The best road cycling routes around Brenas

From the path of La Roque, the view extends over the wooded reliefs that prolong the southern edge of the Larzac. The Parlatges forest occupies a large part of these slopes: it contrasts sharply with the more open spaces of the causse, a few hundred meters higher up. This forest is not entirely natural in its current appearance: the first major reforestation work in Parlatges began in 1863, as part of the mountain land restoration policies carried out in the 19th century.

The castle overlooks Pézènes-les-Mines from the upper part of the village. This castle is private, but its facades, roofs, and enclosure have been protected as historical monuments since 1981. Its history is ancient, but the ensemble we see today is the result of several construction and transformation campaigns. The Romanesque chapel, integrated into the castle, dates back to the 12th century. Its apse was later raised in the 14th century to take on a defensive function. The castle itself underwent significant alterations in the 14th, 16th, and 17th centuries. Two gates were notably built into the enclosure in the 17th century. The defensive elements are still very legible: two gates with arrow slits controlled access to the courtyard and were once protected by a drawbridge. Two towers flank the ensemble, while the enclosure follows the natural irregularities of the terrain. The chapel also retains a rather remarkable detail: its door and some of its bays are decorated with basalt inlays, giving the building a discreet but original polychromy. Pézènes-les-Mines was not always the small village one might imagine today. Pézènes was the capital of a marquisate that grouped the communities of Pézènes, Montesquieu, and Valmascle. The castle was therefore at the heart of a larger seigneurial territory. Little-known information: A plan from 1800 shows that behind the castle stretched a long terrace of about 270 meters, arranged as a garden, promenade, and belvedere overlooking the Peyne valley.

Built at the end of the 12th century and integrated into the ramparts of Gabian, the church of Saint-Julien-et-Sainte-Basilisse forms the historic heart of the village. It still retains its original Romanesque nave and apse, while the side chapels and bell tower, added in the 15th century, bear witness to its evolution over time. The site is however much older: Gabian owes its name to a Gallo-Roman estate belonging to Gavius. The Romans diverted the spring of La Resclauze to supply Béziers via an aqueduct nearly twenty kilometers long, proof of the site's importance since Antiquity. This spring is also the origin of an exceptional geological curiosity: the presence of natural petroleum, exploited since Roman times for medicinal purposes and for caulking, and then from 1924 by the Société des Pétroles de Gabian. Industrial activity ceased when the small deposit could no longer compete with the large oil fields discovered in the mid-20th century.

One of the most beautiful lakes in France, clearly!!

One of the most beautiful lakes in France, clearly!!

This superb route is extremely exotic. It crosses the Salagou Valley and takes you straight to the characteristic ochre trails around Lake Salagou.

Red terracotta earth, viewpoint on the lake, it's an outing to do because the setting and the driving are incredible!

Mourèze is a small, picturesque village in the Hérault department of Occitanie. Nestled at the edge of a steep amphitheater of rock pillars, the village features narrow stone streets, a Gothic church, and the ruins of a small castle perched on a rocky spur. You will find a couple of restaurant, a shop selling local food produce and doubling as a tapas bar as well as a creperie (pancake) also serving sandwiches and drinks. Mourèze makes a perfect midpoint for a circular walk from Liausson: it blends dramatic geology from the Cirque de Moureze, sweeping lake views on the Lac du Salagou, and a peaceful village ambience, with several services.