The Lot balcony in Chanac

Car park in Chanac, Place de la Mairie.

(S/E) From the car park in front of the town hall, turn right onto Chemin des Rochettes.

(1) At the crossroads, turn right onto Chemin des Rivières. Cross the Lot plain, under the northern slope of the Causse du Villard.

(2) At the fork, take a more discreet path on the left, going uphill, at the edge of the Mende National Forest. You will come to a track.

(3) Turn right, following the^PR®® markings^. Pass a reservoir and stay on the main track at the next fork (altitude 702). Arrive at a crossroads south of Villard.

(4) Turn right and pass a fountain supplied by the village pumping station. You will arrive at the entrance to the village. At the crossroads, go straight ahead onto Rue du Donjon to reach the heart of the fortified village.

(5) Take the time to admire the restored ramparts of the castle, passing through the gate that was once protected by a portcullis. A platform, accessible by stairs, at the rear of the castle offers a unique panorama of the Lot valley.

(6) Retrace your steps to the previous intersection.

(5) Follow the^PR®® to leave the fortified village. At the crossroads, leave the tarmac road and take the path opposite, which leads downhill. You will eventually arrive at the banks of the Lot.

(7) Continue and pass in front of the Château de Ressouches on the other bank.

(8) Continue through this beautiful valley to the Pont Vieux (Old Bridge), rejoining the tarmac road at Chemin des Rivières, at the entrance to a farm.

(9) At Pont Vieux, cross the D132 for an alternative route via the Sentier du Lot opposite, which joins the left bank of the river. Follow it before turning right onto the path leading up to the D132.
Take it to the left and you will come out in Chanac, near the town hall square (S/E).

Before entering the ramparts, there is a bench under a covered area where you can stop for a picnic.

The fortified village of Le Villard
To defend the western flank of Chanac Castle, the bishops of Mende built a particularly solid castle complex in Villard around 1220.
All that remains is a vast platform with an entrance gate flanked by two round towers. A portcullis, which has since disappeared, protected the entrance. The complex is extended by a section of rampart with loopholes and a parapet walk. In the northern part, you can see the bases of the square tower, a keep which, in the aftermath of the Revolution, was still 16 metres high. Further north, a natural hill overlooking a precipice above the Lot valley is fortified by a surrounding wall which connects to the east with the wall surrounding the stronghold.
The castle does not seem to have recovered from the various attacks and destruction of the Wars of Religion. No doubt the pacification rendered this defensive site useless in the eyes of the bishops.
The ramparts were restored by the department and the municipality in 1984.

The Château de Ressouches
The land on which the Château de Ressouches stands was already under the control of the bishops of Mende in the 13th century. We know that a "manse", owned by the bishops, was located in Ressouches at that time. It is likely that the current château was built in the 16th century to consolidate this fortified house. In the mid-17th century, the château became the property of Antoine de Buisson, who carried out major repairs and took the opportunity to rebuild the adjoining farm. One of the most illustrious members of this family was Charles du Pont de Ligonnès, Bishop of Rodez and Vabres. In the 19th century, the farm was enlarged, notably with the addition of stables adjoining the chapel. PRIVATE PROPERTY, NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

The Tower of Chanac
A visit to the village of Chanac is rich in history, and its tower is the perfect symbol of this. Formerly the summer residence of the bishops of Mende, the castle, of which the tower is the only remaining part, enjoyed a period of prosperity during the 17th century, particularly under Monseigneur de Piencourt. Enlarged and embellished, it contained no fewer than thirty-eight apartments. It was supplied with water from the Bernades stream, which was carried by an ingenious system of Bourneaux (terracotta pipes). It burned down during the revolt of the royalists led by Charrier in 1793. It was then sold as national property and purchased for 650 francs by a court clerk. In 1988, it became municipal property. It is the setting for numerous cultural events during the summer, including the famous Détours du Monde festival. The tower, which dominates the Lot Valley and the village, remains the emblem and pride of the village.
(Source: Aubrac-Gorges du Tarn Tourist Office)