A haven of peace for many plant and animal species, the Païolive Wood, in the Ardèche Cévennes, near to the town of Les Vans, extends for 16 km² on the edge of the magnificent Chassezac gorges. Nicknamed the Fairy Wood, this protected area, Mediterranean in type, with its holm and white oaks, is dotted with limestone ruiniform rocks, whose mineral shapes make real natural sculptures. In the course of a ramble you can admire the marvels of this strange place: petrified rocks making astonishing shapes such as a bear or a lion, or a bird on her nest! There are many trails, such as the Hiker's Loop, the Path of the Virgin and the Corniche Path, which enable you to get close to this exceptional natural heritage.

Discover this charming little character village in the heart of the Beaume gorges in southern Ardèche, nestling along the river, at the foot of steep limestone cliffs. Take a break in Labeaume to stroll around the picturesque maze of cobbled, sloping little streets, with covered passages and fine stone façades. By the edge of the river, the pleasant Place du Sablas square boasts a nice fountain, and is shaded by hundred-year-old plane trees. Not far from there, from the submersible bridge over the Beaume, you can enjoy a superb view of the whole village, surrounded by cliffs.

Whilst in the area, take the time to go on a hike around the Beaume gorges, a conservation area which is home to many protected species.

From mid-July to mid-August, Labeaume en Musiques takes place, a festival of classical and world music.

One of the finest caves in France is tucked away in the Cévennes, at the edge of the departments of Gard and Ardèche - the Cocalière cave. Visitors can take an underground guided tour (lasting about an hour) to discover a splendid group of concretions: stalagmites, stalactites, discs, draperies and more. As well as these wonders, you can also see prehistoric objects and bones uncovered during digs. When the tour is over, visitors return to the starting point in the open air on board a small train through the scrub.

Perched on a cliff overlooking the River Ardèche, the superb village of Balazuc has restored its heritage remarkably well. A former stronghold of the lords of Balazuc, this characterful little village, with its rich medieval past, is today listed amongst the most beautiful villages in France. A charming labyrinth of tortuous streets interspersed by arched passages, arcades and stairways, to be enjoyed on foot, during a delightful stroll...It's also a chance to admire its two beautiful buildings, listed as historic monuments: the feudal Castle, remodelled many times, and the Romanesque church of St Magdalen, which is a venue for concerts and exhibitions of paintings in summer. Then head for the bridge over the Ardèche, crossing to the other side to enjoy an uninterrupted view of the village looking like a picture postcard...

The area's other attractions include a beach for people to enjoy river bathing, a river sports centre offering canoe and kayak rides down the Ardèche, as well as a centre for education about the environment and sustainable development, situated at the Viel Audon hamlet co-operative, which is accessible in fifteen minutes on foot, along a path by the river.

32 kilometres of spectacular gorges in the heart of southern Ardèche! That is what lovers of grandiose landscapes can admire between Vallon-Pont-d'Arc and Saint-Martin-d'Ardèche... It took more than a hundred million years for the waters of the famous Ardèche river to have hollowed out this deep canyon. The result is astonishing: an immense defile of limestone cliffs which can reach heights of 300 metres high, where the natural wilderness remains unspoilt...

The gateway to the gorges, the famous natural arch of the Pont d'Arc, is the ideal point of departure for making a descent of the Ardèche river by canoe-kayak. Many routes, ranging from the mini-descent of 8 kilometres to the long descent of 32 kilometres, are possible over one, two or three days. Heaven for canoeists and kayakers! Those looking for peace and tranquillity, however, should avoid going there in July and August, when the area is much visited by holidaymakers. At the foot of the Pont d'Arc, pleasant sandy beaches encourage lounging and bathing.

Leaving from the Vallon-Pont-d'Arc, you can explore the Ardèche gorges' superb tourist trail, dotted with impressive, landscaped belvederes. There are splendid, incredible views to admire from the Serre de Tourre, the Cathédrale, the Balcon des Templiers or the Ranc-Pointu belvederes.

