An experience of Maëva, Paul and Ugo
Duration: 1 day
Distance from Montpellier : 118 km, 1h30
Distance from Toulouse : 153 km, 2h05
Indoor / Outdoor : outdoor
Budget: 15€ to 40€.
Characteristics : by foot and by car
Best season : All year round !
The sun shining on Saint-Affrique, perfect for a new kind of road-trip... a rock-trip! Want to know more? Then follow us on a journey of discovery of the dolmens, with a full stomach!
#1: Meet the producers for a gourmet meal
Here we go to discover the market and its local producers.
The Boulevard Victor Hugo is swarming with people, the colourful stalls and the smell of fresh produce make your mouth water! First objective: fill our backpacks! Chocolatines, chouquettes, gingerbread for breakfast... Then for the evening meal, a few savoury notes: farçous, aligot, dry sausage, country pâté, Roquefort pastry. Not forgetting the sweet specialities of Aveyron for our dessert: spit cake, flaune and chestnuts from Coupiac. It's hard to choose, but we're ready to start our rock-trip in the Roquefort region...
Good to know :
Farçous recipe : https://degustez.blog.tourisme-aveyron.com/la-recette-traditionnelle-les-farcous/
Farçous are a real tradition in Aveyron. You can even find them on the markets, ready to be eaten.
Ingredients (4 people) :
- 1 onion
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 handful of parsley
- 3 or 4 Swiss chard pieces, depending on size
- 4 eggs
- 3 tablespoons of flour
Steps to make :
- Chop the onion and the garlic clove and mix them with the finely chopped green chard.
- Beat the eggs in a bowl, add the flour (wheat or corn flour) and milk to form a thick batter (like waffle batter).
- Add the parsley, mix and brown in a well-oiled pan for a few minutes on each side. The farçous should be golden but not too golden! Be careful to let them cook enough so that the inside is also well cooked.
#2: The dolmen of Tiergues!
A few minutes drive and a sign announces "Dolmen de Tiergues". In the field, we see the first dolmen of the day. In front of us, in the middle of beautiful landscapes, stands a dolmen, that of Tiergues! A smile appears on our faces. We had never seen one before! Several questions come to mind: how did they do it? What is the stone used? We are still amazed by its size and grandeur!
#3: Gourmet break at the foot of the Fontcouverte dolmen
When we arrived at the dolmen of Fontcouverte, we were surprised by the difference in size and aesthetics of the dolmen. Hidden behind the trees, we could see a dolmen that was steeper and less imposing than the one at Tiergues.
The coolness being felt, we take shelter under the dolmen, strange feelings... It is the moment of tasting around the products bought this morning at the market. Nothing better to warm up! A fun moment: you have to see it to believe it!
Did you know that?
Stop the prejudice: dolmens are not exclusively Breton. With around 1,000 dolmens, Aveyron is the department with the most dolmens in France! Far ahead of Morbihan and its 550 Breton megaliths (including dolmens and menhirs).
#4: The surprise
With our stomachs full, we continue the adventure. We drive towards the dolmen of Crassous. The roads, sometimes narrow and winding, often lead us to hidden treasures. The proof is in this rock trip!
Once we arrived, what a surprise! We see not one dolmen but two! A miniature representation next to its imposing original. We are hopeful* in front of the beauty and the richness that nature offers us!
This is our favourite!
*S'espanter = to be astonished in Occitan
Did you know that?
The European dolmens, which mean "stone table" in Breton, were built between the end of the 5th and 3rd millennium BC. They are megalithic monuments built from blocks of stone which would have served as funerary monuments to house collective burials for up to 80 people!
#5 : The ultimate dolmen under a sunset
Last stop of this rock-trip. We take a buissière* which leads us to a magnificent sight: the dolmen of Boussac bathed in the warm colours of the sunset. Happy with our journey, we capture the moment to add it to our collection of memories. A nice Insta spot!
An unusual day, where nature and the sun carried us in joy and good mood. Nothing better to discover our territory and the history of these dolmens.
*A path inside the boxwoods designed to protect and channel the herds
PRACTICAL INFORMATION / CONTACT :
- Marché de Plein Air : Every Saturday of the year from 8am to 1pm - Boulevard Victor Hugo, 12400 St-Affrique
- Local producers' market, 12400 St-Affrique: http://www.marches-producteurs.com
Brochure available online or in our reception offices in Roquefort-sur-Soulzon, Saint-Affrique and Coupiac or on our website.