A Photochouet' club trip to the Cévennes
Between the villages of Chamborigaud, Chambon and the hamlet of Chareneuve, a photographic walk to enjoy the Cévennes atmosphere and discover a few local nuggets.
First of all, the Chamborigaud viaduct, listed as a historic monument since 1984. Overlooking the small river Luech (it only covers 32 km), a tributary of the Cèze, the railway viaduct was built between 1865 and 1867 by Charles Célestin Dombre (1814-1887), an engineer from the French Ponts et Chaussées. With a maximum height of 46 m, its 29 arches enable it to cross the valley and cover a distance of 384 m.
|
The village of Chambon? Just 30 kms from Alès, it is near to the Ardèche and just 10km far from Lozère.
|
Chambon is surrounded by several hamlets, including the one of Chareneuve, which can be reached from the village or by leaving your car a few kilometres away.
|
The Chambon tumulus? A funerary monument known as the Chambon or Elzière, built of protohistoric stone and reused in the Middle Ages. It lies between the Luech and Homol valleys, at an altitude of 630 metres, near the top of the ill. Quite remarkable for its size- 20 metres in diameter and 3 metres high - it is a stepped construction made of dry-stone ". Source |
Reaching Chareneuve is a true privileged walk along the river Luech. A pastoral landscape, isolated, unspoilt. After a tour of the narrow streets and a few shots of the old mill, a climb up to the nearby forest led the photographers to some of the pines that are the subject of a resin harvesting study.
Leaving Chareneuve the group headed for the Coudoulous trail, high up in the Cévennes.
Just over 2km long, in the heart of a forest where schist is never far away, the trail is a perfect spot for picking up mushrooms and chestnuts... At the end of the path, there's a breathtaking view over the valley, or should we say the valleys as in front of us stands a great panorama and, as you turn around, another one is waiting for you. Also worth seeing, halfway along the route, are the ruins of a medieval castle.
Finally, a stopover in Pont-de-Rastel, a small village typical of the Cévennes. Here you will find the memory of French historian and writer Jean-Pierre Chabrol, who is buried on the family estate. The author is highly regarded by Editions Alcide, which published the biography Jean-Pierre Chabrol, le rebelle by historian and literary columnist Michel Boissard.
The author, who was born in Chamborigaud, has written Les Fous de dieu (God's Fools) about the Camisard revolt, 7 récits d'évasion (7 tales of escape), La légende de la vieille morte (The Legend of the Old Dead Woman), François Vivens, Prédicant du Désert (François Vivens, Preacher of the Desert) and the Atlas des Camisards (Atlas of the Camisards).