Pauparelle

From the arid plateau of the Causses to the foothills of Puech Pounchut, this walk takes you on a journey of discovery through the upper Jonte valley and its contrasts.

A very scenic trail; climb towards Pauparelle to discover the interlocking roofs of Meyrueis, nestled at the foot of the rock, leading to the Jonte gorges bordered by the Causse Méjean and the Aigoual massif: a journey between the Causses and the Cévennes.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.90 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 434 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 442 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,032 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 694 m

Photos

Description of the walk

The walk starts from the Champ de Mars car park.

(S/E) From the Champ de Mars car park, turn left, then right onto Rue du Commandeur, then left onto Rue de Mgr Maret and left again. Cross the bridge and turn right onto Quai Sully. At the end of the street, at the Tourist Office, take the Florac road on the right and immediately turn left until you reach the bend in the public garden marked by a stone cross.

(1) Turn left onto the path lined with a high wall. At the tarmac road, take the lane on the right that runs along the back of a large building. The path joins the D986. Cross it carefully and follow the path opposite, which is steep for 150 metres. It joins an old track. Follow it to the left until you reach the road leading to Pauparelle.

(2) Take it to the right until you reach the hamlet of Pauparelle. Leave the hamlet on your left and continue straight ahead on a carriage road. After a hundred metres, turn right onto a steep climb. Ignore all the crossroads on the left. After a few hundred metres, the track runs along the cornices of the Causse Méjean. When the path runs parallel to the road, follow it until you almost reach it.

(3) Just before the road, descend to the right via the old path to the cistern at Salvinsac. At the end of the descent, the path leads to the D996 road.

(4) Cross it carefully and take the tarmac descent into the hamlet. Leave a path on your left. Cross the Jonte and after the bridge head towards the "La Cascade" campsite.

(5) At the campsite, take the track that goes uphill, and after the bend, keep right then left as you climb. At the next crossroads, continue straight ahead. At the fork, turn left and climb up to the pine forest.

(6) Turn right onto a steep and slippery descent (pine needles). At the bottom, turn left onto the path (sometimes muddy). At the crossroads, turn right to join a hairpin bend.

(7) Take the tarmac road in the middle.

(8) In the hamlet, at the fountain, turn right to descend to the medieval Six Liards bridge over the Jonte (return trip).

(9) Return to the fountain.

(8) Keep to the right. Pass above the "Le Jardin des Cévennes" campsite, turn right then left to reach the centre of Meyrueis. Pass in front of the temple and reach the tourist office. Turn left at the tourist office then return to the starting point by following the route in reverse. (S/E)

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 703 m
  2. 1 : km 0.67 - alt. 705 m
  3. 2 : km 1.82 - alt. 854 m
  4. 3 : km 5.44 - alt. 1,028 m
  5. 4 : km 7.28 - alt. 766 m
  6. 5 : km 7.62 - alt. 748 m
  7. 6 : km 8.64 - alt. 806 m
  8. 7 : km 9.88 - alt. 734 m
  9. S/E : km 11.9 - alt. 703 m

Notes

Access:
Meyrueis via the D 996 and the Jonte Gorges.

Public transport:
Stop: Tourist Office, Place Sully

Line 215 Millau – Peyreleau - Meyrueis. Bicycles are allowed. 
Line 259 Mende - Saint Enimie - Meyrueis. Please note that this shuttle does not allow bicycles.

More information athttps://lio.laregion.fr/

Parking:
Champ de Mars car park

Advice:
Adapt your equipment to the weather conditions on the day. Remember that the weather can change quickly in the mountains. Remember to bring plenty of water, good shoes and a hat. Close gates and fences behind you.

In the heart of the park:The National Park is a natural area, open to all, but subject to regulations that are useful to know when planning your visit.

Worth a visit

Terrace
Throughout the climb, you will discover old abandoned terraces. You will see a few vines that have survived since local wine-growing was abandoned. They bear witness to the fact that the slopes around the hamlets and villages were cultivated and planted with fruit trees and vines. These terraces were the only way for the inhabitants of the valley to have flat areas with deep soil suitable for cultivation.

Pauparelle
From Pauparelle, you have a beautiful view of the village of Ayres. This hamlet was founded in the 11th century around a Benedictine priory created by the Abbey of Saint-Victor-de-Marseille on the site of the current castle. The castle, built in the 16th century on the ruins of the monastery, was pillaged and burned by the Camisards in 1703. Rebuilt in 1710, it now houses a renowned hotel. Pauparelle is a private property, which is not open to visitors, and whose name means "the domain of the poor". The residential and agricultural buildings date from the 17th and 19th centuries. Until 1850, the property belonged to the Charity Office of the town of Meyrueis, which then had a population of around five thousand.^(Jérôme Reversat)

Jonte Valley
The two sides of the valley are contrasting. On one side, the south-facing limestone slopes (adret) have sparse vegetation. Here you will find boxwood, serviceberry and common juniper, species typical of the flora found in oak and Scots pine forests. Mostly covered with grassland, these slopes are used as grazing areas for sheep. Orchids of a thousand colours and shapes can be found here. On the northern slope (north-facing), on the foothills of Puech Pounchut, the soils are calcareous and form an island detached from the Causse Méjean by the erosive action of the Jonte, in contact with siliceous soils. They have been reforested with Austrian black pine, a species adapted to poor, dry soil. Before these replantings, these slopes were wooded, but over-exploitation of the forest and overgrazing eliminated the woodlands in the 19th century.

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 9 reviews

Reliability of the description
5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
jouannypierre
jouannypierre

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 20, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Steep climb at the start but a very beautiful walk at the summit, as is the descent

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YVRY
YVRY

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 07, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant route that starts with a climb up to the Causse plateau, followed by a trail along the edge of the valley with beautiful views, and then back into the woods. A little shorter than indicated in the description.

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User 20032134

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 07, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike with some elevation gain, including some steep sections, especially during the first kilometre. I pushed on to the Cayla headland because I thought it would be a shame not to take in a bit of protohistory, and the view of the cliffs from this point is impressive. It only adds 2.5 km to the round trip.

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bernbla
bernbla

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 13, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Thanks for this hike, a good climb at the start, a steep descent at point 6, but otherwise the route is pleasant. We enjoyed the section in the forest between the campsite and the finish, which was very nice for sheltering from the sun.

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User 17553149

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 16, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike done in May, with ideal weather conditions as a large part of the circular is open.
The first part is quite steep, but once you reach the top of the plateau, it's flat, which is great for enjoying the magnificent view of the Jonte Gorges and watching the vultures soaring above.

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jpderail
jpderail

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 14, 2024
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A magnificent hike on the roof of one of the gorge's slopes with spectacular views. The climb is relatively steep and can be done almost in one go. The highlight of this route is the passage over the hermitage, with a rather dizzying ascent to the top of the rock, which is nevertheless safe thanks to the ladders. We did it using the GPS route, which is parish specific to Brittany, does not correspond to the paths and often deviates from the itinerary. Simply follow the yellow trail and you will stay on the path.

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Elsa84
Elsa84

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 29, 2024
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very enjoyable hike with a very accurate map.
However, a large part of it is in direct sunlight.
Beautiful views of the village of Meyrueis.
A short stop at the refreshment bar at the waterfall campsite was much appreciated before the last third of the walk.

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Mercou
Mercou

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 09, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant, shaded start, following simple directions. The difficulty lies in climbing the causse, which faces south. Not to be attempted in the afternoon.
A different way to see the Cévennes from the causse.

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gpsb
gpsb

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 04, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very pleasant route with beautiful views

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