Geographical Setting
Alzon lies in the upper Vis Valley, halfway between the Aigoual Massif, the Causses and the Vis Gorges. The village is characterised by distinctive streets and old façades.
Anyone wishing to rent a holiday apartment in Alzon combines the choice of accommodation with the choice of location.
Culture and History
The Pont de Saurel is a Romanesque bridge from the 12th century that connects the village with the hamlet of Mas Del Pont. The Chapelle des pénitents was completed in 1730; its façade is decorated with a statue of a hooded penitent. The Église Saint Martin is an 11th-century building that preserves numerous Romanesque elements. The Croix oratoire de Saint-Guiralhet served as a resting place for wandering shepherds on their way to Mont Saint-Guiral.
Trails and Activities
“La Ronde de tunnels en viaducs” is an approximately 7-kilometre tourist and cultural circular route around Alzon. The route includes three tunnels and two viaducts; from there, it offers views northwards over the forest and southwards towards the Causse de Campestre. The circular route is accessible to everyone, takes approximately two hours and is suitable for hiking or mountain biking. It also provides access to the architectural railway heritage as well as older structures belonging to the Roman road known as the “Chemin du Pont de Paris”.
“Autour de Cazebonne” is a very easy, yellow-marked forest circular route 2.5 kilometres long, with a walking time of approximately 2 hours 30 minutes, around the hamlet of Cazebonne. The trail illustrates the development of the forest, from the reforestation carried out at the beginning of the 20th century to modern-day forestry management. The stream alongside the trail is a habitat for brown trout, which reproduce there, as well as for white-throated dippers.
At the Pont d’Alzon, a former railway bridge, a 50-metre jump is offered; the site was the first permanently operated bungee-jumping location in Europe.
Nature
The Arboretum de Cazebonne was established in 1903 on 3.4 hectares and is part of a network of ten arboretums created during the major reforestation efforts in the Aigoual Massif. The Arboretum de la Vis offers a viewpoint over the cascades of the La Fabrié stream and shows a contrast between deciduous woodland of oaks and chestnuts and reforested stands of Douglas firs and Atlas cedars.
Getting There
According to the municipality, Alzon can be reached directly via the A75 from the west or via the D999 from the east.
Other places: Branoux-Les-Taillades, Le Vigan, Aulas, Malons-et-Elze, Comps, Allègre-Les-Fumades, Cardet, Saint-André-D'olérargues
