27
juily
2024

Gathering at Laguiole.

😀 Gathering between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
🤠 At 6:00 p.m.: Visit to the Honoré Durand cutlery, history and making of a knife.

Laguiole

Village of know-how and delicacies, capital of Aubrac and knives.
Welcome to Laguiole among the Laguiolais and Laguiolaises , the essential stopover on Aubrac in Aveyron!
La Guiola in Occitan means the small church.
Located between 868 and 1342 meters above sea level, on the Massif central and more precisely on the central plateau of Aubrac in Aveyron this village is also the birthplace of the famous Laguiole knife and the cow's cheese which also bears its name.
Laguiole pronounced « layole » to be in tune, which is important among the Aveyron residents! ...is a village anchored on its basalt mound.
Here we like to hear the slogan, Aubrac a country, a race.
Since 1947, the Laguiole bull has been the symbol of the Aubrac breed.
On the central square of the village, the imposing bronze statue of Georges Guyot representing the Bull of Laguiole is proudly erected. It brings good luck for fertility to all those who come to touch it.
It is in Aubrac that the knife was born and took the name of the village.
Even today, many cutlery makers handcraft this sometimes luxury object.
If the blades whet the appetite, it's Laguiole cheese, with controlled designation of origin. It dates back to the 12th century when the monks of the Domerie d'Aubrac developed breeding and cheese production. In the 1960s, in order not to lose the know-how of traditional buronnière gestures, a cooperative was born, today a real « tool forcollective work and united ».
During 4 seasons, the ideal location of Laguiole on the Aubrac plateau is legendary with numerous hikes possible on snowshoes and skis.
Winter but also on foot, by mountain bike and on horseback.

Cf: LRRD organisation

Contact Office du Tourisme ici

29
juily
2024

Departure for Saint Chély d’Aubrac

Roaming 31.5 km.

Sanch Eli in patois

The village of Hikers in the green Boralde valley.

After riding together from Laguiole here is Saint Chely d' Aubrac, who will receive us for two days.

This charming village, full of character, surrounded by greenery and woods is located in the department of Aveyron at 810 meters above sea level, placed on the Aveyron side of the Aubrac plateau, within the Boralde valley of Saint-Chély-d'Aubrac.

Nestled in the heart of the valley dug by the Boralde of Saint-Chély, the village is watered by the boraldes which are small streams which take their sources on the Aubrac plateau. This is one of the most beautiful valleys of Aubrac with its preserved nature. Its inhabitants are called Saint-Chélois(es).

Walking through the streets of the village, you will be able to see houses with very different styles. On Avenue d'Aubrac, the main street of Saint-Chély-d'Aubrac, the houses are rather imposing, bourgeois. They attest to the extension of the village at the beginning of the 20th century. It expanded when families expatriated to Paris to find work returned to the country.

Continuing through the center of the village, you can see older houses, some of which are corbelled and half-timbered dating from the 17th century. The Tower, now transformed into a guest room, dates from the end of the Middle Ages. This diversity proves the ancient existence of Saint-Chély-d’Aubrac.

The first church in the village dates from the 11th century. Here, heritage is strongly linked to pilgrimage. The best known of all is the route to Santiago de Compostela.

Saint-Chély-d'Aubrac is also a stop on the path to Saint-Guilhem-le-désert, agriculture and livestock are the activities that bring the region around the village to life.

The Aubrac cow, undeniable star, queen of the country, known beyond the borders of the region and photographed from every angle by amazed visitors in front of their made-up eyes; it is here, the most widespread.

Cow breeding, whether for the milk which is resold to the Coopérative Fromagère Jeune Montagne to make Laguiole AOP, or for meat, punctuates the life of the region, whether in terms of work or even festivities!

Livestock fairs were once very numerous and lively. Today, this tradition has been somewhat lost, but continues with the departmental Aubrac breed competition, which takes place every year at the end of October. Around 250 black-eyed beauties are presented, the most beautiful specimens of the breed.

In spring, in May, it is the Transhumance Festival which punctuates life in the town. The breeders accompany their cows adorned with flowers and broom towards the Aubrac plateau on foot. It is the flagship event of the year, the moment when the herds climb onto the plateau in the summer, another opportunity to celebrate local traditions around cheese tastings, beef plancha and other things. Many tourists come each year to participate in or simply watch the parades.

Saint-Chély-d’Aubrac is also central for fishing with nearby lakes and rivers. The village is included on the UNESCO World Heritage list. It is one of the undisputed riches of Occitania.

Winter in Saint-Chély-d’Aubrac is also spent at the Brameloup ski resort. Also not far away, you can find the joys of skiing at the Laguiole ski resort.

See: LRRD organization

Contact Tourist Office here

30
juily
2024

Loop around Saint Chély d’Aubrac

26 km loop - (Subject to modifications).

Program of the day being developed for the 2024 edition

See: LRRD organization

Contact Tourist Office here

31
july
2024

Departure for Sainte-Eulalie-d’Olt

Roaming 37 km (negative and flat elevation gain)
(Subject to modifications).

Sainte Eulalie d'Olt, Senta Eularia in Occitan.

The richly flowered medieval city.

Member of the community of communes of Des Causses à l'Aubrac this charming picturesque village located in the department of Aveyron in the Occitanie region is classified among “ The Most Beautiful Villages in France”.

In the upper Lot Valley, between the Causse and the Aubrac, the town is watered by several tributaries, the Menderson, the Moulinet, the Mas Nouvel ravine, the Coutelle, Glassac, Coustats and Barrage streams.

The 373 gentiles are called the Encaulats.

Legend has it that as a mockery, the name encalats, which means “cabbage eaters”, was given to the inhabitants of the town because there were cabbages in the gardens .

Since the year 2000, the inhabitants of Sainte-Eulalie-d’Olt have met every year for a gigantic meal around Cabbage during the winter.

Loving the beauty of their village, every year, the inhabitants decorate their houses with flowers. Thus, Sainte-Eulalie-d’Olt has been awarded several times in its category in the competition for towns and villages in bloom since 1986.

There are no words to describe the beauty of this village located in the Lot valley at an altitude of 407 meters up to 876 meters. Nestled in lush greenery, on the left bank of the Lot, lies the medieval village. Rich in its architectural heritage, you can discover two buildings protected as historic monuments, the Saint Eulalie church dating from the 11th century was classified in 1923 and the the 15th century castle century classified in 1976.

Along the Serre stream, the mills bear witness to the old tannery and drapery activities. Its village, organized in successive arcs around the church square, a masterpiece of Gothic art, has allowed it to preserve its authenticity with these houses with slate roofs, built of Lot pebbles with or without half-timbering.

Walking through the narrow, cobbled streets, the renaissance hotel and the mill wheel give rhythm to the life of the flowery village where it is good to stroll.

It was in the Middle Ages that Saint Eulalia was born. The ramparts enhanced with towers which shelter it then earned this small city the name of castrum.

For many years, this historic city has turned to art; not only through the architectural aspect of the town, but also thanks to its inhabitants.
The most telling example is that of Marcel Boudou, painter, to whom a museum is dedicated . Today it bears his name: Marcel Boudou museum-gallery.

Today many artists and craftsmen have settled in the village or in the old restored barn, called the Grange des Arts . The small art school was also established in 1998.

Every year, on the second Sunday in July, the Holy Thorn takes place, where a procession takes place. All the inhabitants of the village, in costume, recreate the main phases of Christ's ascent to Calvary.

The weekend is thus placed under the sign of celebration with a ball and fireworks.

See: LRRD organization

Contact Tourist Office here