tourisme-aveyron.com - Comité Départemental du Tourisme de l'Aveyron

250km of emotion

Diversity is what awaits you all along the Aveyron: heritage, culture, outdoor activities are all here. The château at Séverac-le-château will charm you, you will be amazed by Rodez and its cathedral with its very particular bell tower. The picturesque village of Belcastel is a serene location. In Villefranche-de-Rouergue and Najac, you are in bastide country where you will relive a rich mediaeval past. This is also where the more courageous will amuse themselves in the turmoil of the river Aveyron.

Séverac-le-Château

Do not miss the superb panorama of the mediaeval village and the Aveyron valley, all you have to do is climb the hill and enjoy!

You will be able to stroll through the illustrious château built in the 13th and 18th centuries: the ramparts, the towers, curtain walls and the kitchen. During the summer months, you will be able to take guided tours, watch theatre shows and exhibitions and listen to mediaeval tales. Children will have fun with the mediaeval games and being apprentice knights.

Find out everything about the château

 If you visit in summer don’t miss the Jean le Fol sound and light show.

Also to see:

• The Maison de Jeanne
• The Maison des Consuls
• The Municipal museum of archaeology

To discover close by: the vaulted fountains and dolmens circuit, the village of Saint Grégoire.

Rodez

The town can be seen from miles around, perched on its hill: Rodez cathedral is the emblem of the town, it watches over it. With its Gothic bell tower in carved red sandstone, it will be your reference point during your visit of the Capital of the Rouergue.

If you climb up the bell tower, you will have a magnificent view of the town and the Aveyron. Descend the hill and you will reach the river. The site of Layoule has been laid out for you to fully benefit from the banks of the Aveyron: children’s games, picnic tables, foot paths…

Discover Rodez

Not far away: Bozouls and its “trou” (hole)

Yes, yes, its “trou”, or canyon. A geological marvel some 400m in diameter and 100m deep.  It is difficult to imagine that the modest Dourdou that flows through the bottom of the canyon formed over millennia this surprising natural cirque in the form of a horseshoe right in the middle of the Causse.

Several viewpoints offer you impressive views of the "trou" from its rim. But you can also descend to the bottom. In fact, the area is ideal for walking and a botanical trail enables you to identify over one hundred varieties of plants.

To visit: 

• the Romanesque church Sainte Fauste (12^th century) perched almost at the tip of the promontory.
• Terra Memoria – discover the landscapes of the Aveyron. You will be able to understand in a simple way the formation and evolution of the Earth and the Aveyron.

Belcastel

Continue along the Aveyron and you will reach the village of Belcastel classed as one of the “Plus Beaux Villages de France” (most beautiful villages in France). This is a picturesque village where the inhabitants have preserved the ancient houses. The magnificent château was pulled from the ruins during the 1970s by the architect Fernand Pouillon, who had fallen in love with the little village.

Now an unmissable site in the Aveyron, you will find a unique charm in Belcastel, splendid architecture and if you like walking, the numerous footpaths along the river will delight you.
Discover Belcastel

Know everything about the château

Villefranche-de-Rouergue

The Rouergue Bastide par excellence! A very regular plan, with its streets set out in a grid that lead to the central square lined by arcades. The impressive collegiate church dominates the square and watches over the market held every Thursday.

It is thanks to a rich commercial past that Villefranche was able to build the Chartreuse Saint-Sauveur charterhouse in the 15th century, a masterpiece of Gothic architecture.
Discover Villefranche-de-Rouergue