The best gravel rides in Occitania

Beginning or end of the railway cycle path „Voie Verte“ St. Girons - Foix or vice versa. A short section also serves to continue to (or from) Palmier. The Foix - Pamier route is neither signposted nor developed. But it can be easily ridden on small side roads.

One of many old train stations on the route, all of which are inhabited as private homes. How we wished that one of them housed a café. Nostalgic memories of the Alpe-Adria journey are awakened!

In the heart of Creissels, the Pesquié basin forms a surprisingly vast body of water (1,000 m²) compared to the modest stream that feeds it. Its name, which comes from Occitan and means "fish pond", recalls the ancient purpose of the place, linked to fish farming. The town hall now occupies the premises of a former fish farm. The basin is fed by the Creissels waterfall, a typical resurgence of the karst functioning of the Larzac: the water infiltrated into the limestones of the plateau reappears after an underground journey. In September 2023, the municipality dredged the basin and created a spawning ground for brown trout (Salmo trutta). The restoration has borne fruit, as trout have since recolonized the body of water, alongside amphibians and other aquatic organisms that find refuge in the surrounding wetland.

This place is the starting point of the Voie Verte which runs along the Tarn and leads to Creissels. You can discover the troglodytic village of Peyre in particular, a very pleasant forest section which, in places, forms a real green tunnel. Further on, you can enjoy a magnificent view of the Millau Viaduct.

From the Larzac plateau, the Brunas site offers a vast panorama of the Millau valley. Stretched between the two banks of the Tarn, the viaduct with its seven concrete piers appears in its entirety. Behind it unfolds the entire causse Rouge, a large limestone plateau whose undulations dominate the valley. Then, the Puech d’Andan is distinguished by its wooded silhouette, cut in two by a clear central notch. Further to the right stands the Pouncho d'Agast, a pyramidal promontory marking the beginning of the causse Noir at an altitude of 841 m. Brunas is also a true site for free flight. The take-off area is located directly on the plateau; the site is mainly used with a north wind and allows paragliders to take off and then land in the vicinity of the same sector, with approximately 370 m of elevation difference down to the valley. The spectacle of the sails evolving in front of the viaduct adds a particular dimension to this panorama.

Perché at an altitude of approximately 730 meters, the Cap de Coste viewpoint overlooks the eastern end of the Boundoulaou cirque. It reveals a vast panorama of the Millau basin and its surrounding massifs. To the left, the easily recognizable Millau Viaduct spans the Tarn valley, connecting the Larzac to the Causse Rouge. Further to the right stretches the latter: a large limestone plateau whose undulations dominate the valley. Then, the Puech d’Andan stands out with its wooded silhouette, cut in two by a clear central notch. Finally, further away, the Pouncho d’Agast, an emblematic relief of the Causse Noir, is easily recognized by its profile like a true limestone pyramid.

From this point at the foot of the structure, the regular succession of piers and guyed pylons can be particularly well distinguished. The deck, 2,460 m long, crosses the valley at a height of approximately 270 m above the Tarn. Pier P2, the tallest, culminates at 245 m, while the assembly formed by the pier and its pylon reaches 343 m: a height greater than that of the Eiffel Tower. This perspective also recalls the technical feat that the construction of the viaduct represented. The metal deck was assembled in sections from either side of the valley, then progressively launched across the void. The joining of the two parts was carried out on May 28, 2004, 268 m above the Tarn, before the official inauguration a few months later. An interesting detail can be discerned here: despite its exceptional dimensions, the structure appears remarkably light. This impression is not accidental. The viaduct was specifically designed to blend into the valley by limiting the visual impact of its structure, with a very slender deck and piers that branch out in a "Y" shape.

From the greenway, the Millau Viaduct is revealed from a particularly spectacular angle! One becomes aware of the extraordinary dimensions of the structure. Built between 2001 and 2004, the viaduct crosses the Tarn valley over 2,460 m and connects the Causse Rouge to the north with the Causse du Larzac to the south. Its metal deck, approximately 32 m wide, rests on seven concrete piers extended by seven cable-stayed pylons. At its highest point, the entire structure reaches 343 m above the ground; the deck is up to about 270 m above the Tarn. Designed by engineer Michel Virlogeux and British architect Sir Norman Foster, the viaduct combines a very slender metal structure with piers whose "Y" shape helps to visually lighten the whole. The deck was manufactured in metal elements and then gradually launched from both ends of the valley. The joining of the two parts was finally carried out on May 28, 2004, at 268 m above the Tarn.