The trumpet path

3 points of interest

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  History and heritage

  Everybody has a ticket

  The Tournemire-Le Vigan railway line was put into service on August 24th 1896. 2 hours were required to complete the journey, and it was then the only means used to transport Roquefort cheese. In 1897, the traffic was only 25 passengers per day and 15,000 tons of goods per year. In 1922 traffic peaked with 372 passengers per day and 33,000 tons of goods transported during the year. One still remembers these trains pulled by two steam locomotives that would transport cabanières (female staff working in the Roquefort caves), just as “migou” (sheep manure) intended, among others for the rice fields in Camargue. From 1920 onwards, road transport supplanted rail, and the line was finally closed on May 15th, 1939.

  Source : Le chemin de fer Le Vigan-Tournemire-Roquefort - ed° Cévennes Magazine

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  Geology

  Sotch de Balhol

  The cliff towering over our heads is really impressive with its steepness, the smooth appearance of the rock and the feeling of solidity it conveys. Actually, the huge screes we are walking on have been created by a rockslide. The bottom of this valley is called “sotch”, which is the local name for sinkholes 

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  History and heritage

  La chapelle Saint-Pierre du XIe siècle coiffe le rocher en éperon du même nom. C'était la chapelle du château qui ne fût jamais

  The Saint-Pierre chapel dates back to the 11th century and is located on top of a rocky spur of the same name. It was the chapel of the castle and was never a parish church. The castle, which dates from the same period, was attached to the rocky vertical face (remains of a tower). The structure of the chapel is made with a fine stone-setting and is proof of the quality of the construction of this small religious building. The squat and vaulted semi-dome choir was restricted by a semicircular arch with an enlarged triumphal arch that stood in front of it and led to the short nave.