Perched at an altitude of nearly 950 metres, Le Monastier-sur-Gazeille is the village from which Robert Louis Stevenson set off on his journey in 1878, accompanied by his donkey, Modestine. Awarded the Petite Cité de Caractère label in recognition of its heritage, the village is best explored around Saint-Chaffre Abbey Church, the former abbey castle and its fountains. It’s the perfect place to soak up the atmosphere before heading out into the vast open landscapes of the Velay and Mézenc regions.

Highlights:
• Le Monastier-sur-Gazeille village
> Saint-Chaffre Abbey: a fascinating blend of Romanesque and Gothic architecture.
> Saint-Jean-Baptiste Church
> Circular fountains and traditional washhouses
> Museum of Popular Beliefs
> School Museum
> European Cultural Centre: hosting exhibitions.
> Recoumène Viaduct

Leave the village’s stone-paved streets behind and follow the route of the former Transcévenole railway line. The Recoumène Viaduct, built for a planned railway linking Le Puy-en-Velay and Aubenas, never saw a single train cross it. From here, climb gradually towards the high plateaus of the Mézenc. The scenery slowly opens up, revealing rolling valleys, forests and sweeping volcanic horizons, until you reach the foot of Mont Mézenc, the highest point in the Haute-Loire. A rewarding day filled with breathtaking views, ending in Les Estables, where the mountain air is crisp and fresh.

Highlights:
• Les Estables
> Climb Mont Mézenc – the highest point in the Haute-Loire and Ardèche.
> Les Estables Church

Leaving Les Estables, you ride around Mont Alambre before heading back towards the Croix de Peccata pass, at the foot of Mont Mézenc, which straddles the Haute-Loire and Ardèche departments. Your route then takes you below the striking Dents du Géant rock formations before reaching the beautiful village of Chaudeyrolles, home to volcanic wetlands known as narces and overlooked by Mont Lignon.
In Fay-sur-Lignon, discover one of the emblematic villages of the high plateaus. From there, descend towards Le Chambon-sur-Lignon, a town renowned for its history of sheltering and protecting those fleeing persecution during the Second World War, before continuing to Tence, nestled along the banks of the wild Lignon River.

Highlights:
• Chaudeyrolles
> Maison du Fin Gras, dedicated to the local Fin Gras du Mézenc beef tradition.
> The Narces, remarkable volcanic wetlands.
> Salin Waterfall.

• Fay-sur-Lignon
> Saint-Régis Fountain.
> Place du Foiral.
>Local producers offering honey, trout and homemade jams.

>Monette Chasm (Gouffre de la Monette).

• Le Chambon-sur-Lignon
> Steam train.
> Memorial site dedicated to the village’s history of refuge and resistance.

• Tence
> Chapel of the Penitents (Chapelle des Pénitents).

Start your day cycling along the Lignon River, following its wild, wooded banks. Before long, you’ll reach Lac de Lavalette, an artificial lake in the Velay region created by the Lavalette Dam, at an altitude of 820 metres.
Further along the route, you’ll arrive in the village of Lapte, home to an impressive 51-metre-high church tower, before crossing the spectacular 268-metre-long Himalayan footbridge over the Lignon River.
Your journey then continues to Yssingeaux, a sub-prefecture of the Haute-Loire, nicknamed the City of the Five Roosters.

Highlights:
• Lapte
> The church and its towering bell tower, the highest in the Haute-Loire at 51m, offering panoramic views from its viewing platform.
• Yssingeaux
> Saint-Pierre Church: featuring remarkable paintings, most of which are listed as historic monuments.
> Chapel of the Penitents.
> Saint-Roch Museum: housed in the former chapel of the hospital and hospice.
Ceramics and pottery workshops.
> Saussac archaeological site.

Follow the Via Fluvia to leave Yssingeaux behind, then continue along quiet country roads and trails towards the Col du Pertuis. The route then takes you through shaded woodland to Queyrières, where spectacular views unfold across the region’s distinctive volcanic peaks, known as sucs.
From there, ride into the Meygal Forest, dominated by Mont Testavoyre. The trail winds its way between a series of volcanic peaks before leading you to the Neyzac Mills and on to Saint-Julien-Chapteuil, home to a remarkable Romanesque church.

Highlights:
• Queyrières
> Mont Testavoyre.
> Queyrières volcanic chimney

• Saint-Julien-Chapteuil
> Romanesque church.
> Neyzac Mills.
> Suc de Chapteuil.

This is probably the most demanding and technical stage of the Montanha Gravel Tour. For the first few kilometres, you’ll ride alongside the river before the slopes steepen as you climb towards the village of Moudeyres, famous for its beautiful traditional thatched-roof cottages.
Continue towards the Étang des Barthes and Freycenet-la-Tour, where you’ll follow the Saint-Régis Trail back to Le Monastier-sur-Gazeille, bringing this magnificent cycling loop to a close.

Highlights:
• Moudeyres
> Perrel Brothers Museum (Musée des Frères Perrel).
> The village and its traditional thatched-roof cottages.
> The two historic maisons de la Béate, once used as community and religious meeting places.
• Freycenet-la-Tour
> 11th-century church.
> Étang des Barthes pond.

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