La Bastide-Puylaurent: Hiking and Heritage

La Bastide-Puylaurent lies near the sources of the Allier. For planning your trip, hiking routes with different distances and durations are available alongside a distinctive local and church history. You can compare the routes by their length, stated walking time, starting points and destinations. This can help you decide whether a shorter hike, a circuit rated difficult or a longer stage is a better fit for your schedule.

Hiking routes by time and distance

The Chemin de la Régordane runs through La Bastide-Puylaurent on a north-south axis. La Bastide-Puylaurent was originally an inn and a place established as a rest stop on the Chemin de la Régordane. Its former function as a resting place links the town’s history with this route.

The circuit to the Dolmen du Thort starts in La Bastide-Puylaurent. It is 13.9784 km long, takes an average of five hours and is rated difficult. At just under 14 km and with this walking time, it is a longer hiking option; its circular route and difficulty rating are also important planning considerations.

The Val d’Allier hiking route starts in the hamlet of La Bastide and is 6.3 km long; the stated walking time is two hours. The route to the Barrage de Puylaurent starts in Puylaurent, covers 5.8 km and is estimated to take one hour and 50 minutes. Their walking times are close: the Val d’Allier route is 0.5 km longer and takes an estimated ten minutes more. Their starting points differ.

The GR®70 Chemin de Stevenson offers a different kind of route: its 27 km stage runs from Cheylard-l’Évêque to La Bastide-Puylaurent. This means you can compare a circuit starting in La Bastide-Puylaurent with a stage between two named places. This distinction is useful if you want to assess a hike by its route type, not just its length.

Local history and the Church of Puylaurent

The Church of Puylaurent was listed as a Monument historique by decree of 24 June 1976. The parish church of Saint-Laurent in Puylaurent also offers a tangible connection to the architectural history of the town.

The walls of its nave may date from the 12th century. The groin vault may date from the 14th century; a side chapel was added on the south side in the 17th century. This places two possible earlier construction dates alongside the later-dated chapel addition. The different dates give the church an architectural history that spans more than one period.

During your stay, you can combine a focus on hiking with an interest in local history: the routes offer concrete differences in length, walking time and starting point, while the Church of Puylaurent and the Chemin de la Régordane provide historical points of interest.

Discover more destinations: Mende, Saint-Michel-De-Dèze, Montbrun, Saint-Pierre-des-Tripiers, Saint-Rome-de-Dolan, Antrenas, Marchastel, Banassac.

For the broader travel overview: Lozère.