A river that changed course

The Truyère rises in the Margeride, in Lozère, and joins the Lot at Entraygues after about 170 kilometres. It has not always taken this route. Some seven million years ago it flowed north-west and ended up in the Allier, and so in the Loire. Lava flows from the Plomb du Cantal volcano blocked its way near Saint-Flour: the river turned south-west and cut deep into the granite. The gorges were born of that detour. Even today they separate two worlds: the basalt of the Cantal to the north, the granite of the Aubrac to the south.

A harnessed river

Such a steep fall drew engineers from the early 20th century. From upstream to downstream come the dams of Grandval, Lanau, Sarrans, La Barthe, Couesques and Cambeyrac, which together supply about 10% of France's hydroelectric power. Sarrans, filled in 1934, is the most imposing: 105 metres high above the riverbed, with a lake 35 kilometres long. Couesques, just below Valon, dates from 1950: an arch 70 metres high and a reservoir 12 kilometres long. These works brought in labourers from all over Europe, and at least fifty of them lost their lives at Sarrans alone.

This heritage can now be visited along the Route de l'énergie, including the viewpoint at Sarrans dam and the Montézic power station, dug under the plateau opposite.

Slopes that stayed wild

Despite the dams, the valley sides remain steep, wooded and often out of reach. The Aveyron part of the gorges is a Natura 2000 site for birds, covering more than 16,000 hectares. You may see the red kite, the escoufle that gave its name to the novel and to our cottages, as well as the booted eagle, the short-toed snake eagle, the honey buzzard, the peregrine falcon and the eagle owl. From Valon you sometimes see them gliding at eye level, above the drop. Spring and early summer are the best times. Otters also live in the river, but they are much harder to spot.

Where to look

  • In Valon: the village square, the terrace of the castle keep (111 steps) and the viewpoint on the D97 road, just below the village, looking over the reservoir.
  • Opposite: the platforms at the Saut du Chien, from which you can see Valon on its spur.
  • Upstream: the viewpoint at Sarrans dam and the Laussac peninsula.
  • Downstream: Entraygues, where the Truyère meets the Lot.

A walking loop from Valon

The waymarked "Le château de Valon" loop (12.7 km, about 4 hours, a little over 500 metres of climb) starts from the lower car park in the village. You go down the D97 to the viewpoint, then follow a small paved road along the hillside above the valley, past old farms. A steep track then climbs through the woods to Le Fraysse and its viewpoint table, before returning to Valon along paths lined with low stone walls. A shorter variant, via Le Prat, brings you back to the village in about 1 hr 15. For a shorter outing, the Coultades discovery trail is 1.3 km long, but with 90 metres of climb through the terraces.

Our tip

Bring binoculars. On autumn mornings the mist often lingers at the bottom of the gorges while Valon is already in the sun: get up early at least once. And do not swim in the reservoirs outside the places set up for it, as the water level can change quickly.