Trekking Huguenots Trails [M]

A walking holiday in France on the theme of the Camisard War

Tour Highlights

• Discover the land of the French Huguenots
• Enjoy hiking a variety of Cevennes hill-top and valley trails
• Learn about The Camisard Conflict by walking its key trails and villages.

Key Facts

• Seven-night walking tour, with arrivals any day from April to October.
• Self-guided, moderate [M] inn-to-inn trekking.
• An all-inclusive transport tour, starting and finishing in Alès.
• Best access from Avignon, Montpellier or Nimes, with short onward journey to Alès by train. Marseille is an alternative.

Please click the headings below or scroll down.
1. Theme
2. Model 7-night trek
3. Accommodation
4. What's Included
5. Prices 2010
6. Booking

1. Theme

Trekking Huguenots Trails is your chance to learn about the principal events, locations and personalities of the 18th century 'Camisard Rebellion' between the Protestant Huguenots and their Catholic opponents. This is a remarkable walking holiday in France designed to remind us of the senselessness of religious bigotry lest we forget.

Trekking Huguenots Trails is an fascinating opportunity to follow in the footsteps of the Protestants who fought a short and bloody war for 'religious freedom' in The Cevennes mountains at the beginning of the 18th Century.

The Cevennes was the location for the world’s first guerilla war and resulting mass deportations. The fight for religious freedom from the centralising tendencies of the French Catholic State pitted the Royalist ‘Black Dragons’ of Louis XIV against the rebel ‘Camisards’ of Jean Cavalier. For some, the scars still remain and continue to mark life in the Cevennes.

Trekking Huguenots Trails has you hiking Cevennes hilltop trails, and visiting the monuments, sanctuaries and battlegrounds that made news all over Europe three hundred years ago.

• Read our background article on the Conflict here entitled, Walking with the Camisards

• Read our article on The Cévennes.

• Also available as:
  i) a self-guided drive-hike tour - see Hiking Huguenots Trails
  or
  ii) an 'on demand' tour for your group - contact us for details.
  

2. Model tour: Trekking Huguenots Trails

Day 1. Alès.

Arrival and hotel check-in followed by urban walk around the Protestant stronghold in the Cevennes foothills.

Day 2. The Jouany Trail. 7 miles-10 kms

Morning transfer to Genolhac the town of Jouany, home and resting place of the Camisard Chief for The High Cevennes. Then hike a memorable Camisard trail, with the option to visit two villages with many a tale of persecution to tell.

Day 3. The Royalist Stronghold. 15.5 miles -23 kms

You walk the heart of Protestant Country to Collet de Deze, a Royalist garrison from where orders for burnings and persecutions were commonplace.

Day 4. The Battle of Chompdomergue. Options from 10 miles-15 kms.

Walk the battlefield, where Jean Cavalier, future leader of the Camisards, won his spurs and visit a village that was cleared of its inhabitants even before battle commenced.

Day 5. The Burning of Lespinas.8 miles - 12kms.

You visit a village that was cleared of its inhabitants and raised to the ground even before battle commenced.

Day 6. War Breaks Out. 11 miles-16 kms.

The Abbot of Chaïla was assinated at Pont de Monvert on July 24, 1702, marking the beginning of the war. Visit the location after a stimulating walk to the point from where the Rebels marched on the town.

Day 7. To Florac. 17.5 miles-26 kms.

A memorable panorama of Camisard Country as you walk the alpine-mediterranean watershed before descending into the fortified Protestant stronghold.

Day 8. The Conflict Ends.

And so does a memorable walking holiday in France! Transfer to Alès.

3. Accommodation

You stay in seven different places en route and a variety of comfortable accommodation options: family-run 1, 2 and 3-star hotels, auberges and chambres/tables d'hotes.

These are your seven overnight stops:
1. Alès;
2. Vialas;
3. Collet;
4. Saint Frézal;
5. St Maurice:
6. Pont-de-Monvert;
7. Florac.

4. What's Included

7 nights B & B, plus local hotel taxes -
leaving you free to purchase your meals according to your personal preferences and budget:
relevant information is available in your dossier;

Pre-tour briefing and post-tour de-briefing;

All luggage transfers and transport integral to the programmme, including 40-minute taxi transfer to Genolhac from Ales at the start of the programme, and a 60-minute taxi transfer Florac to Ales at the end;

Walking Insight Notes™ that make orientation simple;

Themed vacation dossier;

Emergency telephone help-line service from locally-based British nationals.

5. Prices 2010

Per person based on two sharing:
£540.00 or €620.00 or $795.00.
Single person rate:
£895.00 or €1040.00 or $1355.00

Click to go to Booking