4 perfect "sunset spots" in Margeride

4 – La Vierge au Rocher (statue of the virgin Mary) in Serverette

Let’s begin this selection with an easily accessible panorama with a gorgeous view over the quaint little village of Serverette. Standing over this majestic blockfield, this statue of the Virgin Mary was built in 1877, is 3.80 meters high and weighs more than 2 tons ! The site is illuminated at night (so don’t plan on stargazing), and a new and well-made information panel will allow you to understand the history of the village and the evolution of its architecture. Surely the perfect place to have a pleasant family picnic as night falls !

• Altitude : 1000 meters approximately.
• Best time to visit : during fall season ! Nothing better to conclude an afternoon spent picking mushrooms in the surrounding forests…
• Access : From Serverette, follow the D2 national road for a few hundred meters in the direction of Javols, then turn right on the uphill road. Free parking close to the statue.

3 – La Porte des Fées (Le Malzieu sector)

Overlooking the Gorges of the Truyère river, not far from the medieval village of Le Malzieu, stands a surprising door… Completely natural, it was originally a heap of granite blocks. This place is the theatre of an ancient local legend you can discover over here…

This site displays a remarkable point of view over the surrounding Margeride and the Gorges of the river Truyère. A picnic table located along the trail makes it the perfect spot to have a snack far in the middle of nowhere, should you fancy it !

• Altitude : 950 meters approximately
• Best time to visit : in spring, blooming brooms paint the cliffs of Verdezun bright yellow (it is also a rock climbing site and via ferrata site) located just in front of La Porte des Fées.
• Access : for those who enjoy sports,  there is a short 6.5 km loop hike from the Place du Foirail in Malzieu-Ville (“La Porte des Fées” Topo-Guide (hiking guidebook), “Le Malzieu et ses environs” on sale at the price of 4 € in our Tourist Information Offices). Be careful however to bring suitable walking shoes as well as, if necessary, a headlamp for the descent (quite steep) to the Malzieu.

2 – Le Cirque de Paladines (Paladines corrie) near Chaulhac

Quite an intriguing name, for quite a striking place : le Cirque de Paladines is a very remarkable point of view and a geological curiosity … Albeit unknown, mainly because of the lack of signs indicating this surprising place but, above all, because of the lack of available photographs (due to the location of the viewpoint, the vegetation below and the encasement of the Truyère river, it’s tricky to immortalize this corrie). Therefore, it’s difficult to do it justice with a mere picture ! You’ll have to see this place with your own eyes. All the more so as once you reach the link, the little picnic table there seems to reach out to you ! Settle down, breathe, admire.

• Altitude :  950 meters approximately.
• Best time to visit : In the dead of winter !  So you can admire the twilight when the sun sets at 4.32 pm… Especially as it is much easier to see the cirque formed by the Truyère at this time of the year, because the trees below are leafless. The icing on the cake : in the distance, you can also see the majestic Plomb du Cantal peaking at 1855 meters, wrapped up in its snowy coat…
• Access : From Le Malzieu, after Chaulhac, keep going on the D8 motorway/national road until you reach the village of Paladines. There, park near the houses without obstructing the traffic or the entrances to the houses and follow the signs to reach the viewpoint located about 50 meters away.

1 – The Truc of Chapelat near the Malzieu-Forain

To finish things off on a high note, off to the crests of the Margeride we go! Not far from the Haute-Loire, “in the middle of nowhere”, stands a Truc (local name for those small mountains that seem to pop up out of nowhere) which is worth visiting !  After a bit of driving and a somewhat technical access on foot, you are (almost) on the roof of the Margeride… From up there, when the shadows are getting longer and the sky is blazing, you may well remain hypnotized… For your greatest pleasure !

• Altitude: 1448 meters
• Best time to visit : In Summer ! In this season, the high altitude of the place will make you take a big breath of fresh air.
• Access : On the D48 national road at 1365 meters after Couffours-Bas and Brassalières. Follow the forest track, pass the “Baraque de Bastard” and when you reach the Col de la Gette, go towards the summit of Le Truc.