AVEYRON - The Heart of Aveyron

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Map of Aveyron, Heart of Aveyron

The heart of Aveyron is mainly located in the Ségala region. Quiet villages steeped in nature... You will be carried away by an attractive atmosphere for a relaxing holiday, close to the main tourist sites and towns of interest (for visits and daily excursions), but a holiday resort nevertheless sufficiently away from major tourist routes (so quiet in the evening, no traffic!).

If you are a fan of fishing, swimming, water sports and sunbathing in summer, this is an ideal holiday region, with the presence of many large dam lakes, at different altitudes. Here, livestock and agriculture are a way of life, in addition to being an economic activity. Gourmets will find enough to be fully satisfied with the delights of Aveyron, through small producers, local shops, good restaurants...

In the heart of Aveyron, the holidays are warm and imbued with a gentle way of life characteristic of rural and authentic Aveyron. The heart is the emotion, experienced from within and with the family, with those you love to accompany you on hikes, on walks in pretty villages with discreet charm. This region is discovered, like a precious treasure!

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Pont-de-Salars

South of Rodez, Pont-de-Salars is in the Lévézou, a high plateau with large lakes where you can practice water sports and nature. It is a great place for a family holiday, as there are pleasant beaches along the lakes where swimming is possible, hikes of different levels of difficulty, interesting villages to discover and tourist sites for the whole family.

Pont-de-Salars is an agricultural town, which has taken advantage of its geographical position and its natural resources for its economic and tourist development. Rural tourism today occupies a large place in the emancipation of this region, especially in summer.

In terms of heritage, you will discover the church of Poujols, the pretty Pont de Saint-Georges, the hamlet and the castle of Camboulas (in ruins, but it is a pretty site for a walk) with the Viaur stream at its feet.

It is especially the natural heritage that is to be discovered, lovers of flora and fauna will enjoy walking on the riparian forest of Viaur, the wetland of Vernet, the Peat bog of Bial, and the bocage of La Trappe. It is interesting to note the diversity of natural spaces and ecosystems around Pont-de-Salars. This diversity is explained by the different landscape entities that make up the Lévézou: the plateau, the numerous lakes and the steep-sided valleys.

The lakes are mostly artificial, they result from water retention from hydroelectric dams and are now of tourist and entertainment interest.

Come and enjoy the lake of Pont-de-Salars or that of Bage, not far away, which is reserved for fishing.

The Pont de Salars dam and the lake

Halls - Curan

Still in the Lévézou, a little further south, visit Salles-Curan, which, in terms of tourism, lives mainly from activities linked to Praloup Lake. Another large water retention lake for a dam. The lakes of the region are all linked together by underground galleries 3m in diameter. Their construction was part of the Marshall Plan, for the energy dynamism of France, in the 1950s. It was a titanic undertaking, which sometimes brought together more than 2000 workers! The electricity production plant concerned is located in Le Poujet. To find out more about this colossal project, ask for the information brochure from the tourist offices in the Lévézou region.

In the village of Salles-Curan, information panels offer you a guided tour. In the surroundings, you can visit the Château de Larguiès and Micropolis, the city of insects, which will appeal to children.

The village of Castelnau-Pegayrols, about fifteen kilometers away, is also worth a detour. It is a medieval village on the edge of a cliff, with ramparts, Romanesque church and pretty houses, an ideal place for an afternoon. In Saint-Beauzély, another pretty picturesque village, visit the museum of stone crafts, housed in a castle.

Praloup Lake

Baraqueville

Recent municipality (1973), whose origins date back to 1749: it owes its growth to its strategic location. Development of transport networks, organization of fairs, emergence of the railway and rural exodus... The small town which is not really one, acquires the amenities necessary for any REAL municipality and merges its two embryos: Vors and Carcenac-Peyrales to become Baraqueville. An original and unusual story in the region! In Baraqueville, you will see old peasant houses, barns, a pretty little fishing pond, a Gallo-Roman fountain. Like many other towns in this region, Baraqueville benefits from the attraction of its artificial lake: the Val de Lenne lake. In summer, there is plenty of entertainment, with a refreshment bar, supervised swimming, watercraft rental, in short, we have a lot of fun;)

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Rieupeyroux

Capital of Haut Ségala, Rieupeyroux is a former rescue from the 11th century. The Modulance Chapel is at the highest point of the town, which has developed around the listed Saint-Martial church. You will discover half-timbered houses, a square with arcaded buildings, pretty little streets and a nice farmers' market on Sunday mornings in summer.

