Track Menhir

2 points of interest

• 

  

  Agropastoralism

  Buissière

  A buissière is a path lined with boxwood hedges forming a narrow green corridor typical of the Causses, adapted to a harsh and contrasting climate. These dense double hedges once protected livestock from wind, winter snow, and summer heat, while preventing animals from straying.

  Used by shepherds, local inhabitants, and carts alike, the buissière made travel easier between hamlets, pastures, sheepfolds, and water sources, bearing witness to traditional agricultural practices.

  Today, the box tree moth, active from May to October, threatens these hedges by stripping them of their leaves. Although the caterpillars can be a nuisance for hikers, they are harmless.

  
  
  
  

• 

  

  Archeology

  Soulzon Menhir

  The Soulzon menhir is a large stone over three meters high, locally called a "menhir," even though it does not display all the usual characteristics of a traditional menhir. This type of standing stone dates back to the Bronze Age, and its exact role in the ancient landscape remains a subject of debate. Some believe it is simply a natural remnant of the Combalou, on which a cross may have been engraved during the Middle Ages, possibly to mark a territorial boundary. Others suggest it could be a prehistoric menhir that was Christianized, a common practice in the region. The two deeply carved crosses on its faces support this latter interpretation.