The Circus of Navacelles
Between Cévennes and the Sérenne massif, straddling the departments of Gard and Hérault, the Circus of Navacelles is suddenly revealed in the hollow of the vast caussenard steppes.
The Rock of the Virgin
Between Cévennes and the Séranne massif, straddling the departments of Gard and Hérault, the Cirque de Navacelles suddenly reveals itself in the hollow of vast caussenard steppes.
Some have given it the name of « Rock of the Virgin », the Cévennes people prefer the nickname « Oyster », referring to its oblong shape. Thus is the Cirque de Navacelles, 15ᵉ Grand Site of France, geological curiosity shaped by 600,000 years of patient labor.
An unforgettable experience.
The 10-kilometer loop starting from the hamlet of Navacelles will allow you to discover the incredible landscapes of the gorges of the Vis, the Cirque de Navacelles, and the Moulins de la Foux, the resurgence of the Vis. It will take about 3 hours and 30 minutes of walking.
For the more athletic, you have the option to start from the Belvédères of Blandas. It will then take 12 km with an elevation gain of 300 meters for 4 hours and 30 minutes of walking.
Regardless of its origin, the arrival at the Grand Site of France of Cirque Navacelles is done in the same way for the visitor, by the « ascent » on the Causses. The dolomitic chaos and cliffside landscapes mark the entrance to the Grand Site of France.
Once « at the top », the visitor discovers these vast desert-like but inhabited expanses that are at the origin of the emotion represented by the discovery of the Cirque de Navacelles.
Not to be missed!
Heritage side: The mills, lavognes, dry stone walls, the ruins of the Notre-Dame chapel, the rock of the Virgin, agropastoralism, and the caussenard steppe.
History side: A stopping village on the Chemin de St Guilhem.
The resurgence of the Vis
The river abandons its aerial course after the village of Alzon, to reemerge in a spectacular waterfall upstream from the Cirque de Navacelles: it is the resurgence of the Vis.
The current mills, renovated, were built in the 17th century. They ceased operation after the damage suffered during the terrible floods of 1907. They house a permanent exhibition that is freely accessible.
It is a very pleasant place to visit in summer for its coolness, in spring and autumn for its abundance of water, and in winter for its fairy-tale decor of frost.
The Belvédères of Blandas:
Located just 3 minutes from the village of Blandas, they offer three breathtaking viewpoints over the Cirque de Navacelles and the alignment of the gorges of the Vis. The Maison du Grand Site de France, built of local stone, houses our Tourist Information Office, a museum space, films presenting the archaeological discoveries made on the Causse and in the Cirque de Navacelles, on agropastoralism, and on the Grand Site de France label, a local produce and souvenir shop, as well as a restaurant to savor local products.