Listed as a Nature Reserve, the Ardèche gorges are dotted with signposted walks and are also suitable for rambling. A marvellous, immediate way to enjoy the beauty of nature in Ardèche!

Built at the foot of the limestone cliffs, the Castle of the Marquises of Vogüé overlooks a beautiful village of southern charm, built like an amphitheatre on the banks of the Ardèche. Flanked by four round towers, this medieval fort, refurbished in the 17th century, now hosts temporary exhibitions of the visual arts. Besides seeing the work of contemporary artists, here you can discover the history of the castle and the Vogüé family through the centuries, and admire a marvellous view of the village and the Ardèche Valley from the hanging garden.

Further down, be sure to take a little trip around the character village of Vogüé, with its old streets, arcades and arched passages here and there...

In the heart of the old hillside town of Aubenas stands Montlaur Castle, a gem of Ardèche civil architecture. Listed as an Historic Monument, the castle was inhabited from the 12th century up to the Revolution by six successive seigniorial families. Covered by varnished tiles, flanked by a keep with watchtowers and two round pepperpot towers, mullioned windows, and a Renaissance courtyard, Aubenas Castle is also special in that it houses a wide collection of paintings, sculptures and etchings.

Opposite the castle stands Delichères House. Gothic in style, this great 15th century dwelling is decorated with gargoyles. The town's heritage also includes Saint-Benoît Dôme, the old chapel of a Benedictine convent in the 17th and 18th centuries. Today it houses religious art objects and the marble mausoleum of the Marshal and Marshaless of Ornano.

Then head for the belvedere and orientation table on the Place de l'Airette, which gives you a great panoramic view of the Ardèche Valley!

Every Saturday morning on the Place du Château, there is a local produce market, full of colours and flavours.

Nestling at the heart of the Lozère Cévennes, near the green holiday resort of Villefort, in an unspoilt setting of lush green mountains, Villefort Lake has a surface area of 137 hectares, and is ideal for water sports. You can take a trip in a canoe, catamaran, dinghy, sailboat, pedalo, Zodiac motor boat or electric boat from the water sports centre. You can also take a walk on the footpath around the lake, relax on the sandy beach, go swimming (supervised in the afternoon in July and August) and fishing – there are plenty of leisure activities for sporty types and fans of relaxation alike!

Situated in the Massif Central, in the heart of the Ardèche mountains, the Tanargue also has the peculiarity of being in the Ardèche Mountains Regional Nature Park, on the watershed between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Nicknamed the Tonnerre (Thunder), this protected massif is home to a great ecological treasure. Its highest point is at Grand Tanargue, at 1,511 metres in altitude. Roaming the Tanargue, you can explore its wild landscape, complete with craggy foothills, high altitude grassland, peat bogs, streams and ancient forests.

To enjoy a beautiful panoramic view of the Tanargue Massif, go to the Meyrand Pass, where there is a marvellous orientation balcony at an altitude of 1,371metres.

A stay in the Tanargue is also an ideal occasion to enjoy outdoor activities like hiking, mountain biking, cycling and climbing.

A winter sports resort, Croix de Bauzon, stretches across the heart of this area, where you can practise alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, snowshoe walking and sledging. There is also a spa resort, Saint-Laurent-les-Bains, which specialises in treating rheumatic disorders as well as promoting general well-being and relaxation at the baths.

Situated in the commune of Vallon-Pont-d'Arc, near the famous Pont d'Arc, which marks the entrance to the Ardèche gorges, the Chauvet-Pont d'Arc Cave, discovered in 1994 by three passionate speleologists, is a masterpiece of prehistoric cave paintings. This Palaeolithic decorated cave has an extraordinary bestiary on its walls, which display no fewer than 425 animal figures! Dating from the Aurignacian period, these paintings and engravings are amongst the oldest in the world...

