"Les C ..." a Parc National des Cévennes Travel Page by XenoHumph

Les Cévennes are a beautiful mountaineous region of France, located on the Southeastern slopes of Massif Central. It is one of the most remote and wild region of France. For those who like to get away from the main stream of tourists, it is ideal!

This region is mainly known to the anglophone public through a book by R. L. Stevenson who went hiking through Cevennes in 1878 and wrote a book about it: 'Travel with a Donkey in the Cevennes'.

Here is a very good website with lots of information on trails, architecture, flora, fauna, traditions...:
http://causses-cevennes.com/

And the website of the Parc itself:
http://www.parcsnationaux-fr.com/cevennes/

Finally, a practical website for activities around St Germain de Calberte, updated constantly by the locals: http://www.cevennes.com/index.htm

The Cévennes can be divided in 3 broad regions, mainly based on the geology which actually shapes landscape, climate and architecture.
1) The Southwest, Causses and calcareous canyons. Causses are big flat plateaus, cut by deep gorges such as Gorges du Tarn. The traditionnal houses are made of carbonaceous rocks. The climate is quite rough, especially in winter: high winds, snow and cold.
2) Two big granitic mountains, Mont Lozère (North) and Mont Aigoual (South). Houses made of granite, and typical mountain climate.
3) Southeast. metamorphic-rock (schists) Cévennes. Characterized by long crested hills and deep valleys, not many flat parts. The houses look severe because made of dark schist, but the climate is the nicest of all of Cevennes, as it is buffered by Mediterranean winds.

This VT page only describes 3), "les Cévennes schisteuses".

Main activities in Cévennes are hiking, strolling through quaint villages, and a few local museums about history (protestant religion refuge, WW2 german resistance refuge for example) and traditions of the region.