The Aubrac

Perched at an average altitude of 1300 meters, the Aubrac plateau often evokes memories, colors and tastes, even to those who had never been there before…

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An unforgettable plateau

Be it the beautiful rustic cow that gave its name to the so appreciated meat, the legendary Way of Saint-James that crosses the land or the inimitable aligot, there is thousands of good reasons to have heard of this surprising and endearing territory. Sitting astride on the departments of Lozère, Aveyron and Cantal, this plateau could be a whole country on its own. A country where, naturally, the inhabitants consider themselves to be from Aubrac before being from their department!

The Regional Nature Reserve of Aubrac

Created in May 2018, the Regional Nature Reserve of Aubrac features unforgettable landscapes. Like some solitary islands, boulders sprout up from a grass that can go from green to yellow or even grey, depending on the season. On the 17 km long “Silver Road”, sumptuous lakes from glacial origin sparkle and tempt the visitors to gaze upon the view: Salhiens, Souveyrols, Saint-Andéol and Born lakes. The old burons (shepherds’ buildings of various uses) with flagstone roofs remind of the making of the tomme, an essential ingredient of the aligot recipe.

Everywhere, a distinctive light irradiates, and one does not forget the Aubrac so easily. 

A festive territory!

Each year, there is many opportunities to discover the Aubrac from another angle. Here are some must-see:

• The blossoming of the Narcissus. Those white flowers with a heady perfume, whose blossoming takes place from March to June on the Aubrac plateau and the Margeride, are one the smells most appreciated by the perfumers worldwide ! Hand-harvested luxury product, the delicate flowers go through the processes of maceration and distillation in order to obtain a strong concentrate called “the absolute”!

• The transhumance. When May comes, men and cattle allow themselves a festive time… The cows, adorned with holly, flowers and bells, get to the Aubrac high plateaux. This is the beginning of a 140 day-long summer grazing! This authentic and traditional farming guarantees a tasty meat and gives rise to festivities that attract every year thousands of visitors! From the Bonnecombe pass to Aubrac through Nasbinals, don’t hesitate to ask our trip advisors for the program!

• The Phot’Aubrac Festival. Each year in September, the charming village of Nasbinals as well as the surrounding farms and hamlets welcome this well-known photography festival. Ethnologic pictures, animals portraits or landscapes shots… There is various themes and splendid sceneries. Conferences and working groups take place along the festival. Learn more about this event on the following website: Phot’Aubrac. 

• Trail in Aubrac. Originally thought out to be a marathon-like run, Trail in Aubrac is now a whole summer trail running festival. Marathon, solo trail running, two or three-person relay for grown-ups and youngs alike, discover the spectacular pastures of the Aubrac with tours from 10 to 57 km starting from Nasbinals! Learn more here.

To sum it up, if you’re thinking about settling down in Haute-Lozère for a short (or long) time, the Aubrac is a must-see! Be it for a day-long hike, a good aligot meal, an exhibition or a road 66-like roadtrip, you’ll always have a good reason to go explore the Aubrac.