With the Cévennes' infinite number of green houses and crests as far as the eye can see, visitors of the south of France's Massif Central are taken aback by the diversity of the landscapes. Shaped by erosion, the nearby Causses plateaus also constitute a fascinating landscape in themselves.

This Unesco-recognised site covers an area of 302,319 hectares, between the Departments of Aveyron, Gard, Hérault and Lozère. These areas, often sparse and subject to considerable climatic differences, are largely used as pasture for herds of cattle and sheep.

The country of Roquefort
Unesco's World Heritage Committee has identified this territory as an exceptional example of “agropastoralism”, notably for the non-intensive farming of ewes, which is used to produce Roquefort. According to the Unesco website, “this landscape of mountains woven with deep valleys is representative of the relationship between agro-pastoral systems and their biophysical environment, notably through driving and transhumance routes”.

“Mount Lozère, which constitutes part of the site, is one of the last places on earth where summer transhumance is still practiced”, adds Unesco.

The diversity of the natural environments
The Mediterranean climate, bringing with it serious droughts and violent storms, has considerable influence on the Cévennes. The limestone of the Causses absorbs rainwater which reappears at the foot of deep gorges. Mount Lozère absorbs the excess water and redistributes it into streams. In order to adapt to the climate and to obtain the water required for herds and crops, man has learned how to sculpt the landscape. Hikers can go off in search of traces of this (like the Canal de la Viale trail, the Pradillous trail and the Pelouse trail, for example).

Transhumance 
The Unesco website reminds us that “the villages and the large stone farmhouses situated on the deep terraces of the Causses mirror the location of large abbeys built here as of the 11^th century”. With the help of the shepherds, the monks cultivated the uplands to expand the pastures and opened up grassland for the transhumance of herds from the plains in the Languedoc region.

Transhumance constitutes a major part of the area's heritage and identity (maintaining driving, open landscapes, shepherds, traditions, the Transhumance Festival on Mount Aigoual, etc.). Agricultural and pastoral activities play an essential role in the preservation of these areas.

Typical architecture
Here, constructions are made using materials available in the local area. Those found in the areas surrounding Mount Lozère, made from heavy granite blocks, are huge and their openings are rare and small in size. In the valleys of the Cévennes, the schist houses are tall and narrow. In the Causses, the housing is made from limestone and is constructed with a method using vaults.

La Couvertoirade, a village like no other
Built using this same method, the famous village of La Couvertoirade (which has been named “one of France's most beautiful villages”), just beside Larzac, is bathed in historical heritage linked to Hospitallers and Templars. Another particularity is the little frames made from dry stone close to the houses –low walls, chestnut dryer, threshing, steeples, etc.

Not to be missed

• the emblematic landscape of the summits of Mount Lozère, with its panoramic view and its peat bogs;
• the Causse Mejean, a southern area home to many steppes, a “limestone fortress” fluctuating between 893 and 1,169 m in altitude and bordered by the gorges of the Tarn and the Jonte;
• the Vallée du Bonheur and the Trévez gorges, “a succession of remarkable reliefs and sites”.

To find out more
Practical information (map, directions, etc.)
The Causse and Gorges Eco-Museum
The Cévennes Eco-Museum
The Mount Lozère Eco-Museum
List of sites (on the Cévennes National Park website)
The official website of the Causses and the Cévennes
The website of the Grands Causses Regional Nature Park
The website of the Cévennes National Park
The Unesco website