If you stay in Aveyron at the end of May, don’t miss out on the transhumance festival which takes place over several days. Even in a village like Aubrac, just 80 km from Les Genêts, festivities are the perfect opportunity to learn more about this region’s emblematic breed.
The transhumance is also an ideal time to go on a lovely hike alongside the herd. The shortest transhumance up to an altitude of 1300 m from the Aubrac plateau is 15 km.
A breed of cattle emblematic of the eponymous plateau, the Aubrac cow is particularly pretty with its eyes as if made-up, its matte coat, its black muzzle with white edges and its lyre-shaped horns. Rustic, it’s adapted to the harsh climate of the deep valleys where the wind is strong and temperature can change very quickly. In Laguiole, a bull statue has stood tall fiercely representing the Aubrac race since 1947. Nevertheless, the cow has been present on the plateau since the 18th century!
A volcanic plateau with magnificent landscapes that belongs to the Massif Central, Aubrac is less than an hour's drive north of the 4-star camping club Les Genêts. The fastest way to get there is to reach Laissac from Salles-Curan via Prades-Salars and Ségur. Then take the D28. You will cross Palmas and Gabriac before arriving at Espalion, at the gates of Aubrac. Espalion contains many well preserved monuments: Saint-Michel de Calmont d'Olt church, Saint-Jean-Baptiste church, Persian chapel, Chapelle des Pénitents, Ursulines convent... The visit of Saint-Côme-d'Olt, one of the most beautiful villages in France, is to be absolutely included in the program of your day in Aubrac.
