 www.villefranche.com VILLENEUVE D’AVEYRON 12260 Villeneuve d’Aveyron Tel.: +33 (0)5.65.81.79.61 www.villeneuve-aveyron.com

PA R IS

ST R A S B O U R G

NANTES SW

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LYO N B O R D E AU X

I TA LY

RODEZ TO U LO U SE

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MO N T P E L L IE R

MA R SE IL L E IN

www.routard.com

C’est vrai, le luxe d’une chambre d’hôtel se juge à son nombre d’étoiles.

Le Routard, l'indispensable de vos voyages.

- Photo : Don Smith/Getty

TOURIST INFO

TOURIST OFFFICES

FROM THE NORTH, PARIS AND THE WEST A20 then N140 (Brive-Méditerranée road) via Figeac.

Or A71 to Clermont-Ferrand, then A75 via Saint-Flour and Sévérac.

FROM LYON AND THE EAST A47 or N88 via Saint-étienne, Le Puy and Mende, then A75 via Sévérac.

FROM THE SOUTH-WEST A20 via Montauban to Caussade, then D926 via Caylus.

Or A68/RN88 via Albi.

Or Albi D999, Saint-Affrique-Millau.

FROM THE SOUTH-EAST, MARSEILLE AND MONTPELLIER A9 then A75/N9 via Lodève, Millau, Sévérac.

M

Welcome to Aveyron!

LARZAC VALLÉES 12230 La Couvertoirade Tel.: +33 (0)5.65.62.23.64 www.tourisme-larzac.com 12230 Nant Tel.: +33 (0)5.65.62.24.21 www.ot-nant.fr AUBRAC-LAGUIOLE 12210 Laguiole Tel.: +33 (0)5.65.44.35.94 www.aubrac-laguiole.com 12470 Saint-Chély-d’Aubrac Tel.: +33 (0)5.65.44.21.15 www.aubrac-laguiole.com LAISSAGAIS 12310 Laissac Tel.: +33 (0)5.65.70.71.30 www.laissac-tourisme.com MILLAU GRANDS CAUSSES 12100 Millau Tel.: +33 (0)5.65.60.02.42 www.millau-viaduc-tourisme.fr 12640 Rivière sur Tarn Tel.: +33 (0)5.65.59.74.28 www.millau-viaduc-tourisme.fr PLATEAU DE MONTBAZENS 12220 Montbazens Tel.: +33 (0)5.65.63.77.94 www.plateau-de montbazens.com MUR-DE-BARREZ 12600 Mur-de-Barrez Tel.: +33 (0)5.65.66.10.16 www.carladez.fr NAJAC 12270 Najac Tel.: +33 (0)5.65.29.72.05 www.tourisme-najac.com

NAUCELLOIS 12800 Naucelle Tel.: +33 (0)5.65.67.16.42 www.aveyron-segalatourisme.com PARELOUP LÉVÉZOU 12290 Pont-de-Salars Tel.: +33 (0)5.65.46.89.90 www.levezou-aveyron.com RÉQUISTANAIS 12170 Réquista Tel.: +33 (0)5.65.46.11.79 www.ot-requistanais.com RIEUPEYROUX 12240 Rieupeyroux Tel.: +33 (0)5.65.65.60.00 www.ot-rieupeyroux-la salvetatpeyrales.fr PAYS RIGNACOIS 12390 Rignac Tel.: +33 (0)5.65.80.26.04 www.pays-rignacois.com GRAND RODEZ 12000 Rodez Tel.: +33 (0)5.65.75.76. 77 www.tourisme.myrodez.fr PAYS DE ROQUEFORT 12250 Roquefort sur Soulzon Tel.: +33 (0)5.65.58.56.00 www.roquefort.fr SAINT-AFFRICAIN 12400 Saint-Affrique Tel.: +33 (0)5.65.98.12.40 www.ot-dusaintaffricain.com SAINT-AMANS-DES-CÔTS 12460 Saint-Amans-des-Côts Tel.: +33 (0)5.65.44.81.61 ot-stamansdescots.pages perso-orange.fr SAINT-GENIEZ CAMPAGNAC 12130 Saint-Geniez-d’Olt Tel.: +33 (0)5.65.70.43.42 www.st-geniez-dolt.com

www.tourisme-aveyron.com Comité Départemental du Tourisme de l’Aveyron 17, rue Aristide Briand - BP 831 12008 RODEZ CEDEX Tel.: +33 (0)5 65 75 40 12 Email: infos@tourisme-aveyron.com