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Visit
the official website of the touristoffice Meyrueis
:
meyrueis-office-tourisme.com
| The six communes of
the Meyrueis-canton cover a total of 28300 hectares. They are situated in the South- West-Ouest of the departement la Lozère, adjacent with the departements le Gard and l'Aveyron. The landscapes are of an amazing diversity... This is resulting from the variety of geological layer and height. About geology. |
We
can define 3 zones :
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La
Jonte rises at 1450 m height, close to the top of the Mont Aigoual (1567 m), the massif of
schiste and granite. |
| separating the Causse Méjean from
the Causse Noir. Finally, in le Rozier, she meets the river Tarn on her westwards voyage to la Garonne and the Atlantic ocean. The Causses, of wild beauty, stretch away to both sides of the Gorges. The climat is a mixture of the middle-height mountain type and Mediterranen influences (70 km bird's-eye view). Severe winters, warm summers and relatively much sunshine (more than 1500 hours/year). |
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| POPULATION This country was already populated in the prehistory, living it's height in the beginning of the XIXth century. About 1850, the rural exode harasses the canton, which lost in one century two-third of its inhabitants. This profound human erosion treated some of the communes with total desertification. Although the Causse Méjean is one off the most thinly inhabited regions of Europe: 1,2 inhabitants /km², the canton's population is stabilised now, with about 1350 to 1400 persons. |
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This hardworking
population makes the country living, maintaining agricultural activity often completed
with new created activities to earn their living. |
TOURISM IN THE CANTON MEYRUEIS
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Tourisme is a long tradition in these
canton. Halfway the XIXth century, distinguished families of Montpellier, Nîmes and
Marseille came spending their summer in Meyrueis. E.A. Martel, explorator of numerous caves and other natural interesting sites, gave a important impulse to the regional affairs. Meyrueis woke up for the revaluation of it's patrimony and opened to the outer world by construction of new roads. |
About 1890: roads, acces
in caves, paths, hotels, excursions by boat (en calèche) and the so-called 'Syndicat
d'Initiative' were created. |
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Besides beauty, rest and tranquillity the region Meyrueis now also offers numerous outdoor-sport possibilities and other active nature experiences. Tourism is a factor of importance in the regional economie. |
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Two activities are dominating the
cantonal economie : 'agriculture and tourism. |
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The biggest part of the sheep milk is
collected for the famous Roquefort-cheese but their are also other traditional local
less known but good tasting cheeses. In the most remoted farms the sheeps are grown for meat. Meat of quality with a delicat fine tast. The farmers diversify their activities with reception in 'tables d'hôtes' and 'chambres d'hôtes'. |
| Schools, services, commerces,
hotels, artisans, a home for the aged, and little entreprises like one of the oldest
Citroén-garage, le "Fédou" at Hyelzas and some others offers work to the
people. In the cevenol part of the canton goatkeeping is the main stock-breeding. The goat-milk is for the production of the 'pélardon' ( traditional little goatcheese of the Cévennes). |
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Some cows and horses share the relatively rich meadows of the valleys. Step beatiful valleys covered for lion's share with forest and chestnut-orchard. |
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SOME HISTORY The country of Meyrueis covers several historical different territories. Which were in previous centuries did not always agree.
At the same time the
Benedictins, installed in the valleys |
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The merchants became part
of the society of Meyrueis, creating actif fairs and municipal autonomy. |
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They kept dividing the canton administratif in the provinces le Gévaudan and le Languedoc, and religious in the dioceses of Mende and Nîmes. 'La Guerre de 100 ans', the pestilence and the religous wars in the XVIth and XVII th century ravaged the region. |
| The XVIIIth century brought better
times by a economical development based on agriculture, but very bad times for the
protestants suffering religious persecutions in the cevenol part of the country. Artisans, public and commercial services and the negotiation of textile (wool, the spinning of |
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| coton and silk) are the supports of an
harmonic economy. The Revolution reunites officially the canton integrating it in the new department la Lozère. At the Causses they've got a bad period then, because of their fidelity to the King and Church. |
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The XIXth century is the prosperous
industrial period of Meyrueis (hat- and nail-manufactories, silk, mining ...). Then
came the decline. Of 1850, the canton sees diminuating it's economic activities and population. Then the war of 914 kills a tragic big number of man. The birth of tourism about 1890 thanks to the regional beauty was it's good luck. |
| Also the second world war brought tragic, like the combat in La Parade (May 44). |
| The last decenniums were full of
progres: rentals, equipments, roads and watersupply at the Causses are realised. In spite of the difficulties that the wild rough nature procures, people and agricultural professions maintains. The hospitality of the beautiful region Meyrueis might be yours in future. |
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Text: Philippe CHAMBON
Inquries at the O. T. S.I.'s : les Offices du Tourisme |
OTSI
Meyrueis |
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