The South of France-East Half Part 21

15 m. S. from Langeac is +Monistrol+-d'Allier, 2000 ft. above the sea, pop. 1200. The station is on the E. side, and the town on the W. side of the river. Coach by a picturesque road to +Le Puy+, 17 m. N.E. by St. Privat, 2930 ft., pop. 1600, on the stream Rouchoux, which runs in a deep gully between high cliffs. A little way beyond the hamlet of Chiers the road attains its culminating point, 3739 ft. above the sea.

10 m. from Monistrol is Bains, 3235 ft., pop. 1300, with a very old church. 1 m. farther the road pa.s.ses the picturesque rock of Cordes, 3012 ft., and then descends to Le Puy by La Roche, 2895 ft., and Mont Bonzon. Coach from +Monistrol to Saugues+, 6 m. W., 3116 ft., pop.

4000, on the side of a hill, rising from the beautiful valley of the Margeride. In the neighbourhood is a monument called the tomb of the "English general." It consists of a square vaulted roof of small stones resting on four round columns 13 ft. high and 6? ft. apart.

It has no inscription, and bears a resemblance to the mortuary chapel at Valence (see p. 44).

[Headnote: LE POUZIN. PRIVAS.]

miles from LYONS miles to NiMES

{81}{91} +LE POUZIN+, pop. 3000, _Inn:_ H. Lion d'Or, on the Ouveze, which here enters the Rhone. The town has foundries and the remains of its old castle. Junction with line to Privas, 13 m. W. +Privas+, pop. 8000.

_Inns:_ Croix d'Or; Louvre. On an eminence 1060 ft. above the sea, at the foot of Mt. Toulon, 838 ft. higher, and at the confluence of the Chazalon, the Mezayon, and the Ouveze. The town, looking well from a distance, consists chiefly of narrow, crooked, steep streets, and dingy houses. From the promenade called the Esplanade, planted with plane trees, is an excellent view of the picturesque valley of the Ouveze, and of the volcanic chain of the Coiron, especially of Mount Combier. 1 m. from Privas, on the plain of the Lai, is a house called the Logis du Roi, in which Louis XIII. established his headquarters in 1629, when, with Cardinal Richelieu, he besieged the Protestant inhabitants in the town, commanded by the brave Montbrun.

From Privas, coach daily, 11 m. N. to Ollieres, on the Eyrieux. _Inn:_ H. du Pont, comfortable. This coach meets at Ollieres the coaches to La Voulte and Valence on the Rhone, and the coaches to Le Cheilard and to St. Pierreville. The latter is the coach to take for the Source of the Loire and Mont Mezenc (see pp. 84, 85). Coach also to Aubenas, 18 m. S.E. (See next page, and map p. 46.)

[Headnote: ROCHEMAURE.]

{98}{74} +ROCHEMAURE+, pop. 1300, Auberge Gabarre. Suspension bridge across the Rhone. The modern part of the village is built along the high road, but the old on the steep slopes of the basalt rocks crowned by the ruins of the castle. There are many ways up to the top; the best and most frequented commences just opposite the "auberge," traverses the centre of the curious old stony village, pa.s.ses on the right the chapel with the arms of Ventadour and Soubise on the portal, then ascends by the battlemented wall to some miserable habitations, among what was the seigneurial manor, of which large portions still remain. Next to it, on a needle-like peak of nearly horizontal columns of basalt, rises the Keep, like a spear piercing the sky. A narrow path leading so far up will be found round the N.W. corner. The views are superb, of the valley of the Rhone on one side, and on the other of the Coiron mountains.

These ruins, which from below look slim and airy, are the remains of a ma.s.sive edifice constructed princ.i.p.ally of basaltic prisms in the 12th cent. by the family of Adhemar de Montheil, and reduced to its present condition by order of Louis XIII.

A road up the gap on the N. side of the hill leads in a little more than an hour to Mount Chenavari, 1668 ft., distinctly seen from the top of the gap. On the summit is a tableland bordered with ma.s.sive basaltic columns. At Rochemaure the olive trees begin to appear.

