Features
Access by train
Go there by train with the Occitanie Rail Tour: Millau, the starting point of this fabulous journey, is a stopover on the Aubrac line.
the best period
Spring and Summer
duration
2 days
Millau is the regional capital of outdoor sports and your base camp for an action-packed weekend on water, land and air! Whether it's a canoe ride, trail run or paragliding, have a unique sensational experience exploring the breath-taking Gorges du Tarn and Grands Causses Regional Nature Park, see the Millau Viaduct through fresh eyes and, since all this fresh air whets the appetite, meet the artisans behind Roquefort, the "king of cheese", on a cellar tour.
After your drive or train ride here, you'll see why trail runners love Millau so much. The town centre marks the start of the 26km signposted Millau-Le Cade trail (medium difficulty) which takes you up to the Causse Noir through highlights including the stunning Cade Forest, Millau's green lung and the incredible vista taking in the entire South Aveyron, Gorges du Tarn and Gorges de la Dourbie as far as the Larzac Plateau.
We like!
"No pain, no gain!". Once you get back to base, head to a local eatery in Millau old town to sample the town's signature dish: aligot saucisse (cheesy mash and sausage). There's nothing better to fuel up!
If you fancy something more leisurely but equally breath-taking, take to the skies on a paragliding trip above Millau and soar over the famous viaduct, a civil engineering masterpiece by the architect Norman Foster (FYI it's the tallest cable-stayed bridge in the world).
Share the experience with your instructor who can tailor your flight to suit you: a soothing spot of sightseeing or an adrenalin-pumping ride! The choice is yours!
End your day in the great outdoors with a night beneath the stars at La Cabane de Millau , a quirky treehouse in a forest of gigantic trees. Have a night to remember amongst the twinkling stars in the Milky Way which are clear to see in one of the purest skies in France. Have a feast at the nearby Domaine de Saint-Esteve.
La Cabane de Millau © Greg Alric
Take a 20 min drive to the village of Peyre, listed as one of the "Most Beautiful Villages in France." Today is all about soaking up the beautiful setting on a canoe ride down the river, the river Tarn no less.
Set off from Peyre and paddle along the water to see another side to the village before going upstream to glide beneath the Millau Viaduct. You'll feel tiny and awestruck as you gaze at the gigantic structure from below. It towers over the Tarn Valley 270m above us. To give you an idea, it's as tall as the Eiffel Tower's top floor!
Pour le déjeuner, on vous recommande de faire une halte à l’aire du viaduc : le site est idéal pour admirer la vue sublime et panoramique du viaduc de Millau, à hauteur d’yeux cette fois-ci…
Vous pourrez ensuite y goûter les fameux « capucins » élaborés par le non moins célèbre chef Michel Bras !
It's time for a change of scenery in the afternoon: head for the village of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon within a 30 minute drive to learn the history of our signature sheep's milk cheese. Roquefort is the oldest French AOC cheese (1925) and the entire village lives off it alongside nearby Causse farmers.
Take a trip to the working cellars to learn the secrets behind making the age-old and precious Roquefort, the pride of the entire region, in underground cathedrals home to thousands of "pains" of cheese.
How to get here?
Millau is 1 hr from Rodez and 1.5 hr from Montpellier.
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