Aveyron is a land of striking contrasts between mountain massifs such as Aubrac, which culminates at 1 463 metres, high plateaus, and deep valleys where large rivers flow. And, with ten of the one hundred and forty-eight most beautiful villages in France, the department proudly boasts the most beautiful prize list. Among the jewels incontournables : the bastides of Rouergue, the Templar and Hospitaller villages, Millau and its viaduct, the great Rodez and its Soulages Museum, Roquefort and its cellars or the incredible Micropolis, "the City of Insectes " of Saint-Léons-en-Lévézou. Conques, a cultural high spot on the UNESCO World Heritage List, is also a major stop on the road to Santiago de Compostela. Peyre, sculpted on the cliff, attracts visitors with its unusual rock village look. As a bonus, it offers an exceptional view of the Millau viaduct. Belcastel and its castle " dominateur " from XVe siècle, Estaing and its picturesque medieval town, Sainte-Eulalie-d'Olt and its small village that has become a fisherman's paradise, Najac and its royal fortress, Brousse and its fortified castle, Sauveterre-de-Rouergue and its royal bastide or La Couvertoirade, in the heart of Larzac... Only small villages of breathtaking beauty.
From the Templars to Pierre Soulages
The knights of the Order of the Temple have left their mark on the department. This religious and military order, created during the crusades, settled on the Larzac plateau in the middle of XIIe siècle and founded the commandery of Sainte-Eulalie-de-Cernon. The Knights Templar extended their powers as far as La Couvertoirade, La Cavalerie, le Viala-du-Pas-de-Jaux and Saint-Jean-d'Alcas. Today, the five sites are developed by the Larzac Templar and Hospital Conservatory.
But the capital of the Aveyron is indeed Rodez, whose history would go back to Ve siècle before J.-C., when a Celtic tribe from Central Europe, the Rutenes, stopped in the south of the Auvergne to found one of these oppidums characteristic of the Gallic civilization. If its Notre-Dame Cathedral built between the 13th and XVIe siècles remains one of its pride and joy with its Gothic bell tower all in pink sandstone lace top 87 mètres and its contemporary stained glass windows by Stéphane Belzère. The town is worth strolling through its medieval squares and streets to discover its mansions, the Denys-Puech Fine Arts Museum (Grand Prix de Rome for sculpture in 1884) and the National Stud located in the middle of a green park of six hectares. The Fenaille Museum - named after an industrialist and art lover, Maurice Fenaille - contains more than 20 000 pieces from 300 000 years before J.-C. to XVIIe siècle. Among the most interesting remarquables : the menhir statues that send the visitor back to 5 000 ans
These are the first representations of man " grandeur nature " and the oldest in Western Europe. The most famous is the famous Lady of Saint-Sernin, dear to Pierre Soulages, a native of Rodez. The world-famous artist and his wife Colette have donated to the city many pieces and works that can be found in the Soulages museum, a space in 4 600 m² dedicated to the artist. The museum, built in the garden of the foirail, thus provides a link between the old Rodez and the more recent districts
The great viaduct site and its viewing area
At the confluence of the Tarn and the Dourbie, Millau is a Mediterranean city where life is good. It is the only town in Europe with more than 20 000 inhabitants to be located in the heart of a regional nature park that stretches from the Cévennes in the south to the Lévézou lakes in the north.
For a long time Millau has been known for its traffic jams. Today the city has become famous all over the world thanks to its viaduct which blew them up. Along 2 460 mètres, it is the most beautiful and highest in the world with pylons culminating at 340 mètres (higher than the Eiffel Tower). The profile of the structure is also original since it climbs on a very gentle slope (3 %) from north to south, describing a slight curve. It took four years for this exceptional structure to be opened to traffic in 2005. At the foot of the viaduct, an exhibition area retraces its history, allowing visitors to discover the technical prowess of the construction. The viaduct can also be discovered by microlight, canoe, boat between Creissels and Peyre, quad or bus cabriolets
Millau, capital of glove-making
The viaduct, the first national monument of the third millennium, should not make us forget Millau's past. The city was an important industrial place and still has some beautiful remains. In Gallo-Roman times, the decorated pottery known as silligée was exported throughout the Roman Empire. It can be discovered on the archaeological site of La Graufesenque which includes burials, temples, ceramic workshops, large kilns, etc.. In the Middle Ages, the town turned to leatherwork to process the abundant skins of sheep from the nearby Causses. At XVIIIe siècle the glove-making industry took off considerably and was flourishing until the 1960s. Competition from new materials and relocation to countries with lower manufacturing costs led to a significant drop in production. Nevertheless, haute couture was to save a few companies
Roquefort, the first AOC of France and king of cheeses
Another symbol of Aveyron : gastronomy. This department remains attached to its terroir, whose taste is above all its own, and there is no shortage of specialities pas : tripous, fouace, aligot, charcuterie, trout, etc. But the king product remains Roquefort, which was the first cheese in France to be protected by an AOC. Legend has it that this cheese was born after a shepherd who one day forgot a piece of Causse cheese in a cave when he spotted a beautiful young girl. A few days later, he found the cheese stained green, but edible and even better. In any case, the first written record of Roquefort dates back to XIe siècle. And continues to delight us. Like this unique department where architectural masterpieces and humble peasant houses are the witnesses of a collective work frozen forever in time.
Smart Info
When is it? You can go there all year round, even if the arrival of fine weather is obviously more pleasant. The month of September is ideal
Get there. By car (Paris-Rodez : 660 km; either by the A20 or the A75), by plane (Rodez-Aveyron airport) or by train, everything is possible.
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