A Little History
The history of the Régordane Way is an epic etched in stone, spanning over two millennia. Long before becoming a major hiking trail, this route was a geographical necessity: it follows the Régordane geological fault, a natural depression allowing passage through the Cévennes without braving steep peaks, connecting the Puy-en-Velay basin to the Mediterranean coast. From Antiquity, Gauls and Romans used it as a strategic communication axis. However, it was during the Middle Ages that the Régordane reached its golden age.
Between the 11th and 14th centuries, it became one of the busiest roads in France. It was the trading route par excellence: Camargue salt travelled north, while wines, cereals, and wool from the Massif Central descended to southern ports. Merchants crossed paths in a clatter of hooves and cart wheels, whose deep ruts carved in the sandstone can still be seen at La Garde-Guérin. Alongside commerce, Régordane was a land of pilgrimage leading faithful to the tomb of Saint Gilles and serving as a connecting route for those joining Rome or Santiago de Compostela.
Along the way, powerful abbeys and fortified villages emerged to protect and tax travelers. The Château de Portes, with its spectacular prow, watched over this incessant flow of wealth. Over the centuries, the road experienced darker periods. During the Wars of Religion, the Cévennes became a Protestant stronghold, and the path was the scene of bloody clashes.
Later, with the creation of the "Royal Road" in the 18th century, then the arrival of the railway in the 19th, the Régordane lost its economic utility and gradually fell into oblivion. It was then saved by shepherds and their flocks who continued to use it for transhumance.
Today, the GR®700 has breathed new life into this ancient route. It is no longer salt merchants or knights in armor striding across these worn slabs, but hikers in search of history and preserved landscapes. Walking on the Régordane, you don't just cross volcanic and Mediterranean landscapes; you step back in time, treading the soil of those who, for two thousand years, made the economic and spiritual heart of southern France beat.
"It is the path of merchants, knights, and saints."
Remarkable Heritage
Along the GR®700, heritage is not just admired; it is traversed. A true historical backbone, the path is dotted with vestiges. In Le Puy-en-Velay, the departure offers a unique monumental complex with its cathedral. Descending towards Lozère, heritage becomes more rustic but powerful, notably with the Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Abbey.
The architectural highlight is undoubtedly at La Garde-Guérin. This fortified village, perched above the Chassezac gorges, retains its medieval tower. Further south stands the spectacular Château de Portes, nicknamed the "Ship of the Cévennes".
In the Gard plain, Roman history takes over in Nîmes with its Arena and Maison Carrée. The route ends spectacularly at the Abbey of Saint-Gilles, a masterpiece of Romanesque art. Every village crossed tells a page of French history.
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