A New Adventure in France

As we moved further west towards the Gorges du Tarn we made an overnight stop in the region of the Causses and Cévennes, near Le Vivian, passing on the way scenery ranging from cliffs to mountains and bleaker plateau landscape – all amazing.

The settled weather makes it ideal for getting out on the motorbike and we did a circular ride out past the Col du Menier and the Mont Aigoual areas. Starting off in warm sunshine we were then a bit surprised to find ourselves above the snow line and, although the roads were totally clear and dry, the hillsides were covered in snow. As we reached the highest point some locals were probably surprised to see a motorbike passing by a shop selling plastic toboggans and snow shoes. Moving on further east we reached our base for the Gorges du Tarn, the village of Aguessac not far outside Millau.

From the 1st century Pont du Gard to a bridge that has been open for less than 20 years….. When Claire was travelling regularly to the Languedoc by car in the early 2000s, the road south of Clermont-Ferrand involved transiting through the town of Millau, a sinuous road down from the plateau into the town and then back up the other side, often beset by traffic delays or accidents. During this time a new viaduct was being constructed high above the town and across the Tarn valley. It was amazing to see the progress of the construction, often poking above the clouds hiding the town in the valley below. For locals the construction of the bridge was contentious, bypassing the town and leading them to fear the economy of the town and the region would be impacted. In fact it was, but for the better, because the Norman Foster-designed bridge that opened in December 2004, currently the highest bridge in the world, was an instant success and attraction, drawing many new tourists to the area. Certainly it seemed to take the local administration by surprise because, visiting it shortly after it was opened, there were no viewing areas and cars were simply pulling off anywhere at the side of the road to take photos. Now there are official viewing areas as well as many companies offering kayak tours on the Tarn with the bridge towering high above. It’s a beautiful and hypnotic bridge that certainly does not detract from the magnificence of the landscape it sits in.

At the point where the viaduct crosses the Tarn, the valley is gently sloping, but, further east along the river, the Gorges du Tarn present a very different landscape, one that is ideal to explore on the motorbike rather than in a car or campervan. As you enter into the gorge at Peyreleau the cliffs tower above you on both sides and at some points the road goes through tunnels cut into the rock. In contrast to the Gorges du Verdon which we visited a couple of years ago and where you ride along the top of the cliffs, in the Gorges du Tarn you are down at river level so the landscape is more imposing. Stone houses with scalloped shingles on the roofs cling to the cliff sides in the few small villages along the river towards Florac. It’s not surprising that some of these villages are classed as among the most beautiful in France. We were particularly enchanted by Saint-Enimie and Saint-Chély-sur-Tarn, but every corner provided another ‘wow’ view. We travelled back via the same road to appreciate the gorge from both perspectives. There are lots of gorges in this area and we plan to discover some more as we head eastwards again.