On the old paths of Saint-André

In Saint-André-de-Valborgne, you can park in the town centre outside the tourist season, along the road or in a small car park near the Catholic church, but during the tourist season, it is better to use the car park signposted Route de Florac. The route starts at the foot of the Catholic church at the Old Bridge over the Gardon de Saint-Jean.

Yellow markings are used throughout the route (except for the visit to the village at the end of the hike), supplemented by directional markers

(S/E). At the Saint-André-de-Valbogne signpost, take the Old Bridge to find the Old Bridge signpost on the other side of the Gardon and follow the Chemin de Castanet sign to the right. Pass another bridge on the right, go to the left of the temple and arrive at the Le Temple signpost.

(1) Turn left onto Rue de l'Abattoir. Ignore a path on the right at the Valat de la Jasse marker and follow the signs for Chemin de Castanet. This path begins with a concrete section and then, opposite a property, continues along a beautiful stony path.

(2) Much higher up, take a footbridge over a stream, then a few steps that mark the end of the steepest part of the climb. At the T-junction, continue to the right. Arrive at the Chemin de Castanet marker.

(3) Follow the path to the left towards Rougeiresque and reach this signpost.

(4) Continue straight ahead on the path towards Réservoir du Serre. Pass two beautiful viewpoints, with a view of Château de Nogaret from the first. The path then narrows and arrives at a footbridge over Valat de Nogaret.

(5) Cross the footbridge and continue along the path. You will reach the Réservoir du Serre marker.

Yellow markings and red and yellow^GRP®® markings

(6) Continue towards Vignelongue. You will arrive at a path, at a sign for Château de Nogaret (you can turn left here, but the château is not very visible, less so than from the viewpoint above). Follow the path to the right.

(7) The path turns into a small road at a beautiful stone bench. Follow it downhill in wide hairpin bends. At the first houses in Saint-André, ignore a road on the left. You will arrive at the Vignelongue marker.

(8) For a short round trip, descend to the right towards Les Marmites until you reach the banks of the Gardon. A submersible footbridge allows you to venture onto the river. Climb back up to the Vignelongue signpost.

(8) Follow the signs to Saint-André centre on the right. When you reach the Les Vignes signpost, continue towards Vieux Pont. When you reach the bridge, cross it to return to the right bank of the Gardon and the Saint-André-de-Valbogne signpost.

No signposts

(S/E) Go around the church (open when we passed) on the left and make a short return trip on the street on the right, lined with terraces. Return to the church and pass it, continuing straight along the Gardon. When you reach the temple on the other side of the river, you will see a stairway on the right, near the Espace Culturel Bernadette Lafont. Walk up a few metres to see the Fontaine du Griffon fountain, then take the stairway. When you reach a terraced garden on the right, turn left onto a stairway that leads down to the banks of the Gardon. At the Le Passage signpost, follow the direction of Le Temple, cross the street and take the footbridge over the river. On the other side, turn left and find the Le Temple signpost.

(1) Retrace your steps along the outward route to reach the Saint-André-de-Valbogne signpost (S/E).

Difficulty: moderate, standard hiking gear, long sleeves and long trousers, plus perhaps one or two walking sticks.

Discover more hikes in this area with a description or the Visorando app here and in Lozère here

Photo album here

The Chemin de Castanet, which you take at the start of the hike to climb up, is an old road that was once very busy as it linked the valleys to the ridges. Mules laden with silk spun in the region used to travel along the Corniche des Cévennes, the main route between Nîmes and Auvergne, before the road at the bottom of the valley was built around 1850.

There are some beautiful views from the rocky promontories along the path between (3) and (5). From the first viewpoint, you can see the Château de Nogaret. It was located on the only road connecting Saint-André to Pompidou, on the Corniche des Cévennes. It is said to have been built as a stronghold to defend the Borgne Valley. Burned down in 1628 during the war between the Duke of Rohan and Louis XIII, then again in 1704 by the Camisards, it was rebuilt in the 17th century. Further down, you come to its access road, but it is private and not very visible from this level.
Source of information: Cévennes National Park.

Inthe Espace Bernadette-Lafont, in the Jardins de la Tour, at the foot of the old castle, you can see nine totems representing the faces of the great Camisards who lived or stayed here, and thus marked the history of the Borgne Valley during the war from 1702 to 1715.
These schist stone sculptures represent Étienne Gout, Thomas Valmalle, Jacques Borgne, Marie Combasson, Henri Castanet, François Vivent, Monsieur du Fesquet, Jeanne Mazauric and Madame de Saint-André.
A soundtrack, featuring the voice of Bernadette Lafont, a native of the town who willingly lent her voice to the project, tells the story of these individuals and the entire War of the Cévennes, which completely disrupted the region. Information is available at the Tourist Office on the main street, not far from the church.