A contrasting landscape
Aveyron has a very diversified relief in the south of the Massif Central. In spite of a less and less heavy weight of agriculture, the department keeps an essentially agricultural vocation, relayed by a growing tertiary level and the exploitation of tourism which affirms itself year after year. Thanks to its size, Aveyron is the largest department in the Midi-Pyrénées and the fifth largest in France with a surface area of 8,735 km2. In the east, the mountainous massifs are spread out where the highest altitudes are found: the Puech de Cazalets on the Aubrac mountains (culminating at 1,463 m), the Lévézou (culminating at 1,155 m) and the Grands Causses, which can reach 1,000 m. The rivers, all heading towards the Atlantic coast, have carved deep valleys. From east to west, the relief is tiered in successive levels forming plateaus, crystalline like the Ségala, or limestone like the Causses. The contrasts are sometimes striking between the high plateaus and the deep valleys, as much by the lifestyle as by the architecture, the cultures or the climate.
Temperatures in Aveyron vary a lot depending on the different corners of the department. But in general, they oscillate between 0 and 20 degrees. In winter, snow is becoming increasingly rare but the fog and morning mists persist. As far as sunshine is concerned, the department, like its counterparts in the south-west, is rather well off, with almost 2,000 hours of sunshine each year.Characteristic landscapes
Between the mountains of Auvergne and the plains of Toulouse, Aveyron offers a multifaceted landscape. The emblematic Causses, limestone plateaus cut by deep gorges, where we find the famous Larzac plateau, are surrounded by the avant-causses, a landscape of hills and plateaus with Mediterranean influences. In the south of the department, the Lacaune and Lévézou mountains are round and green and are neighboured by the Rougiers with their contrasting colours where villages and castles are nestled. To the north, the Aubrac mountains, high volcanic plateaus, are home to numerous ski resorts. The valleys of Ségala, which cover a large area in the centre-west of the department, are covered with oak and chestnut trees.
Rivers and valleys
Water is everywhere in Aveyron and feeds 4,000 ha of lakes and 7,000 km of rivers. The joys of water can also be experienced in valleys and deep gorges. Four major rivers have carved out their beds from east to west: the Aveyron, which gives its name to the department, the Tarn, which bathes Millau, the Lot, whose gorges delimit the Aubrac mountains from the Causse Comtal, and the Viaur, a stream and then a river that runs through the Lévézou and Ségala regions. To these major watercourses, we should add the mountain rivers such as the Truyère, the Argence, the Selves and the Selvet, without forgetting the boraldes, these torrents which flow down the slopes of the Aubrac to flow into the Lot. Even the south of the department, a region of limestone plateaus and valleys, is a land of water. More secret, it sinks into the limestone soils to form the gorges of the Dourbie, the Tarn or the Cernon.
Trays
The plateau of Larzac. It is one of the most famous plateaus of the Grands Causses. An altitude between 600 and 900 m, close to the black and red causses, its climate is hot and stormy in summer and snowy and harsh in winter. It is bordered by the river Dourbie. It is home to five historical sites such as La Cavalerie or La Couvertoirade dating from the period of the Templar and Hospitaller orders. Agriculture is very present on this plateau where the herds graze to supply milk to Roquefort.
The Aubrac plateaus. North of Rouergue, this is where the Auvergne begins and the Languedoc ends. The limestone gives way to granite, the Mediterranean climate to the continental climate. From the Cantal and Lozère departments to the Lot valley, this traditional region, largely devoured by the Aubrac plateau, has managed to preserve its history and culture, which are expressed through its architecture, traditions and know-how. In the heart of the highlands of the Haut-Rouergue region, the legendary and attractive Aubrac plateau stretches its horizons to infinity. Forests and pastures share the space where red herds graze in the summer season, around the burons, these chalets whose roofs almost touch the ground, to better defend themselves from the snow in turmoil and where, not so long ago, the cheese and the tomme of Laguiole which is used for the preparation of the no less famous aligot.
The Carladez plateau. In the shadow of the Cantal lead, the Carladez is a vast basalt plateau which is often confused with the Aubrac plateau. It would have been formed at the end of the Tertiary era from lava poured by the enormous Cantal volcano which was then over 3,000 m high. Between the deep valleys of the Truyère and the Goul, it is a harmonious and preserved region, with green landscapes. Nature in its wild state is omnipresent and one should not hesitate to leave the roads and take the paths.
The plateaus of Lévézou. In the heart of the department, between the valleys of the Tarn and the Aveyron, the Lévézou plateau is bordered by the valley of La Muze to the east and the shallower valleys of the Alrance and Lagast to the west. The landscape was profoundly modified when EDF installed a hydraulic system such that five lakes, with a total surface area of 1,800 ha, were formed. The largest, Pareloup, is a small inland sea and one of the largest lakes in France by area. All kinds of water sports can be practised here and fishermen, or simply walkers, will appreciate this peaceful setting of lakes, pastures and forests such as those around Saint-Léons.
Summits and passes
The signal of Mailhebiau. Highest point of the Aubrac mountains at 1469 m, it is one of the last identifiable volcanoes of the Aubrac. Covered with pastures and bordered by the Bés river which flows into the Truyère river, you can see the Lozère mountain, the Cantal lead and even the Dores mountains on a good day. At the top, you will find an orientation table on which is inscribed a poem praising the merits and charms of Aubrac.
The Puech del Pal. It is the highest point of Lévézou, at 1 155 m of altitude, and the source of the Viaur river.
Le Merdelou. Located in the commune of Peux-et-Couffouleux, near Camarès, it culminates at 1 110 m and hosts a wind farm.
