visual - Roquefort

Avenue de Lauras, F- 12250 Roquefort-sur-Soulzon
Tel: +33 (0)5 65 58 56 00 - Fax: +33 (0)5 65 58 56 01
E-mail: info@roquefort.com
www.roquefort.com
www.millau-viaduc-tourisme.fr
Open all year round
The Roquefort Country Tourist Office has received the
national accreditation QUALITÉ TOURISME™
in accordance with the quality standards
of the Midi-Pyrénées Tourism organisations
The Tourist Office welcomes disabled visitors, as well as people
with visual or hearing impairments, and can advise them on the
best way to discover the area.
Town Hall
Avenue François Galtier, F- 12250 Roquefort-sur-Soulzon
Tel. +33 (0)5 65 59 91 95 – Fax +33 (0)5 65 59 95 16
E-mail: ville.de.roquefort@roquefort.com
General Post Office
Tourist Office, Avenue de Lauras, F- 12250 Roquefort-sur-Soulzon
Tel: +33 (0)5 65 74 07 16
Emergency numbers
Anti-poison centre: +33(0)5 61 77 74 47
Ambulance: 15
Emergency number from a mobile phone: 112
Police: 17
Le Havre
PARIS
Nantes
ClermontFerrand
Lyon
Bordeaux
AVEYRON
Rodez
Toulouse
Roquefort
Montpellier
Grenoble
Marseille
Roquefort en Aveyron
A75, exits 46 and 47
15 min. from the Millau Viaduct
GPS coordinates:
Long. = 02°58’55”E
Lat. = 43°58’52”N
SENTIER
Du MENHIR
Hiking
in Roquefort
church
menhir
ladder
viewpoint indicator
tar road
pathway
railway
sentier des Echelles
sentier du Menhir
sentier de Trompette
clives
The Combalou plateau was once used for grazing ewes from
the Mas de Roquefort farm. They spent most of the year getting
to the plateau via a difficult 5-km path.
Every day, a farmhand brought the shepherd his meal, and took
a shortcut through the scree, along the cliff, where there were
two ladders. That is where the pathway gets its name from.
1 - Opposite the Tourist Office car park, cross the road by the bus shelter and go up the path
that runs along the cemetery. On the tarmac road, turn right then left, following the hairpin
bend (you will pass the premises of “Le Vieux Berger” on the right). 300 m later, take the left
fork, until you get to a house and a fountain (drinking water).
2 - Take the small path up to the right (on the left when coming from Tournemire) towards the
Combalou plateau. The scree is on the right. Turn left and follow the path up to the Aucelos
(birds) spring. Continue straight on to the Combalou plateau via the 2 ladders.
On the plateau, pass between the Jasse du Combalou sheep pen and the edge of the plateau.
Walk along the cliff and take the path through the pine forest, following the signs, then begin
to descend towards the Les Aiguières pass.
At the pass, there are two options:
Option 1: Trompette loop: descend to the right, towards Tournemire, cross the road
and follow the yellow signs (option 1 of the Sentier de Trompette route).
Option 2: Complete the Sentier des Échelles route: continue towards Roquefort (point 3).
3 - Head towards Roquefort and continue straight on to the “Sotch de Balhols” (large fault)
and walk down to the Saint-Pierre chapel (climb the stairs on the left to get back to the
viewpoint indicator). Then go down the stairs.
Head down on your left via Rue de la Créance to the Place des Baragnaudes. Take the Rue
des Baragnaudes opposite, following the signs to the Quilles des Baragnaudes. Pass in front
of the Quilles, walk along the cliff and go down the steps.
4 - At the bottom of the steps, turn right and immediately left to pass under a porch and get
to the Avenue de Lauras. That will take you to the Tourist Office, your starting point.
Length: 2 ½ hrs
Distance: 6 km
Change
in altitude: 250 m Signs:
auditory
tactile
Roquefort,
ONE CHEESE
SENTIER
DE TROMPETTE
LADDER PATHWAY
visual
This walk is best on the hottest day of the summer, as it will bring you to the edge
of the Soulzon stream through a maze of luxurious vegetation. Enjoy a pleasant and
restful moment by the stream, thanks to its cool waters.