There are exhibitions to discover from time to time, and cultural events at the Center Culturel Aveyron Segala Viaur (fr), which is located in Rieupeyroux.

Not far away, in Pradina, visit the Museum of Agricultural Traditions of Ségala which is in the animal park, a pleasant space of 15ha with nearly 200 animals (open from April to November).

Sauveterre-de-Rouergue

In Ségala, the land of a hundred valleys, visit Sauveterre de Rouergue, which is one of the most beautiful villages in France. Rolling hills and mountains, where hundreds of small streams and rivers meander... Located between the Viaur valley and that of the Aveyon, there are wooded landscapes and meadows of different altitudes. Agriculture is well developed here, thanks to the soil and also to the hydrographic network which makes it possible to manage the fields well. Livestock is present, especially veal and free-range lamb. Sauveterre de Rouergue is a former royal bastide, you will visit the collegiate church of Saint-Christophe, admirably furnished and the classic alleys laid out according to a checkerboard plan, a central square and an impressive succession of 47 arcades. In recent years, the town has been promoting local artistic know-how, several craftsmen are installed year-round and offer a new dynamism to the city, which has suffered from the rural exodus and its lack of proximity to other agglomerations. more important. At Espace Lapérouse, where the tourist office is also located, you will visit a center of crafts with exhibitions.

Discover the Sauveterre knife, because the town housed up to thirty blacksmiths in the 15th century! It has been updated for a few years...

City of cutlers!

Naucelle

There are not 1 but 2 Naucelles to discover! the old village, with the historic alleys, the tourist office, the church etc... and Naucelle-gare which constitutes the second part of the town, more residential and with the rest of the amenities, and which has developed with the arrival of the railway. This one has all its importance besides in the rise of the city, which remained partially in the shade of very close Sauveterre, until its opening up thanks to this new way of transport.

Naucelle is attached to the abbey of Bonnecombe, since it was created by the same monks, who built the Saint-Martin church in 1254. Cross the town to see some vestiges of its medieval character (a door, square with arcades, half-timbered houses, etc.). If you go to Naucelle, you have to taste the local speciality, the Tripous: veal stomach, stuffing of ham, garlic and parsley, veal tripe... flavored with tomato and white wine, it is a specialty not to be missed. not miss!

At the nearby Bonnefon pond, fishing is practiced.

The market takes place on Saturday morning, in Naucelle.

The church of Naucelle

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At Requista, the big star is the sheep. The city is home to the 2nd sheep market in France. It takes place every Monday at 9:30 a.m. and a large number of ewes, lambs and lambs are presented there in a large 4400m² hangar, built especially for this market. We've come a long way! Breeders, buyers and the curious, meet there, and the quotations (the course, the price) calibrated here, serve as a national reference!

The Requistanais is an agricultural region, where nature is very present, the herds graze there quietly. In the town of Requista and the surrounding area, the food is good, the value for money is excellent (a good tourist plan!). Take a walk to see the statue of the sheep in front of the town hall , the church.

In Lincou, go see the Lincou Manor Art Gallery Museum. In the region of Réquistanais, in Auriac-Lagast, very beautiful view, punctuated by an orientation table. There is also a national forest, for beautiful walks, the Lagast forest. Trout fishing enthusiasts can taste the fish at Brasc at the communal pond, from April to the end of August. Visit the pretty tiny town of La Selve, which is a former Templar Commandery. Climbing enthusiasts will love planting their pitons in the hard rock of Rullac-Saint Cirq, a picturesque site on a rocky outcrop. You will also discover an adventure course in Reycabrot.

The Star of Requista!