Laussonne between Mézenc and Meygal

Laussonne lies in a valley between the Mézenc and Meygal massifs; the river of the same name flows through the village. There are several different ways to shape your trip: the PR080 circular hike, walks and fishing at the Site des Planchas, as well as cultural sites and a series of talks. These options bring together landscapes, outdoor activities and culture, but each has a different focus. You can therefore plan your stay around a hike, outdoor activities or cultural interests.

Hiking and time outdoors

The PR080 L’oratoire de Saint-Roch route is a moderately difficult circular hike covering 10.7 kilometres. It starts and ends in Laussonne, making the village both the starting point and the destination. The route involves a total ascent of 362 metres and takes 2 hours and 30 minutes. For planning your hike, you can consider these figures separately: the kilometres indicate the distance, the elevation gain the ascent, and the duration the time required. Together with its moderate difficulty rating, they give the circular hike a clear profile. This allows you to weigh the route’s distance and time against your other travel interests.

The Site des Planchas is located in the Aubépin valley. This scenic spot is ideal for walking and fishing. This makes it different from the PR080: at the Site des Planchas, the focus is on walks and fishing, while the route is a moderately difficult circular hike with a set distance, ascent and duration. When choosing between the two, you can decide whether you would rather include a defined hike or walking and fishing in your trip.

Church, oratory and ruins

The Church of Saint-Pierre-aux-Liens in Laussonne is a Romanesque church dating from the 11th century and included in the first list of historic monuments. It offers a specific point of interest for culture enthusiasts who want architecture and history to complement their experience of the landscape.

The Saint-Roch oratory and its spring are located at Les Engoyaux in Laussonne. The spring is reputed to have healing properties for eye complaints. Alongside the church, the oratory and spring offer another local cultural point of interest; the spring’s effects remain a matter of attribution.

The ruins of the Château de Mézanc are also located near Laussonne. They add another named landmark for travellers interested in historic buildings and ruins.

Talks at the Archéo-Logis

The Archéo-Logis hosts the “Les jeudis de l’Archéo-Logis” series of talks every week from July to September at 9 p.m. This adds a scheduled event to the landscape and architectural attractions. Before your trip, check the current dates for the series and coordinate an evening talk with the rest of your plans.

The timings of the circular hike and the talks help with different planning questions: the 2-hour-and-30-minute duration provides a timeframe for the hike, while the talks are tied to a specific evening. This means you can plan a hike and a cultural event as separate highlights of your stay.

Discover more destinations: Saint-Pierre-Eynac, Céaux-D'allègre, Saint-Jeures, Saint-Georges-Lagricol, Alleyras, Vals-Près-Le-Puy, Polignac, Prades

Return to the regional travel overview: Haute-Loire.