To conserve this unique place, closed to the public since its discovery, a reconstruction area composed of five buildings, with a facsimile of the Chauvet cave and a permanent exhibition about the Aurignacians and cave painting, is open since 2015, at the Razal site in Vallon-Pont-d'Arc.

The charming little spa resort of Vals-les-Bains, in Ardèche, produces the famous Eau de Vals, a sparkling mineral water which is rich in bicarbonates, enjoyed both for its taste and its digestive properties.

Nestling in the heart of the verdant countryside of the Ardèche Mountains Regional Nature Park, on the banks of the Volane, Vals-les-Bains has a pleasant, welcoming atmosphere. The spa quarter, built in the style of the Belle Époque, is especially good for relaxation, with its riverside parks full of different plant species and footbridges across the Volane. In the Intermittente Park near the Thermal Baths, you should see the famous Intermittente spring, where the geyser spouts up every six hours: at 5.30 am, 11.30 am, 5.30 pm, 11.30 pm in summer, and 4.30 am, 10.30 am, 4.30 pm, and 10.30 pm in winter.

Vals-les-Bains is also a place for leisure activities, with its casino, theatre, cinema, municipal swimming pool, mini-golf, the surrounding countryside (good for hiking and mountain biking), its summer events and night-time markets in July and August. The thermal baths, as well as specialising in treating digestive ailments, diabetes and obesity, also offer courses of treatment to promote well-being, and help you get back into shape. Their spa, with a Jacuzzi, swimming-pool, aquajets, Turkish baths and face and body treatments, has everything to delight those looking for relaxation!

Set in an exceptional environment, near to the wild site of the Chassezac Gorges, in the commune of Prévenchères in the Cévennes, the small fortified town of La Garde-Guérin, formerly the domain of the "Parier" knights who protected and guided the travellers following the Régordane road, is now listed among the most beautiful villages of France. A superb and particularly authentic destination, with its picturesque paved side streets that are ideal for a leisurely stroll, its admirable restored old stone houses, imposing medieval keep, and charming little Romanesque church with a bell tower wall. This area is a delight to walk around! A relic of the old castle, the 12th-century watchtower offers magnificent views of the tilestone roofs of La Garde-Guérin and the Chassezac Gorges from its summit...

Around 1 km to the north of the village, be sure to stop by the famous Chassezac belvedere, for dizzying views of the Chassezac granite canyon!

Situated in the commune of Orgnac-l'Aven, close to the Ardèche gorges and the Cèze Valley, the Orgnac pothole, listed as a Great Site of France, will take you on a fabulous journey through an enchanting underground world...During the hour-long guided tour, admire its huge caves decorated with splendid concretions, its forest of "stacked plates" (stalagmites), its "palm trees" which can reach heights of 17 metres, and its majestic draperies. In the Red Room (Salle Rouge) at a depth of 121 metres, a completely enthralling sound and light show is a wonderful way to round off your exploration of the cave.

The museum called the Prehistoric City (Cité de la Préhistoire) present the archaeological heritage of Ardèche, as well as the everyday life of prehistoric humans, in a fun, interactive fashion.

In the commune of Saint-Michel-de-Boulogne, in the Ardèche Mountains Regional Nature Park, on top of a rocky promontory, stand the remains of a beautiful medieval Castle, which was refurbished during the Renaissance. It is classed as an Historic Monument, dating from the 11th, 14th and 16th centuries, and has a remarkable Renaissance door decorated with twisted columns.

Perched on its mountain pass like a sentry since the 11th century, Portes castle once protected the pilgrims who walked along the Régordane Way to Saint-Gilles. Known as the "ship of the Cévennes" because of its spur shaped like a ship's bow, the Portes fortress consists of an "old castle” in the feudal style and a "new castle” in the Renaissance style. As well as discovering these two parts, visitors to this spot can also enjoy a splendid panoramic view of the Cévennes valleys, Mount Lozère and the Alès plain from the platform of the Renaissance fortification.

