Bonnevaux: hiking trails, church and Cévenol hamlets

Bonnevaux brings together landscapes, architectural heritage and hiking. The trails vary in length, elevation gain and route; the church of Saint Théodorit and the hamlet of Nojaret showcase different aspects of the area’s built heritage. These themes offer clear starting points for planning your trip.

Landscapes and hikes

Bonnevaux’s fauna and flora remain intact; chestnut groves cover most of the commune. The hikes pass through varied landscapes and settlements. The “Les drailles perdues” circular hike has specific details for distance, ascent and descent, and difficulty: it is rated difficult, is 11.6 km long, and involves 575 m of ascent and 575 m of descent. It starts and ends in Bonnevaux.

The route offers views of Mont Lozère, the Monts du Vivarais, the Rhône Valley and Mont Ventoux. There is a car park at the entrance to Bonnevaux on the route de la Devèze. As route conditions, measurements and parking rules can change, check the current situation before setting out.

The first stage of the GR® de Pays Haute Vallée de la Cèze follows a different elevation: it crosses the Bonnevaux plateau at an altitude of more than 900 m. This helps distinguish two different route descriptions: “Les drailles perdues” is defined by its circular route, distance and elevation gain, while the GR stage follows a route across the plateau.

The “Hameaux de Bonnevaux” hike goes through the village to the Croix de Nojaret, then continues through typically Cévenol villages and hamlets away from motorised traffic. Its route therefore differs both from the circular hike with its stated measurements and from the stage across the plateau: here, the village, Croix de Nojaret and the other settlements form the sequence of waypoints.

The church and Cévenol architecture

The church of Saint Théodorit is a Romanesque building dating from the 11th century. Its nave is made of schist, and its pillars of sandstone. Other features include a bell-gable and eleven carved heads on the exterior. Its date, building materials, tower style and exterior decoration offer several specific ways to appreciate the building’s architecture.

Nojaret is a hamlet in Bonnevaux with Cévenol architecture. It includes stone houses, courtyards and outbuildings, as well as a fountain, a livestock watering trough and a béal. Unlike the church, whose description focuses on a single Romanesque building, Nojaret showcases several elements of a hamlet. Bonnevaux thus brings religious architecture together with the varied built features of a hamlet, without necessarily offering the same kind of travel experience.

Cultural programme

The 2026 programme for L’Été de Bonnevaux brings together music, theatre, clowning and singing. The event is scheduled to take place at the Petit théâtre de pierre at Col du Péras. The cultural programme adds its own events to the hiking and architecture themes. If you plan to include a later edition in your trip, check its programme and dates separately.

More destinations

Discover more destinations: Euzet, Saint-Siffret, Saint-Chaptes, Saint-Césaire-De-Gauzignan, Aujargues, Pompignan, Théziers, Génolhac.

For the broader travel overview: Gard.