Réseau Pro PassaPaïs
Parc naturel régional du Haut-Languedoc
1 place du Foirail – BP 9
34220 Saint-Pons-de-Thomières
The V84-Véloccitanie cycle route is a wonderful alternative to the Canal des 2 Mers by bike, for a discovery of the Lauragais, Haut-Languedoc and Avants-monts regions.
The area covered by this route includes the last of the southern foothills of the Massif Central as far as the Mediterranean coast.
At the crossroads of an extensive network of itineraries and close to large conurbations
The Véloccitanie is connected:
- to the west, by the Castres-Albi Droits de l’homme Greenway (Albi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- to the north, by the future V84.1 (Castres-Lacaune-Murat- Saint-Gervais-Bédarieux)
- to the east, by the GTMC (Grande traversée Massif Central)
- to the south, by the Méditerranée à vélo – the Canal des Deux Mers – EV8 (Cadiz-Athens Eurovéloroute).
The Véloccitanie region has an interesting geographical location, at the gateway to major cities: Toulouse and Montpellier are about 1 hour from the starting points with access by train or bus.
On holiday as well as in town, a passion for cycling
The development of bicycle travel is not a fad but a fundamental movement (the VELORUTION). Towns are being adapted (bike-friendly), a boom in electric bikes is underway and the desire for more eco-responsible travel is emerging.
Ecomobility, especially bicycle travel, combines reasonable physical activity with the discovery of the environment.
Our Véloccitanie contributes to the objective of “zero carbon”
History and heritage
The Haut-Languedoc has the largest concentration of megalithic sites in France, after Brittany and Corsica, including the famous statues-menhirs.
Closer to us in time, by travelling through the Véloccitanie at the right speed, you will discover many remarkable sites and museums.
A unique geography that offers exceptional landscapes and biodiversity
The territory is at the crossroads of three climates, with an oceanic influence to the west, a Mediterranean influence to the south and east, rounded off to the north by the continental influence of the Massif Central. It is divided in the middle by the watershed between the oceanic basin and the Mediterranean basin, the “two Midis”.
This variety can be seen in the geology, from the granites of Sidobre to the gneiss of the Caroux, from the marbles of Minervois to the schists and limestones of the Avant-Monts; not to mention the karstic formations of the subterranean environment.
The territory conceals an exceptional variety of landscapes, a mosaic of habitats, with strong and very distinct environments : one can pass in a few kilometres from coniferous forests to vineyards, in half a day from the high altitude lakes to the ports of the Canal du Midi!
Some listed/registered natural sites:
- Caroux massif,
- Gorges d’Héric,
- karstic network of the Devèze cavern,
- source of the Jaur at St Pons,
- Sidobre massif.
These yet untouched environments offer an exceptional biological diversity, such as
- the otter,
- the reintroduced Corsican mouflon,
- Bonelli’s eagle,
- the pearl mussel,
- as well as rare plants protected at national and even European level (orchid, drosera, etc.).
For more information
Remarkable birds
The natural heritage