[Headnote: LE TEIL.]

{95}{76} +LE TEIL+, pop. 3200, with some small inns. Omnibus awaits pa.s.sengers for Montelimart, 3 m. E., on the other side of the Rhone (p. 48).

Branch line to Alais, 62 m. S.W., on the line between Nimes and Clermont-Ferrand. From Vogue, on this branch, 17 m. S.W. from Le Teil, and 44 m. N.E. from Alais, a smaller branch extends 12 m. N. to Nieigles-Prades. The Nieigles-Prades line forms a convenient entrance into Ardeche (see maps, pages 26, 46, and 56).

[Headnote: AUBENAS. VALS.]

+Vogue, Aubenas, Vals, Neyrac, Thueyts, Mayres.+

5 m. W. from Teil, on the branch line to Alais, is Aubignas (Alba Augusta), pop. 530, once an important Roman station. 6 m. N. from Vogue is Aubenas, pop. 8000, _Inn:_ H. Durand, on a hill covered with vines, olives, and mulberry trees, rising 328 ft. above the Ardeche, and commanding an extensive view of the valley of the river. On the highest part of the town are the church and the fine old castle, now containing the college, the hospital, and some other public inst.i.tutions. Aubenas is the centre of an important trade in raw silk, b.u.t.ter, and cheese. At Vesseaux, a village to the north of Aubenas, excellent chestnuts are grown. (Maps, pages 56 and 46.)

3 m. N. from Aubenas is La Begude, the station for Vals. Omnibus awaits pa.s.sengers. VALS, pop. 4000, on the Volane, famous for its +Mineral Waters+. _Hotels:_ Des Bains, on an eminence above the bathing establishment and the gardens. In the same neighbourhood are the Hotels Parc; Juliette; Delicieuse; Lyon; Orient. All the important springs are also in this part. In the town are the Hotels Europe; Durand; Nord; Poste. The Pension in the Hotel des Bains is from 12 to 15 frs., in the others from 9 to 10 frs. Season from 1st May to October. Vals is prettily situated on the Volane, in a hollow among hills covered with vineyards and studded with mulberry and chestnut trees. The springs, gardens, baths, and best hotels are all at the eastern extremity. Near the H. du Parc is the intermittent fountain, and from it, across the bridge, are the springs Vivaraises, under a grotto; and, adjoining them, the spring Juliette, while a little beyond is La Delicieuse. The springs Madeleine, St. Jean, Precieuse, and the others, belonging to the Societe Generale, are all farther up the river, nearer the town, at the second bridge. None of them are so pungent nor so agreeable to the palate as the Juliette and the Delicieuse. The properties of all are much the same. They give tone to the stomach, a.s.sist the action of the liver and kidneys, and remove paralysis of the bladder. They are all cold, easily digested, and may be drunk at any time. They contain bicarbonate of soda, lime, and magnesia, lithia, iodine, iron, and some of them traces of the a.r.s.eniate of soda, and owe their pungency to the free carbonic acid gas.

[Headnote: ANTRAIGUES.]

5 m. N. from Vals, or 9 m. from Aubenas and 16 m. from Privas, is +Antraigues+, pop. 2000, situated on the side of three basaltic rocks, at whose base flow three impetuous mountain torrents--the Bise, Mas, and Volane. From the heights behind the town there is a magnificent view. In the neighbourhood is the extinct crater, the +Coupe d'Aizac+, covered with a beautiful reddish lava. _Inns:_ Brousse; Glaise.

[Headnote: NEYRAC-LES-BAINS. THUEYTS. MAYRES.]

AUBENAS TO LANGOGNE BY MAYRES. (Maps, pp. 56 and 46.)

