Pied De Borne: Hiking, Climbing and Romanesque Chapels

When planning a stay in Pied De Borne, hiking, climbing and Romanesque architecture provide practical starting points. The Les Baumes circular hike can be assessed by its distance and average walking time. Different architectural details take centre stage in the chapels, while the Pourtalas Right climbing sector is described by a specified number and range of routes. This can help you decide which theme you would like to shape your stay.

Hiking the Les Baumes circular route

The Les Baumes hiking route starts in the village of Les Beaumes in Pied-de-Borne. It is an 8.8674-kilometre circular route. The average walking time is given as 2 hours and 51 minutes; this may vary depending on conditions and individual walking pace.

If you plan to make Les Baumes a fixed part of your itinerary, you can use the stated walking time as a guide for planning your schedule. Route details may be updated.

Two chapels with different points of interest

The Chapelle de la Madeleine stands on a terrace above the Borne Valley. The small granite chapel dates from the 12th century and has a single nave and a semicircular vaulted apse. Its history includes a special detail: it houses the heart of Odilon Barrot. Its materials, floor plan and historical connection each offer visitors interested in culture a different way to appreciate the Chapelle de la Madeleine.

The Chapelle des Beaumes is a Romanesque pilgrimage chapel on a hill above the Borne Valley. It preserves one of the few surviving examples of a Romanesque sculpted portal. The portal features alternating animal, human figure, floral and geometric motifs, and is crowned by a sawtooth frieze. Visitors interested in architecture will find a very specific detail to focus on here: the sequence of different motifs and how it concludes along the upper edge.

The two chapels have different points of emphasis. At the Chapelle de la Madeleine, granite, the simple floor plan and the apse shape its description; at the Chapelle des Beaumes, the design of the Romanesque portal takes centre stage. This makes it easy to choose according to your interests: are you more interested in architectural form and history, or in surviving stone carvings? The features described answer this question without equating the two chapels.

Climbing routes in the Pourtalas Right sector

The Pourtalas Right sector has 13 climbing routes, graded from 4b to 7a. This gives you both the number of listed routes and the stated grade range—two practical points of reference for your own planning. Route lists and grades may be updated.

Hiking, chapel visits and climbing appeal to different interests and suit different schedules. Les Baumes offers a designated circular route with an average walking time; the chapels invite visitors to explore architecture and history; and Pourtalas Right is described by its number of routes and grades. When choosing, you can therefore start by deciding how you would like to spend the day, then check the relevant up-to-date details.

Discover more destinations: La Bastide-Puylaurent, Altier, Villefort, Saint-Hilaire-de-Lavit, Saint-Germain-Du-Teil, La Panouse, Montchamp, Banassac.

See the broader travel guide: Lozère.