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31st July 2010
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Walking in the Tarn, South West FranceDiscover Amazing & Interesting Walks To Suit All LevelsSiân Thomas ,a fully qualified mountain leader, offers a guide to walking in the Tarn and how to make the most of the hidden beauty spots and wildlife in the area.
Unfortunately many only see this beauty whilst driving through the area or maybe whilst lounging by their holiday gîte pool, however with just a little effort you can discover amazing and interesting walks to suit all levels of fitness and ability. The following information is offered as a guide to get you out there to discover some of the hidden beauty spots and perhaps improve your fitness and shed the pounds from the good living in France, and it doesn’t have to be hard work - take a picnic or plan your route to pass through a village with a good café or restaurant for some lunch time refreshment – just beware starting off again after lunch may be just a little more difficult than expected! How To Find Your Local Walks
My next step was to visit the local tourist office, in my case Monesties where I found two locally prepared pamphlets with a variety of walks within a 15km radius, ranging from about 4km to 12km duration. These not only give clear directions they also point out buildings and areas of interest as well as historical and local information such as the origin of the names of the towns and villages. I found all of these walks clearly marked and very accurate as regards to the type of terrain and the time that the walk would take. I am sure that other local tourist offices will have similar booklets and even though they are written in French once you know your left from your right and understand that “une patte d’oie” (literally a goose’s foot) is a fork in the road you should find them quite straight forward to follow. As the maps in these particular booklets are hand drawn and not full of detail a Série Bleue map to accompany the walk may be of benefit. From there I tracked down some other books found in local libraries and the main Tarn Tourist Board which gave me a range of walks throughout the Tarn, Aveyron and Tarn et Garonne. Again I have been really impressed by the detail given of the routes, the clarity with which they are marked and the range of walking that they offer. They are well graded from gentle family strolls through to demanding day or two day walks, they let you know how much uphill walking there is, how much is on road or footpath and how the route will be marked e.g. yellow painted arrows and markers on trees gates etc. So what are you going to find once you are out there?  To be honest it is the diversity of this region which really makes the walking exciting and because of that the habitats that you pass through are so varied and support a wide range of wildlife be it flora or fauna. You can walk through the shady river valleys of the Tarn, Aveyron and Viaour or take to the high ground on the gorges and hills above these rivers. There is of course the plateau of the high Albigeois or the heights of the Segala, with their far-reaching views and big skies. In the height of summer you can move into the oak and chestnut forests of Gresigne, Sérénac and Sivens. There is something different at every turn and in every season. The Spring brings with it the stunning and vibrant greens of the new foliage, the fields become patchwork quilts of wild flowers, Meadow Clary, violets, cowslips, vetches, Red Campion and Ragged Robin. Orchids thrive on the chalky cliffs of the gorges and up on the Gaillac Plateau - Bee, common purple, fly and monkey orchids are all regularly seen without trying too hard, deep in the valleys by the Aveyron, Tarn and Viaour rivers you can find tooth worts and euphorbias. As the season progresses you will see fields of poppies to compete with Renoir’s best and swathes of sunflowers interspersed with the vines. As the summer starts to fade the vines start the transformation of colour, turning deep scarlet, followed by the wonderful chestnut forests which begin to drop their rich harvest and change colour to give the valleys a face lift with red and gold leaves often lasting well into November. I have spotted red deer, hare, munkjack, sanglier and beech martins and the “twitchers” amongst you will be delighted to see King Fishers, Cattle Egrets, Hoopoes, Golden Orioles (if you listen carefully) and a wonderful array of birds of prey including Buzzards, Marsh Harriers, Red and Black Kites, Kestrels and Booted Eagles. If all this is not enough then the medieval towns and bastide villages are the piece de resistance amongst this natural beauty, many of the walks start from these beautiful towns and when passing through on foot you have more time to look around and admire the architecture and look into the pretty and well-tended gardens. Even Albi has a series of walks to guide you around the city following different themes i.e. culture and history. Time To Find Your Waling Shoes  There is no excuse, a sturdy pair of walking shoes, loose, comfortable and appropriate clothing i.e. hat when hot, wet weather gear when required and a bottle of water is really all you need to start with, pick an appropriate route for your level of fitness, start short and build up the length of your walk as you get fitter and more experienced and get out there and discover the Tarn à pied!© Siân Thomas Sian runs week long guided walking holidays or can act as a guide for a day or half days walks in the Tarn, Tarn et Garonne and Aveyron. www.gitegetaways.com Useful Publications Francaise de la Randonnée Pedestre (There are Topo Guides for all Departements) Tourism, Leisure & Activities Home Page |
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Over 12,000 properties for sale throughout France..... More search options Use a property finder  Tourist Information City GuidesFor property, holidays and local knowledge about popular cities, towns and villages in Tarn & Aveyron...Flights To Tarn & Aveyron The main airports to reach Tarn & Aveyron from United Kingdom & Ireland are: Golf in Tarn & Aveyron Tarn & Aveyron TimesTourism StoriesCompany chosen to re-launch Cap Découverte250,000th Passengers on Ryanair Rodez-London National Recognition For The Walking Paths Japanese TV filming In Conques The End of the Route du Sel Renovation of the Covered Market in Albi New Ostrich Farm Opens To The Public In Senergues Renovation of the Covered Market in Albi The Valley Of Viaur And Aveyron Is Investing In Tourism Thermal Spa In Cransac By Decazeville Read More Local News Here... Read French National News Here... .JPG) |
