It’s hard to imagine how it must have felt to the tired travellers as they bowed their heads into the wind and pushed on to the south. But, if you have the time, follow in their footsteps a while across and down from the lofty plateaux. You'll cross through the pretty hillside villages and into the thick and craggy relief of forests of chestnut, pine and oak. Gradually you will be drawn on to the beautiful haven of Conques.
But if you can’t travel the trail and don’t want to meander alone, join one of the “Aubrac Rando” guided walking tours. They leave from the village of Laguiole and this way, you'll get a real sense of these hills.
www.rando-aubrac.co
It’s an area which was also the childhood home of Michel Bras (the only three star Michelin - chef in the region) who says that he takes much of his inspiration from the 2,000 local varieties of flora and fauna that you’ll find here.
His restaurants is just 10 minutes outside the village of Aubrac, and hovers like a floating beacon of luxury, indulgence and all that is modern, with glass walls giving way to dramatic views over the valley to Laguiole. You’ll find that the dishes served here are as much about art and poetry as they are about the terrain with the emphasis on edible flowers, herbs, beauty and all that’s in season. There’s a hotel here too but you will need to book.
www.bras.fr
3 star taste of the Aubrac plateaux