Saint Sauveur des Pourcils

Description

Trail closed, wood cutting. Thank you Saint-Sauveur, the birthplace of reforestation on the Aigoual massif, today seems to lie abandoned in its dense forest setting. And yet the hamlet has a rich and intense past. Saint-Sauveur des Pourcils was one of the great farm estates of the Aigoual massif, bought by the forestry office in the late 19th century. The hamlet only consists of a church and a few buildings, including an imposing farmstead that looks almost like a castle. But the existing buildings make it easy to understand several traditional construction techniques. Nearby, the walk continues through part of the vast arboretum that highlights a great variety of species and some remarkable specimens. From the car park, the path first leads into the centre of the hamlet, before entering the arboretum by a trail that leads down into the forest towards the brook. Once you have crossed a footbridge, the path gently heads uphill to the track that takes you back to the car park.

Difficulty

Official rating: very easy, by Parc national des Cévennes.

Before you go

• It is not advisable to access Saint-Sauveur hamlet after heavy rainfall (which may affect the state of the tracks). Please respect the signposting for forestry work along the access tracks.
• Horses and mountain bikes are not allowed on discovery trails.

Getting there

Start: Hameau de Saint-Sauveur, Saint-Sauveur-Camprieu (30).

Sources

• Track: Parc national des Cévennes, Licence Ouverte 1.0, Licence Ouverte 1.0 (Etalab) (destination.cevennes-parcnational.fr/trek/40722-Saint-Sauveur-des-Pourcils). Time estimated by GPX Path with the Mac app rule, breaks not included.
• Official elevation gain: 53 m, Parc national des Cévennes