It’s always interesting to know what makes people decide to choose a particular holiday destination. When I ask visitors about their reasons for coming to Millau, some mention the old maps of France that hung in every French classroom for decades, with a little picture beside each town or area to help identify it. Millau, as you may recall, was represented by a leather glove – a multi-secular tradition that gave the town its nationwide reputation. Others enthusiastically state that they’ve come all this way to see close-up the famous architectural wonder of the modern world – Millau Viaduct. And then there are those who explain that what they initially considered as a strategically convenient stopover on their trans-European holiday trip has turned out to be a unique holiday destination all of its own, requiring much more time than was originally planned to discover the town, the mediaeval villages, the sublime gorges, the unique architecture and heritage, the gastronomy, landscape and all-encompassing natural beauty.
Vanessa Martin Leblogcashpistache Crtloccitanie 0039138 MdVanessa Martin Leblogcashpistache Crtloccitanie 0039138 Md|
Excursion Autour Du Viaduc De Millau 5 Shootin Factory Greg AlricExcursion Autour Du Viaduc De Millau 5 Shootin Factory Greg Alric|
Canyon Sec Aventure 6 Aqua NomadCanyon Sec Aventure 6 Aqua Nomad|
Vibrate
Why not Millau ?
And it’s true that whether you’ve planned your holidays here or unintentionally stumbled upon this semi-urban, semi-rural jewel located just an hour from the Mediterranean in the South of France, you can’t help but notice that its setting is unique. When they catch a first glimpse of the terracotta roof-tiled buildings of Millau, set in a vast riverside natural amphitheatre, surrounded by the majestic Causses connected by the spectacular viaduct, first-time visitors describe a burst of adrenaline normally associated with passengers on an aeroplane approaching a stunning airport destination – and yet they are sitting comfortably in a car or train, making their way down the final, breathtaking, indeed ear-popping 10 kilometres of their trip, from the plateaux down to Millau patiently waiting to welcome them, some 500 metres below.
Voyage sur la ligne TER LIO du Cevenol Nîmes (30) - Mende (48), Juillet 2022Voyage sur la ligne TER LIO du Cevenol Nîmes (30) - Mende (48), Juillet 2022|
And why Millau for me ?
When I first arrived here – for professional reasons back in 2005 – my first approach down into the Cité du Gant (Glove-Town) from the surrounding mountains cast its spell on me and I immediately realised that I was about to discover something special, somewhere unique.
Little did I know that after 20 years of living, working and travelling in various parts of Europe, America and Africa, that I was about to choose Millau as my home. What exactly was it that created an instant connection with the place ? Probably the weekly hikes with omniscient local friends who turned these hikes (that were initially planned for a couple of hours) into day-long adventures and explanations of the area, its people, history and culture. And then there was the discovery of the local stone, painstakingly carved over the centuries into vaults for foundations, into cisterns, lavognes and rooftops for ingeniously collecting precious rainwater, and indeed into picturesque villages such as Peyre or La Couvertoirade, today classified among the Most Beautiful Villages in France. The combination of this age-old architecture and the techniques used for rearing Lacaune ewes that provide the milk for Roquefort cheese have earned this Causses & Cévennes area its place on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 2011.
The 10 Best
Things to do
Outdoor
Activities
Paragliding Flight in front of Millau Viaduct Activites Nature 2 Millau @alexevil12
Rock and Via ferrata
Festival Templiers 2023 22 Shootin Factory Greg Alric
Randonnee Du Mejean Vases Clara Ferrand Wildroad Crtloccitanie 0039135 Md Min
Circuit Vtt Electrique Gorges Du Tarn Lezbroz Crtloccitanie 0039097 Md Min
Canyon Sec Aventure 2 Aqua Nomad
Randonnee Causse Mejean Copyright Remi Flament Pact Gdt Crtloccitanie 0037684 Md Min
Up coming
events !Paragling in
MillauThis is the flagship nature activity around Millau, the Grands Causses and the Gorges.
Getting laid in front of the Millau Viaduct is an experience that you will remember for a long time, be sure!
Pouncho12Pouncho12
Sautpendulaire ArriveeplateformeclaetitiaraisinrobertSautpendulaire Arriveeplateformeclaetitiaraisinrobert
Les Quais De MillauexodamsLes Quais De Millauexodams
Gorges Du Tarn Les VasesexodamsGorges Du Tarn Les Vasesexodams
Grands Sites Viaduc - Roquefort - CouvertoiradeGrands Sites Viaduc - Roquefort - Couvertoirade|
Gorges Du Tarn Sup02 Gr736 Laetitia Raisin RobertGorges Du Tarn Sup02 Gr736 Laetitia Raisin Robert
Tawaracgreg AlricTawaracgreg Alric
