Saint-Haon - Nouveau Monde / Langogne
You may be reaching the end of the Via Allier cycle route, but the hamlet of Le Nouveau Monde makes for a stunning start to this last stage. Located in the parish of Chapeauroux, the combination here of curving 19th-century railway viaduct and basalt cirque (or geological amphitheatre), dug out by the river over millions of years, makes for a glorious sight. Pedal beside the river and the Cévennes railway line for a time before climbing onto the Devès Plateau to reach the little medieval town of Pradelles, at the frontier between the Auvergne and Occitanie Regions.
Gradients and elevation
Road types
Surface
The Via Allier cycle route from Saint-Haon to Langogne
This last stage of the Via Allier cycle route starts with a rapid, winding descent to the hamlet of Le Nouveau Monde and the banks of the Allier River, going via the D31 road. Then follows a long climb up to Pradelles along the D40. Having crossed this little town’s cobbled lanes, the cycle route finishes with a stretch on narrow parish roads taking you as far as the neighbouring little town of Langogne. Take care arriving at Langogne and riding along the RN88 road.
Don't miss
- Le Nouveau-Monde: a hamlet beside the Allier River, its name reflecting the time when the spectacular railway line was being built here in the 19th century.
- Ligne des Cévennes train line: a 19th-century railway line built to connect Paris and Marseille, crossing the Massif Central, the mountainous area with the Auvergne at its core.
- Rauret: the 12th-century church with its narrow bell-gable; the 13th-century Château de Jagonas (private); the Arquejols Viaduct.
- Saint-Etienne-du-Vigan: the Romanesque church with a narrow bell-gable; the 17th-century Tour de Beaune (private).
- Pradelles: a village that’s part of the association Les Plus Beaux Villages de France. Check out: the fortified gateways and fine old mansions; the 20th-century church and vestiges of the Chapelle des Pénitents; the viewing tables and fine viewing points.
Railway station
Gare à Chapeauroux et Langogne : Ligne TER Clermont-Ferrand <> Langogne
