La Couvertoirade
touristic guide
A village in the middle of the Causses
As soon as you approach the village set in the heart of the Causse du Larzac you are surprised by the two towers that spring from a rocky chaos.
Come through the old fortified gateway, a meander of streets, small covered passageways and 15th century houses await you. Climb up to the chemin de ronde walkway on the ramparts and you dominate the listed village and admire the exceptionally well preserved surrounding countryside. The village is brought to life by the artisan boutiques and old shops.
The church
Access is via steps cut into the rock at the church of Saint Christophe. Built in the 14th century by the Templar and then by the Hospitaler Knights, it is partly dug into the rock and its flat chevet forms part of the village ramparts. The church possesses surprising contemporary stained glass windows: the work of master glass worker Claude Baillon, they have the particularity of being figurative, which is rare for contemporary stained glass windows.
From the mill to the oven
The windmill on the hill at Le Rédounel is the only restored windmill in the Aveyron. Climbing this hill, you discover the beauty of the ensemble of La Couvertoirade.
The village’s communal bread oven, abandoned for years has now been restored and is in working order. Once a week, you can taste bread, fouace and other local specialities. It is even sometimes turned into a “tiny theatre”…
Also to see :
- The don de l’eau that enabled the inhabitants of La Couvertoirade to offer drinking water to visitors
- The cemetery and its disc-shaped stelae
- The lavogne, a natural stone-lined pond
- The only Knights Templar château in France
to go
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