The Régordane Trail “express” from Le Puy-en-Velay to Alès

A free day exploring the town of Le Puy-en-Velay.
An opportunity to discover the Velay city! Stroll and discover the upper town of Le Puy-en-Velay. Explore the hidden streets and discover the Cathedral.

Discover:
> The Cathedral and its Cloister
> Statue of Our Lady of France
> The Rochet and the Chapel of Saint-Michel
> The narrow streets of the upper town
> The Hôtel-Dieu and its exhibitions
> Bobbin Lacemaking Center
> The Henry Vinay Garden (Horseshoe Park)
> The Crozatier Museum

Your walking adventure begins, following the ancient muleteers’ paths and Cévennes trails of the GR700. As you leave the town behind, the red-tiled roofs gradually disappear from view, and the trail opens onto the volcanic plateaus of Velay. The light becomes broader, the sky seems larger. Ahead of you rise the sucs—rounded, cone-shaped mountains, remnants of extinct volcanoes that give the landscape the appearance of sleeping giants.
The trail climbs gently, lined with black basalt walls and meadows where the bells of grazing herds ring out. You will pass through villages with dark stone houses, built from the same volcanic rock as the surrounding land, as if they had emerged directly from the earth itself.
As you approach Costaros, the landscape becomes more open. The wind is more noticeable here, sweeping across the plateaus. Fields stretch as far as the eye can see, dotted with golden or bright green hues depending on the season.

Please note: Depending on availability, accommodation may be provided in Le Bouchet-Saint-Nicolas (26 km).

Discover:
> The view of the city of Le Puy and its surroundings
> Landscapes of the wild Loire Gorges
> Crossing the Devès volcanic plateau

With just a few strides, you reach Costaros. The fields stretch out before you, vast and gently rolling, as the night’s moisture rises in delicate veils of mist. Your footsteps echo along the volcanic earth tracks. All around, the meadows ripple softly in the breeze, punctuated by low walls of dark stone that divide the landscape into an ancient patchwork.
As you continue, the trail gradually climbs towards the high plateaus of the Velay, where the horizon seems endless. Then come the conifer forests. The shade is deep, almost mysterious. The ground is carpeted with pine needles, soft beneath your feet and filled with their distinctive scent.
When the trail emerges from the woods, the light bursts back in: the plateau opens onto windswept grassy moorlands. Walking here gives you the feeling of being tiny yet completely free, carried along by the sheer vastness of the landscape.
Finally, after a gentle descent, Pradelles comes into view, officially listed among the “Most Beautiful Villages in France.” Its slate roofs and cobbled streets appear like a promise of warmth and human connection after the wide-open spaces.
In the distance, Lake Naussac appears beyond the rolling landscape: a vast, peaceful sheet of sparkling water reflecting the sky and attracting migratory birds.

Discover:
> The Péchay Maar

• Landos
> The washhouse and its fountain
> St. Félix Church
> The Ribains Marsh

• La Sauvetat
> The volcanic narces

• Pradelles
> Village tour
> Vélorail
> Neo-Gothic church
> Aquatic center
> View of Gévaudan

• Langogne
> Lake Naussac – Water sports and swimming
> The Calquières spinning mill
> Museum of Sacred Art

Picking up the trail again, the silence returns, and once more you plunge into the countryside. The hike continues through pine and beech forests. The shade grows deeper, the air becomes damp, and every breath carries the scents of resin, moss and dark earth.
At last, the small village of Luc appears, nestled around the remains of its medieval castle. The old stone ruins rise above the Allier Valley like a monument to the past. On arrival, you can sense both the weight of history and the peacefulness of this simple place, surrounded by forests and low mountains. Climb back through the magnificent Gardille Forest before reaching Espradels, then continuing on to Luc and the remains of its medieval castle.
The path climbs gently as pine and beech forests close in around you. The air becomes damp, rich with the scents of resin, moss and mushrooms.
High up at the Col d’Esperlouze, the silence is profound, broken only by the clear song of a blackbird or the cry of a bird of prey circling above the clearings.
As you continue, the landscape gradually takes on a more Cévennes character: the slopes become steeper, the valleys deeper, and dry-stone terraces appear, remnants of the patient work of generations past. Mediterranean scents begin to mingle with those of the forest — wild thyme, broom and everlasting flowers.
Finally, after a long descent accompanied by the sound of flowing streams, La Bastide-Puylaurent appears, nestled among a landscape of wooded hills.

