Le Vigan
In the heart of the Southern Cévennes, between Causses and Aigoual, it is home to wealth of history, curiosities, preserves a built and landscaped heritage exceptional.
Le massif de l’Aigoual
The Aigoual massif is the result of large-scale reforestation, started at the end of the 19th century. At this time, the mountain is bare, the gullied soils and flooding in the valleys are catastrophic. The resources are overexploited by land clearing farmers, transhumant grazing in excess but also by the loggers providing the wood for the heating or for forges and glassworks. The forester Georges Fabre undertakes then the reforestation of the Aigoual. The task is gigantic. With the help of botanist Charles Flahault, arboretums* are created to test species exotic species that could adapt to the terrain and climate of the massif. Nowadays, the Aigoual national forest comprises 16,000 hectares, spread over the Gard and the Lozere.
Cirque de Navacelles
The Causse de Blandas is a relatively high limestone plateau (1000 meters per places), composed of rocks from ancient marine deposits from 140 to 170 millions of years. The Vis dug its bed there for about twenty kilometres, shaping faults more than 300 meters deep.
St.Laurent- le- Minier mines
Saint-Laurent-le-Minier owes its name to the gold and silver mines, exploited since the Middle Age. The existence of these mines is proven by the underground passages or galleries carved in the rock, as well as by the ancient acts which mention them. others ores such as copper, argentiferous lead, iron, zinc have been mined and treated on St-Laurent. For example, at a place called “La Papeterie”, 500 m from the village, along the road towards Ganges, was a factory of metal fabrication. The activity spanned from 1857 to the early 1950s.