The charming Ardèche village of Mirabel is a much-appreciated stop for people who love the picturesque, with its cobbled lanes, its stone houses and arched passages. Above the former stronghold, on basalt cliffs, stands a square tower, made of blocks of black basalt, with white limestone wall ties, the remains of medieval fortifications which once stood at this site. From there you have a superb view of the Coiron plateau, the Auzon Valley and the Lower Vivarais!

Situated on the eastern edge of the Massif Central, the Ardèche Mountains Regional Nature Park extends across an area of more than 180,000 hectares, and covers six different landscapes, which are the Boutières, the Vernoux plateau, the Sucs region, the High Cévenne, the Piémont cévenol and the southern Cévenne. Ancient chestnut groves, dry stone terraces, old  volcanos, forests and pastures, gorges and verdant valleys, moors and garrigue all make up the variety of landscapes which characterise this vast protected area.

The Ardèche mountains stretch out to the west of the Park, with, amongst others, the Tanargue massif, an area of medium height mountains good for outdoor activities such as hiking or mountain biking, horse-riding and fishing, in the summer; and alpine skiing, cross-country skiing and snowshoe walking in the winter, at the Croix de Bauzon resort.

Famous volcanic sites, like Mount Mézenc – the highest point in the Ardèche (1 753 metres high), the Ray-Pic waterfall, the Jaujac basalt lava flows and Mount Gerbier de Jonc, at the foot of which the Loire river has its source, will delight nature lovers.

While the Ardèche Mountains Nature Park enchants sports lovers, it also delights those wishing to relax, with its three spa resorts, Neyrac-les-Bains, Saint-Laurent-les-Bains et Vals-les-Bains. Their spa establishments provide, apart from medical cures, courses of treatment for well-being, fitness and beauty therapy, such as the Thermal Baths at Neyrac-les-Bains, which offer body treatments inspired by Asia and the East...To stay in the Ardèche Mountains is also to take time to luxuriate on the beach of Lake Saint-Martial, where bathing is supervised in July and August, or to descend the Eyrieux or Chassezac rivers by canoe-kayak.

This wild conservation area is also rich in built heritage, predominantly stone edifices: Romanesque churches; medieval Castles; the picturesque little village of Chalencon with its granite houses; the hillside village of Antraigues-sur-Volane, with its shady terraces on Place de la Résistance Square and lanes whose walls are decorated with sculptures ; the remains of the Charterhouse of Bonnefoy, dating from the 18th century; the character village of Jaujac with its basalt lava flows; and Rochemure Castle, within whose walls the Park House (Maison du Parc) now stands.

To visit this part of Ardèche is also to learn about its history, traditions and skills, thanks to various museums such as the House of the Chestnut (Maison du Châtaignier) at Saint-Pierreville, the Bourlatier farm at Saint-Andéol-de-Fourchades, the Museum of Vivarais Protestants at Pranles, the Eco-museum (Ecomusée des Terrasses) at Saint-Michel-de-Chabrillanoux, and also the Chestnut Grove Museum (Musée de la Châtaigneraie) at Joyeuse.

In autumn, many places celebrate the traditional chestnut festival, the Castagnades, which honours the famous Ardèche nut.

The Madeleine Cave nestles on the left bank of the famous Ardèche gorges, 7 kilometres from the village of Saint-Remèze, and was discovered in 1887 by a shepherd who had a passion for subterranean adventures. From mid-March to mid-November, a guided tour which lasts an hour invites young and old to enter a magical, mysterious world, where they can see a succession of stalagmites and stalactites, huge draperies, and other splendid, grandiose concretions...The enchantment of the place is also emphasised wonderfully by a sound and light show.

Once you have left the Cave, head for the Madeleine belvedere, which offers superb panoramic views of the Ardèche gorges!

