Soubrelargue Valley

The hike starts at the Town Hall square in Saint-Privat-de-Vallelongue.

(S/E) Take the path that climbs to the right of the temple. First turn right then left onto the road to reach Saint-Privat Church and the holiday village.

(1) Turn left and, at the fork immediately ahead, turn left again. Follow a track.

(2) At a fork, keep right on the track to reach the road leading up to the Col de l’Ancize. Follow it to the right up to the pass.

(3) Take the ridge path on the left to the ruins of Bellegarde Castle. Follow the yellow markings carefully. Descend to the left below the castle to reach a track; take this to the right to reach the hamlet of l’Oultre.

(4) Turn left towards the road then continue straight on. Pass through the hamlet of Soubrelargue. Continue left along the track that runs alongside the road, then take the first path on the right leading down to Vimbouches.

(5) Head down into the village. Cut across a street, then take the path to the right of the road at the bend before going straight on twice, then turning right onto the path through a chestnut grove leading to the Roumégous ravine. Cross via a footbridge, then head back up through the chestnut grove to reach the hamlet of Les Espérelles.

(6) You’ll come out onto a road; follow it to the left and cross the hamlet. Continue along the road until you reach a fork. Turn right towards La Vignette and the railway tunnel.

(7) Turn right and go through the tunnel. Continue straight on along the old CeFeDe path to reach the town hall of Saint-Privat-de-Vallongue and the start of the trail (S/E).

Access:
Via the N106 from Florac. 4.7 km after the Col de Jalcreste, turn left onto the local road towards St-Privat. Stop at the town hall square.

Public transport:
Bus stop: Route de St Frézal

Line 252 Florac – Le Collet de Dèze – Alès. Runs all year round. Please note, this shuttle is not equipped to carry bicycles

For more information, visit https://lio.laregion.fr/

Parking:
Saint-Privat Town Hall

Tips:
You will pass through tunnels, so bring a head torch. Ensure your kit is suitable for the day’s weather conditions. Remember that the weather changes quickly in the mountains. Make sure you bring plenty of water, good walking shoes and a hat. Please close gates and fences properly.

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

Ruins of Bellegarde Castle
Bellegarde Castle is the ancestral home of the Grimoard family. They settled in Grizac in the early 14th century, where the future Pope Urban V was born in 1309. Destroyed in the 14th century, all that remains of this building are the bases of the rooms, carved into the rock and featuring openings, as well as a moat also carved into the rock and likely dating from the 6th century.

The broom
The moors of heather, broom and juniper through which you are walking are former grazing lands that have changed due to the decline in grazing. “Broom for brooms,” my mother used to say, “there wasn’t any of that before; it was sown, probably to light fires or make brooms. I used to sweep my house with a broom made from broom that I made myself. My grandad showed me how to make them, and I knew exactly how to go and fetch the broom from the hills with my axe. I’d make my broom and tie it together with string.”

Vimbouches
In Vimbouches, the church and then the castle were burnt down by the Camisards; the village was also pillaged by royal troops in 1703. From 1943 onwards, the village, like other hamlets in the valley, took in anti-fascist German refugees who joined the Maquis in 1944. These refugees were supported and supplied by the local people. “My uncle used to tell me, ‘You must go to Soubrelargue—there were Jews in Soubrelargue—to go and say this,’ and he’d say something that didn’t make any sense. I’d say to him: ‘But what does that mean?’ He’d say: ‘Don’t worry about it, I’ll explain later,’ and off I’d go, passing through Vimbouches on my way to Soubrelargue; I was eleven years old.”

The chestnut drying room
In the clèdes, the chestnuts are placed on the upper level on open-work racks, whilst a fire is kept going on the lower level. “If the chestnuts aren’t heated enough, they’ll go mouldy; you have to keep a slow fire going and smoke them. We carefully collected the chestnut skins when we shelled them and covered the fire with them and ash; that stopped the fire from getting out of hand.”