On the banks of the stream, you will discover an imposing Christian stone stuck
in the ground. There are various interpretations of this: is it simply the remains of
the fallen rocks from Combalou, that somebody engraved with a cross during the
Middle Ages, to mark the territorial divide between the communities of Montclarat
and Tournemire? Or is it indeed an ancient menhir that was Christianised as so many
others were? Whatever the truth of the matter, this stone stuck in the ground is a
fascinating excuse to embark on the discovery of the Soulzon valley.
The name Trompette comes from the nickname of a stonemason from Roquefort
whose house is not far from the hiking path. The story goes that his workmates gave
him a little trumpet as a joke, and he used to play it to entertain himself and the
merry team when they were out and about. The nickname stayed with him.
This path offers exceptional views over the Cirque de Tournemire, the Larzac plateau
and the village of Roquefort.
Leaving from the Tournemire train station, head towards the tennis court. Cross the “le
Soulzon” stream and turn right. Follow the signposted path, turn left after the water
treatment plant then right in front of the little house. 50 m further, leave the path that
rises and continue right towards Roquefort via the Le Bousquet farm. After passing
through the wood, you can visit the abandoned farm of Le Bousquet Bas (old fortified
farm), and then return to the initial itinerary. When you reach the D93, turn left, and
follow the road up for about 300 m.
From here, for option 1 turn left, for option 2 turn right:
Option 1: towards Tournemire
Go through a “copse” to head down towards the village of Tournemire. At the bottom, turn
right to get to the station by the same path you started on
Option 2: towards Roquefort and the Sentier des Échelles, returning to Tournemire.
Go up a winding path for 200 m to the Sentier des Échelles. Then see point 3 of the. “Sentier
des Echelles” description.
After the Quilles des Baragnaudes, turn left into the road with steps to reach a fountain
(drinking water) via the steps and see point 2 of the “Sentier des Échelles” description.
Get to the D93 then option 1 from the Sentier des Trompettes.
Length: 1 ½ hrs
Distance: 4 km (without Sentier des échelles) or 9 km (with Sentier des échelles)
Change in altitude: 180 m Signs:
When you come out of the Tourist Office, turn right alongside the Conteynes wood to the
drinking water fountain. Take the little path on the right, and pass through the housing estate
on a tarmac road. Continue straight on to a large green and white building. Leave this on your
right and head left behind the municipal workshops, then take a left down a little shaded
pathway.
At the end of this path, go left down to the crossroads with a wide path and turn left until you
reach the sharp bends. Before crossing the river over the footbridge, you can take a return
trip to the menhir which is further downstream. Walk along the river on the bank opposite the
menhir to the second footbridge.
Cross the river again. After 300 m and a small slope, turn left to get back onto the road. Cross
this road to take a path up to the Tourist Office through the Conteynes wood.
Advice for
conscientious walkers
We advise you to follow the paths in the direction
recommended in the route descriptions.
• INFORM SOMEONE OF YOUR DEPARTURE
Make sure you inform someone of your walk and tell them
the route you will be taking.
Tell them your estimated time of return.
Ensure that the weather conditions are good.
• ENSURE YOU ARE WELL EQUIPPED
Length: 1 ½ hrs
Distance: 3.4 km
Change
in altitude: 110 m Signs:
Length: 2 ½ hrs
Distance: 3 km
Change
in altitude: 150 m Get the right shoes: shoes that support your ankles may prevent sprains.
Take water and warm clothing as you may be surprised
by the cool air at nightfall, even in midsummer!
• READ THE OFFICIAL SIGNS
Path
continues:
Change of
direction:
Sensory walk
“The story of Roquefort: perspectives from yesterday and today”
Distributed across various locations in the centre of the village, an auditory, visual and
photographic exhibition will take you on a journey through oral history with the people of
Roquefort.