Coach daily from Aubenas to Mayres, 18 m. W. It pa.s.ses through Pont-de-la-Baume, 945 ft., and by the eminence on which is +Neyrac-les-Bains+, the Nereisaqua of the Romans. _Inns:_ H. des Bains; H. Fournier. 2 m. from Pont-de-la-Baume, 7 from Vals, and 9 from Aubenas. It is situated within the crater of Saint Leger, containing 8 acidulous, alkaline, and chalybeate springs, temp. 81 Fahr. From several fissures issues carbonic acid gas; from one place, the Trou de la Poule, in sufficient quant.i.ty to kill birds and dogs in 2 or 3 minutes. In the neighbourhood is the volcano of Soulhiol. 2 m.

W., on the left bank of the Ardeche, at its confluence with the Mederic, is +Thueyts+, pop. 2600, _Inn:_ H. Burine, situated on a bed of lava from the crater of Mont Gravenne, 2785 feet above the sea.

Through this bed the Ardeche has, in cutting a pa.s.sage for itself, laid bare a grand display of basaltic columns from 150 to 200 ft.

high, extending nearly 2 m. down the valley. To the W. of the Bourg are a bridge with two stages of arches across the Mederic, called the Pont du Diable, and the falls of the Gueule d'Enfer, 330 ft., which, unless in rainy weather, have very little water. From this part commences the Pave-des-Geants, a tableland composed of granite and basalt of an average height of 214 ft. from the base, lined with vertical prisms. To the right, at the extremity of this wall of rock, is the +Ech.e.l.le du Roi+, a staircase of 192 steps of broken prisms, within a natural shaft or chimney, leading up to the top of the tableland, where there is a good view. The best is from Mont Gravenne.

The ascent requires about 1 hour.

The diligence now ascends the Ardeche to Mayres. About half-way, near the hamlet of La Mothe, are the cliffs called the Rocher d'Abraham, 4358 ft. above the sea, of which the Bauzon is the continuation.

5 m. from Thueyts is +Mayres+, pop. 2900. _Inns:_ France; Commerce.

1810 ft. above the sea, at the foot of the Croix de Bauzon, 5055 ft.

above the sea, and on the Ardeche, which here flows in a narrow gorge between granite cliffs. The stage-coaches go no farther than Mayres.

For Langogne, 22 m. N.W., it is necessary to hire a vehicle. From Mayres the road commences to ascend the Col, pa.s.sing above the hamlet of Astet at the foot of the Rocher d'Astet, 4925 ft. above the sea.

7 m. from Mayres is the summit of the pa.s.s or Col de la Chavade, 4170 ft. above the sea, near the source of the Ardeche. 2 m. farther is La Narce, pop. 900. A little beyond, or 26 m. from Aubenas and 14 from Langogne, is the roadside inn of Peyrebelle, 4195 ft. above the sea, where for 25 years the landlord and his wife robbed and murdered the travellers that came to their house. Nearly 4 m. N. from Peyrebelle is Coucouron, pop. 1400.

The road now attains the height of 4266 ft., where, on account of the snow and wind, it becomes very dangerous in winter.

35 m. from Aubenas and 5 from Langogne is Pradelles, 3771 ft., 16 m.

from Le Puy by coach and 5 from Langogne (see p. 88, and maps, pages 26, 56 and 46).

[Headnote: PRADES.]

+Prades, Pont-de-la-Baume, Jaujac, Montpezat, St. Eulalie, and Source of the Loire.+

For the main loopline, see map p. 56; for the rest, map p. 46.

11 m. N. from Vogue station and 5 from Aubenas station is the terminus of this branch line, called Nieigles-Prades, as from it coaches take pa.s.sengers to both of these towns. Nieigles, pop. 1600, is situated on an eminence rising from the N. side of the Ardeche. In the vicinity are coal-pits and rows of basalt columns supporting terraces covered with chestnut trees. On the south side of the Ardeche, and to the east of Jaujac, is +Prades+, pop. 1200, on the Salindre, in the centre of an important coal-basin.

Near the railway terminus is the village of +Pont-de-la-Baume+, pop.

