Ventalon trail

Saint-Maurice-de-Ventalon is the canton's most centrally located village, at the crossroads of Mont Lozère  and the Cevennes. To reach the hamlets of Le Tronc and Le Masmin, you have to cross over the Ventalon ridge. The village's families are mostly multiple job holders, living partly on farming, bee-keeping (restored trunk-hive at the entrance to the village), livestock rearing and renting out horses for hikes. The village was once a very convivial place, with a post office, school, shop and cafe that drew the inhabitants of this vastly spread out village. “In Saint-Maurice-de-Ventalon, an accordion-player was hired for the ball on the saint's name day. This took place in July on the little square. The organisers went around the village to sell the “fougasse de Paillasse” (a Provencal bread made by Mr Durand, the baker in Vialas, nicknamed Paillasse). People played skittles. Many came – the inhabitants of Saint-Frézal, Soleyrols, etc.” (Léa Carrière. Vent des Bancels. issue 31)

Saint-Maurice-de-Ventalon is a land of springs, located on the watershed and consisting of three catchments. The river Luech has its spring in the uplands and joins the torrents of the Rieutort and Gourdouze before flowing into the Cèze and finally the Mediterranean. The Gardon d'Alès also has its spring here, which flows through Saint- Frézal-de-Ventalon and then to the Mediterranean. On the Atlantic side, the rivers Goudesche and Alignon calmly wind their way through meadows and into the Tarn.