Belonging to the commune of Saint-Marcel-d'Ardèche, the Saint-Marcel Cave, in the Bidon area at the entrance to the Ardèche gorges, will lead you into an enchanted world. During the guided hour-long tour, as you travel along a 600-metre long laid out path, you can admire its huge chambers such as the Fountain of the Virgin, the Painters' Gallery and the Kings' Table, its cascading pools and strange concretions!

Located on the banks of the Langouyrou, an affluent of the Allier, in the commune of Langogne, the Calquières woollen mill is a listed historic monument and has now been converted into a living museum. It tells the story of the textile business in Lozère, as well as the various stages of wool transformation. Children and adults can see how a traditional craft is practised by admiring a unique set of machines from 1850, still in working order, driven by the mill's big wheel and the force of running water! A museum area about the weaving trades and a craft shop selling woollen clothing will round off your trip to this amazing industrial heritage site.

After a tour of the woollen mill, the historical trail in the old town is a great way to see the main monuments of Langogne, including the 12th-century Romanesque church and the picturesque 18th-century grain hall, where a market takes place every Saturday morning.

Situated in Mazan-l'Abbaye, in the Ardèche mountains, the remains of the Cistercian Abbey of Mazan, founded in the 12th century, can be seen in the heart of an unspoiled natural environment. The remains of the former abbey church, as well as the Romanesque cloister with sculpted capitals on its columns, which you can admire by yourself or during a guided tour, are evidence of its monastic past.

The national forest of Mazan, which borders the village, is good for rambling, with its resinous trees.

Located in the south-east of the Massif Central, in the Cévennes National Park, Mount Lozère reaches an altitude of 1,699 metres and is the highest point in Lozère and the Cévennes. This granitic territory is full of unspoilt plant life and has many trails including the GR 70, better known as Stevenson's trail, making it ideal for hiking. Take the chance to contemplate its superb panoramic views, not only in the scenery of Mount Lozère, made up of moors covered with broom and heather, peat bogs, pastures and granite blockfields, as well as in the surrounding mountains. Take the Finiels Pass for example, at an altitude of 1,541 metres, which offers beautiful views over Mount Aigoual and the surrounding Causses. This pass is popular with cyclists and is also the starting point for the La Pelouse walking trail, an interpretation centre to learn about the natural environment that takes you close to the summit of Finiels. The highest point of the Cévennes, the latter is a large plateau with three orientation tables, offering really exceptional panoramic views!

For hikers who love old buildings, some hamlets are especially worth a visit, such as L'Hôpital, the old commandery of the Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem, Mas Camargues and Bellecoste. Departing from the information centre in Mas Camargues, you can follow an observation trail made up of three circuits to discover the local rural and natural heritage.

On Mount Lozère, the outdoor activities continue in winter, with the family ski resort of Le Bleymard Mont Lozère, which offers Alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, luge, snowshoe hikes and dogsled rides.

In the south-west of Mount Lozère, the Cham des Bondons site has over 150 menhirs and 30 funeral mounds, making it the second highest concentration of megaliths in Europe after Carnac! You can discover this archaeological heritage on a trail called Walk in the Land of Menhirs...

To find out more about this massif's history, geology, flora, architecture, skills and traditions, head to the Mount Lozère Museum, located in the typical village of Le Pont-de-Montvert.

Finally, honey lovers won't want to leave this wonderful area without trying the hive products sold by the apiaries of Cubières, Cubiérettes and Saint-André-Capcèze, at the foot of Mount Lozère!

A stage on the Stevenson Trail, Le Pont-de-Montvert, a typical village nestling on the banks of the Tarn at the foot of Mount Lozère, is a popular stopping point for hikers and lovers of authenticity. It's a delightfully picturesque group of buildings with narrow side streets, granite houses and an old humpbacked bridge next to an old toll tower...

Places to visit include the House of Mount Lozère at Le Pont-de-Montvert, which contains a museum about the natural and human history of the Mount Lozère massif.