Nasbinals loop offering different landscapes of the Aubrac region

The departure point is the car park at Place du Foirail. If it is full (due to numerous events, especially in spring and summer), there are other parking options in the village.

(S/E) Take Rue Principale, pass the church (11th and 12th centuries) and go around it to follow the main road to Aubrac. (Refreshments are available in the village and there are several shops).

(1) Leave the road at the exit of Nasbinals and take the path that climbs towards Le Coustat and follow the GR®65, marked in red and white, which is very well signposted (and for good reason, as this is the famous Way of St James for the start of this hike).

(2) At this crossroads, continue straight ahead on the GR®65 towards Aubrac.

(3) At the fork, the path on the left is one of the variants of the GR®65, but I chose to follow the original GR®65 by turning right. Pass in front of the Pascalet farm, with a climb that offers superb views.

(4) Continue on the GR®65, straight ahead, and join the D987.

(5) Cross it carefully. At the end of the descent, below the Grand Hôtel Royal, the GR®65 continues slightly to the right after crossing. Arrive at Aubrac.

(6) Turn left onto the paved road that descends. Pass the gate to the botanical garden and continue for 70 metres.

(7) Take the path that leaves the road, branches off to the left and joins a wider path. This is the link between the GR®65 and the GR®6, which descends towards the Ruisseau d'Aubrac, then climbs up the other side.

(8) At this fork, turn right and cross the stream via the bridge. On the other side, take the left-hand path at the fork, which climbs into the undergrowth.

(9) When you reach the junction with a wider path, take this path on the right and follow it for a little over 300 m, passing the Croix de la Vaysse.

(10) Turn onto the path that branches off to the left, marked in red and white by the GR®6 and GRP® Tour des Monts d'Aubrac, and continue to the next crossroads.

(11) At this junction, continue straight ahead and follow the red and white GR®6 markings, then immediately after, follow the path on the left at the fork. Join the D219.

(12) Turn left onto this road with caution and 50 m further on, take the^first path on the right: this is the old Roman road. Turn immediately left and continue until you reach a junction with a road.

(13) Follow it on the left until the next nearby intersection.

(14) Turn right onto the road towards Montorzier, signposted "voie sans issue" (dead end).

(15) In Montorzier, take the middle path (it looks like you are entering someone's property, but you are on the GR®). There will be a first gate to open just after the house. There will be other gates further along the path. You will find yourself in fields for livestock: depending on the season, there may be more or fewer cows on this part of the path.

(16) Near the alluvial plain, take the path on the left which leads to the Route des Lacs, crossing a large field.

(17) Follow the road to the left, pass the Buron des Nègres and continue to follow the road until you reach the car park on the left and cross it.

(18) Then take the path on the left, at the very beginning of the road to Baulès, and follow the GR®670 (until you reach the entrance to Nasbinals, where it joins the GR®65).

(19) Continue straight ahead. Turn left at the intersection, then left again at the next intersection.

(20) At the fork, take the left path. Join the D900 at the cemetery and follow it to the left for about 50 metres.

(21) Leave the road and take the path behind the houses to avoid the road. This is the GR®65, which leads back to the car park (S/E).

You can refill your water bottles in Nasbinals and Aubrac, but make sure you have enough water for the section after Aubrac, as there are no water points for the next 15 km.

No specific equipment is required for this route.

Please note that depending on the season, you will be crossing fields where cows graze. On the GR®65, as it is very busy, the cows are very used to hikers passing by. However, further on, between the points (15) and (17), they are less so as there are far fewer hikers. So don't be afraid of the cows, otherwise you can always join the D219 at point (14), which passes by Lac des Moines, then the D987 to return to Nasbinals, but this is a paved road.

(S/E) The village of Nasbinals and its 11th and 12th century church.

(6) Village of Aubrac. Perched at an altitude of 1,300 metres in the heart of the Aubrac Regional Nature Park, of which it is the headquarters, the village of Aubrac is one of the plateau's most iconic sites.

(8) The Boraldes de l'Aubrac are rivers that criss-cross the Aubrac plateau. They are very characteristic of the plateau because they are very short. In fact, the distance between their sources and their confluence with the Lot is no more than a few dozen kilometres. They therefore form a hydraulic network that carves out the volcanic rocks of Aubrac, which are several thousand years old, and give the landscape a mineral character.

(17) Lac des Salhiens is the last lake on the Route des Lacs (Lake Route) from Saint-Germain-du-Teil. It is surrounded by wet meadows of great ecological interest, home to a large number of animal and plant species.

(18) The Cascade du Déroc is one of the treasures that nature has shaped over time. This waterfall is the highest on the Aubrac plateau. It is accessible all year round.