Discover:
• Luc
> The remains of the castle
> The first eddies of the Allier

You leave La Bastide-Puylaurent behind and make your way towards the Col du Thort.
From the very first steps, the trail climbs through a dense, deep forest. Further on, the shade gives way to vast, sunlit clearings. The wind moves more freely here, brushing through the tall grasses as they ripple like green waves. The contrast between the cool darkness of the woods and the vibrant warmth of the open landscape is striking.
The trail then descends towards rocky slopes, narrow gorges and chestnut groves with their gnarled trunks. The air changes — warmer, drier, filled with the scents of wild thyme, broom and sun-warmed stone. In summer, the song of cicadas joins the natural soundtrack.
As you approach Villefort, the landscape comes alive with water and light. Lake Villefort appears, a broad, shimmering mirror surrounded by lush green hills. You follow its shores, listening to the gentle lapping of waves stirred by the wind, before catching sight of Villefort itself, clustered around its church. The cobbled streets invite you to slow down and rest.
On arrival, one feeling stands out above all: you have crossed a boundary, leaving behind the vast plateaus of the Velay and Gévaudan and truly entering the Cévennes — a land of light, contrasts and living memory.

Discover:
> The ruts carved into the rock
> Gargantua's Table (Dolmen)

• Prévenchères
> Vauvineux Manor
> Notre-Dame de l'Assomption
> The 500-year-old oak tree

• La Garde-Guérin
> Its dominant position above the Chassezac Gorges
> The castle tower and chapel

• Villefort
> The Saint-Loup Chapel and the view of the lake
> The old houses
> The lake (walking and swimming)
> The Thort Palace (recumbent dolmen)
> The ruts carved into the rock

Leaving Villefort, the morning air is still refreshingly cool, softened by the nearby lake. The trail gradually leaves the valley behind, and the Cévennes landscape begins to reveal itself more clearly: steep slopes, dense forests and rugged rock formations.
Before long, the trail climbs towards the Chassezac Gorges. The ground becomes rocky, while the drier air fills with powerful scents of wild thyme, lavender and flowering broom. The wind sweeps through the cliffs, carrying the distant roar of the torrent far below.
As you continue, you enter the Cévennes chestnut groves. Isolated stone farmhouses, built from dark schist, are reminders of the ancient, understated presence of the people who have long lived in these mountains.
Further down, the valleys open out and the air becomes warmer — almost scorching in summer. The sounds change too: the hum of insects, the shrill song of cicadas and the gentle rush of a stream tumbling over the rocks.
Finally, Chamborigaud comes into view, dominated by its impressive curved railway viaduct, a remarkable feat of 19th-century engineering. Its immense arches cut across the sky, creating a striking contrast between human ingenuity and the ruggedness of the surrounding landscape.
Nestled below, the village offers a lively and welcoming stop, bathed in sunlight and filled with the warm scent of sun-heated stone.

Discover:
• Saint-André de Capcèze
> The church

• Génolhac
> At the foot of Mont Lozère
> Beautiful medieval town
> Pont de Rastel

• Chamborigaud
> Luech lake and riverside area
> The Cévennes railway viaduct
> Historic houses
> The lake – walking and swimming

The route takes you to Portes, where you set off to discover the remarkable Château de Portes, known as the “Vessel of the Cévennes.” From here, the hike quickly takes on a distinctly Mediterranean feel. The chestnut forests gradually give way to slopes covered with pine trees, holm oaks and cork oaks. The ground becomes dry, rocky and sometimes tinged with red. Beneath your feet, stones roll and crunch as you walk. The air is filled with powerful scents: sun-warmed resin, aromatic herbs, thyme, rosemary and everlasting flowers.
The trail crosses valleys where streams still murmur, although their waters become increasingly scarce as you make your way towards the plains. The sun grows stronger, bathing the landscape in intense white light. All around you, cicadas begin their chorus, their vibrant song filling every moment of silence.
As you descend, the landscape gradually opens up. The Cévennes fade into the distance behind you, while the hills become gentler, announcing the approach of the Gard plain. The villages along the way have a distinctly southern character, with pale houses topped by traditional terracotta roofs and narrow streets sometimes filled with the scent of freshly baked bread or ripe fruit.
Finally, after this long descent, Alès comes into view, nestled in its sun-drenched basin. The air is warmer and denser, filled with sounds and signs of life: the hum of the city, the scent of dust and sun-heated stone — a striking contrast after so many days immersed in silence and nature.
Arriving here brings a powerful sense of achievement: you have crossed an entire world on foot, from the volcanic landscapes of the Velay to the garrigue of the Gard.
Your Régordane Way journey ends here, but the spirit of the adventure remains — a slow journey from north to south, from the coolness of the high plateaus to the dazzling light of southern France.

Places to discover
• Portes
> Château de Portes
> Historic mining shafts
> The surrounding landscape

Pradel
> The château
> Notre-Dame de Laval

• Le Mas de Dieu
Historic façades and Romanesque church
> 11th–12th-century church

• Saint-Martin-de-Valgalgues
> Mining past

• Alès
> Saint-Jean-Baptiste Cathedral
> Fort Vauban
> PAB Museum – Modern & Contemporary Art
> Musée du Colombier

Photo: Alès – © Alès City Communications Department – R. Capelle

Meet at 7:30 a.m. in front of the train station, where a minibus will take you to Le Puy-en-Velay (arrival scheduled for around 12:30 p.m., depending on traffic conditions).
Alternatively, you can choose to travel by train from Alès station.