These exhibits are the outcome of a process of analysing and presenting a series of
testimonies that were gathered from the villagers by local school children, as part of an
educational project entitled “The oral memory of my village through the five senses”.
Take a stroll around the village and enjoy the chance discovery
of one of these exhibits. Each one is indicated on the map by a
letter corresponding to the sense which is highlighted.
Wrong
direction:
Using QR codes, you can also download extracts from the
testimony of local inhabitants, on site. This sensory walk opens
the door to tender and amusing perspectives on the village, its
alleyways, its stairways and other unusual nooks and crannies.
• RESPECT THE SITE
Do not stray from the signposted path when passing through properties.
Do not light any fires, discard waste or camp.
Respect the fauna, flora, cattle and crops.
Thank you… and enjoy your walk!
Suggested route on the map
Photographic
panoramas: visual
Audio creations:
auditory
To prepare for and/or extend this Sensory walk:
listen to or download the testimonials
www.roquefort.fr/decouvrir/le-village/
Découvertes et Balades (Discovery and walks) section (in French)
3-D creations:
tactile
one village
DISCOVERY GUIDE
Pays de Roquefort Tourist Office
Document published by the Tourist Office and the Town of Roquefort / Photos: C. Caruso, K. Fersing, D. Atché and D. Martin for OTPR / Design: Anatome / Cartography: Anatome and Terracarta / Printing: Les Chênes Verts Millau – May 2013 / 6000 ex
useful
informations
4
Le Combalou
Roquefort
one cheese,
S
O
Roquefort in Aveyron is a unique type of village. It is here,
and only here, in the deepest depths of its caves, that the
famous Roquefort cheese is ripened. It was awarded the 1st
French AOC label in 1925.
Roquefort is an entry point into the Causses and Cévennes
region, recently classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site
as part of the “organically evolved continuing Mediterranean
agropastoral cultural landscape”.
One cheese
Roquefort is a blue cheese made from unpasteurised
whole milk, prepared and produced exclusively with
milk from the Lacaune breed of sheep.
It is the culture of Penicillium roqueforti that gives it its
creaminess, as well as its unique and powerful taste.
The milk is collected from a specific geographical area
called the “Roquefort radius”.
It comprises part of the départements of Aveyron,
Aude, Gard, Hérault, Lozère and Tarn. The cheese is
ripened exclusively in the village of Roquefort.
Located at the heart of the Grands Causses Regional Nature Park, the
cheese-making village of Roquefort has almost 700 inhabitants and is
perched at an altitude of 630 m.
It stretches along the side of the famous mass of fallen rocks of
Combalou, to the south of Larzac.
Hidden behind its tranquil exterior is a highly active industrial village.
Some 1000 people work underground, in natural caves adapted by man
over time, for the ripening of the famous cheese.
A veritable expertise has been handed down over the centuries and is
still maintained today in the domain of the fleurines, these rock fissures
whose natural ventilation man has gradually learned to harness.
Echelle : 1/2500
12
Caves Tours
Visit The cheesemakers
Sales outlets
16
Rue Saint-Pierre
HERITAGE
hiking
catering
acComodation
Shop & services
health
facilities
Pedestrian walkways
Sensory walk
es B
9
11
d
Rue
Rue de la Cré
6
ance
8
P4
37
3
RD 9
26 40 28
17
P3
1
rs e
ave
du
é
rch
ma
Avenue de la gare
altier
29 P8 10 39
ean
ier St-J
Quart
18
3
19 5
2
s
avoir
des L
20
la Cliniq
ue
de
Avenue
Lauras
Quartier St-Jean
P6
23
Chemin du Mas
aux
mmun
bles Co
s Immeu
Rue de
30
27
Vers Lauras (3 km)
St Affrique (13 km)
Millau (25 km)
13
34
31
One unique heritage: the caves
Arranged in a ‘mille-feuille’ of superimposed layers, the caves are ventilated
by fleurines (natural fissures) which maintain a constant temperature in
winter and summer of 8 to 12 °C and 95 % humidity, thanks to water
filtering through the scree.