900, _Inns:_ H. du Louvre, etc., 955 ft. above the sea, at the confluence of the rivers Fontauliere and Alignon with the Ardeche. One of the best headquarters for visiting the basalt rocks in the neighbourhood, both from its own position and the facility afforded here for going elsewhere, as the coaches for Vals, Mayers, Burzet, Neyrac, Montpezat, and Jaujac pa.s.s through it.

[Headnote: JAUJAC. MONTPEZAT.]

3 m. from La Baume, or 7 from Aubenas by coach, is +Jaujac+, the Jovis aqua of the Romans, pop. 2600. _Inn:_ Union. On an eminence above the Alignon, of which nearly the whole of the right bank from Pont-de-la-Baume to Jaujac is lined with countless basaltic prisms.

From the town cross the bridge, and at the mill descend to the path by the side of the river, where there is an admirable view of the columns, which, however, are not vertical. About m. from the town is the Coupe de Jaujac, an extinct volcano, which has burst through the coal formation of this valley, bounded by mountains of granite and gneiss. It is ascended easily in 20 minutes. At the foot of the crater, just where the path leading to the top commences, is a gaseous chalybeate spring; not unlike those of Vals.

14 m. N.W. from Aubenas, or about 8 from Pont-de-la-Baume by diligence, is +Montpezat+. The road from Aubenas ascends by the Ardeche, which it crosses; La Baume at the foot of the hill, on which are the ruins of the castle of Ventadour, 14th cent. Farther on, within a mile of Montpezat, are seen the ruins of the castle of Pourcheyrolles, built in 1360 on a plateau of prisms 115 ft. high, over which flows the Pourseilles, an affluent of the Fontauliere or Fontolliere. Near the suspension bridge across the Fontauliere is Mt.

Gravenne, the best specimen of an extinct volcano in the whole region.

The toll-keeper from the bridge can point out the path leading to the top. The bridge is about 10 minutes' walk from Montpezat.

+Montpezat+-sous-Bauzon, pop. 2600, on an eminence 1877 ft. above the sea, rising from the Ardeche. _Inns:_ Europe; Poste. This is the terminus of the diligences. The river Fontauliere has its source in the crater of Mount La Vestide, the largest in the Vivarais. By the new road La Vestide is 6 m. N.W. from Montpezat. Coach to the base of the peak and back, 10 frs. The peak is 325 ft. high from the base, but the crater is nearly 900 ft. deep. By the old road, ascending by the village of La Faud, La Vestide is only 4 m. distant.

MONTPEZAT TO LE PUY.

To go from Montpezat to Le Puy, 43 m. N.W., hire vehicle to Le Beage, 16 m. N.W., 20 to 25 frs., and from Le Beage to Le Monastier, 12 m., 10 frs. Diligence between Le Monastier and Le Puy. From Montpezat the road ascends by the hamlet of Le Pal, 3888 ft., opposite the extinct volcano, the Suc du Pal, 724 ft. higher, with 3 cones. North is Lake Ferrand, and still farther north, Lake Bauzon, 4832 ft. above the sea.

After the hamlet of Le Pal the road pa.s.ses the hamlet of Rioutort, crosses the river Padelle, and arrives at the village of Usclades, 9 m. N. from Montpezat, pop. 600, whence a winding road ascends to Le Beage, 6 m. N. (see p. 84).

[Headnote: SAINTE EULALIE.]

From Montpezat a road extends 13 m. N. to the source of the Loire by Rioutort and Sainte Eulalie. +Sainte Eulalie+, pop. 650, _Inn:_ Faure, in a little valley on the left bank of the Loire, about 2 m. S. from the road between Lachamp-Raphael and Le Beage. The large peak seen in the distance is the Gerbier-de-Joncs, at the foot of which is the source of the Loire. To go to it, from the main road walk down to the one-arch bridge which crosses the still infant Loire, and walk up the path by the side of the stream (see p. 84, and maps pp. 46 and 85).