33
22 21
35
P1 AR1
32 15 38
Le Bois de Conteynes
Col des Aiguières
Vers St-Jean d’Alcas (8 km)
14
Between January and July, which is also the time of the “campaign” (milk
collection), the Roquefort cheese ripens slowly in this natural environment
of stone and wood.
AR2
P7
RD
21 Tourist Office
22 General Post Office
23 Taxi Nicolas Garde,
64 av. de Lauras, Tel: +33(0)6 73 98 70 44
24 Grocery/café/local produce, av. de Lauras,
Tel: +33 (0)5 65 42 88 61
25 Ticket machine
26 Town hall
10 Church
11 Rue de la Créance
12 Chapel and Rocher St Pierre
24
Rue de
SHOPS/SERVICES
NATURAL HERITAGE
BUILT HERITAGE
balou
Avenue du Com
Rue
HERITAGE
7 Quille des Baragnaudes
8 Arboretum
9 Viewpoint indicator – Rocher St Pierre
w(leave from P4 )
des
25
G
François
Avenue
7
nau
arag
P5
36
23
Cave
tours
The people
Roquefort cheese brings together a whole series of different professions
and expertise, from production to sales, via the transportation of the milk,
its transformation in the dairy, the continual analyses to which it is subjected
throughout manufacture, the slow ripening of the cheese in the cave and the
various procedures applied before it is dispatched.
Visit the
cheesemakers
Open all year round,
except 25 December
and 1 January
2 PAPILLON
Arrange your visit: www.roquefort.com
Groups by reservation (more than 10 people).
Do remember to wear warm clothes (10 - 12 °C inside the caves).
Dogs are not permitted for cave tours.
1 SOCIÉTÉ
Avenue François Galtier - F- 12250 Roquefort-sur-Soulzon
Tel: +33 (0)5.65.58.54.38
visitedescaves@roquefort-societe.com
www.roquefort-societe.com
For part of the route
and on reservation
Guided tours & Entry fee
Sales
outlets
AR3
Supporting material
for the visually impaireds
8 bis, avenue de Lauras - F- 12250 Roquefort-sur-Soulzon
Tel: +33 (0)5.65.58.50.08
contact@visite-roquefort-papillon.com
www.visite-roquefort-papillon.com
Guided tours & Entry free of charge
In the shop
3 GABRIEL COULET
5-7, av.de Lauras - F- 12250 Roquefort-sur-Soulzon
Tel: +33 (0)5 65 59 24 27
roquefort@gabriel-coulet.fr
www.gabriel-coulet.fr
Self-guided visit & Entry free of charge
In the shop
Supporting material
for the visually impaired
Open all year,
from Monday to Friday
6 Société
4 COMBES “Le Vieux Berger”
Avenue du Combalou - F- 12250 Roquefort-sur-Soulzon
Tel: +33 (0)5 65 59 91 48
vieux.berger@wanadoo.fr
www.le-vieux-berger.com
Supporting material
for the visually impaired
3 GABRIEL COULET
5-7, av. de Lauras - F- 12250 Roquefort-sur-Soulzon
Tel: +33 (0)5 65 59 24 27
www.gabriel-coulet.fr
4 COMBES “Le Vieux Berger”
LES FROMAGERIES OCCITANES
Avenue du Combalou
F- 12250 Roquefort-sur-Soulzon
Tel: +33 (0)5 65 59 91 48
www.le-vieux-berger.com
3 km off the map, in Lauras
(towards St-Affrique/ Millau)
Lauras - F- 12250 Roquefort sur Soulzon
Tel: +33 (0)5 65 59 90 34
www.les-fromageries-occitanes.fr
5 CARLES
VERNIÈRES FRÈRES
6, avenue de Lauras
F- 12250 Roquefort-sur-Soulzon
Tel: +33 (0)5 65 59 90 28
www.roquefort-carles.com
3 km off the map, in Lauras
(towards St Rome de Tarn)
ZA de Lauras, route de Tiergues
F- 12250 Roquefort-sur-Soulzon
Tel: +33 (0)5 65 59 90 23
www.roquefort-vernieres.fr
2 PAPILLON
8 bis, avenue de Lauras
F- 12250 Roquefort-sur-Soulzon
Tel: +33 (0)5 65 58 50 08
www.roquefort-papillon.com
Self-guided visit & Entry free of charge
Suitable for disabled persons
Rue de la Créance - F- 12250 Roquefort-sur-Soulzon
Tel: +33 (0)5 65 58 54 37
www.roquefort-societe.com
Open all year,
except Christmas
and New Year’s Day
Visit the packing room.
3 km off the map,
Espigal bakery, D999 Lauras roundabout, Tel: +33 (0)5 65 46 17 03
INTANGIBLE HERITAGE
Discover the village and its heritage through
the sensory walk
“The story of Roquefort: perspectives
from yesterday and today”
visual
auditory
tactile
HIKING
13 Sentier des Échelles departure point
14 Sentier de Trompette Junction
(at the Les Aiguières pass)
15 Sentier du Menhir departure point
CATERING
Vers Tournemire (3 km)
Le Larzac (8 km)
You can visit the ripening caves all year round to discover the mysterious
world of the King of Cheeses.
Roquefort is the fruit of collaboration, an intertwining of highly detailed and
elaborate techniques and gestures, passed down and perfected over the
course of the centuries.
One village
N
La t
r
one village
Get your bearings
P2
E
Practical information
HEALTH
27 Emergency centre / Fire brigade: 68 av. de Lauras, Tél.: 18
28 Pharmacie des Caves: 4 av. François Galtier, Tel: +33 (0)5 65 59 90 22
29 Doctor Bernard Sirgue: 5 av. de la Gare, Tel: +33 (0)5 65 59 92 33
ÉQUIPEMENTS
30
31
32
33
34
Stadium
Playground
Sports track
Community hall
Telephone booth
16 Restaurant La Cave des Saveurs, car park for visits to Société, Tel: +33 (0)5 65 58 58 11
Picnic areas
17 Restaurant Les Aiguières,
35 In front of the Tourist Office
11 av. François Galtier, Tel: +33 (0)5 65 61 82 54
36 Conteynes wood
18 Restaurant Les Fleurines, 37 Arboretum and Société des Caves car park
27 rue des Baragnaudes, Tel: +33 (0)5 65 62 38 94
19 Crêperie La Bergerie, TOILETS
rue de la Fontaine, Tel: +33 (0)5 65 72 48 37
33 Community hall
38 Conteynes wood
3 km off the map,
39 Behind the Church
Restaurant Le Combalou at Lauras, 40 Beside the Town Hall
Tel: +33 (0)5 65 59 91 70
Auberge des Orchidées at Tournemire, Car Parks
av Hippolyte Puech, Tel: +33 (0)5 65 62 80 42
P1 Tourist Office
P2 Quilles
P3 Town Hall
P4 Visit to the Société caves (max. height 2.3 m)
ACCOMMODATION
P5 Route de Tournemire
20 Guest house: Suzanne Marquès, 15 quartier Saint-Jean, Tel: +33 (0)5 65 59 91 82 / P6 School, Chemin du Mas
P7 Route de Saint Jean d’Alcas, D23
+33(0)6 17 89 95 93 (2 rooms, 6 pers)
P8 Church
Off the map,
Parking recommended for motorhomes: P1
Hôtel-Restaurant Le Combalou, Lauras, F- 12250 Roquefort, Tel: +33 (0)5 65 59 91 70 TURNING AREAS
(15 rooms 45 pers)
AR1 Tourist Office car park
AR2 Route de Saint Jean d’Alcas
Tourist season only:
Monique Gayraud, Auglans, F- 12250 Tournemire, AR3 Route de Tournemire
Tel: +33 (0)5 65 42 48 95 / 06 77 82 57 16 (2-star Gîte de France, 2 rooms, 4 pers)
Josette et Jean-Claude Combes, Montaigut,
F- 12250 Roquefort, Tel: +33(0)6 07 16 30 92 / 06 26 21 14 47 (3 rooms, 6 pers)