Hiking and thermal spa relaxation in the Cévennes

An average of 4 to 5 hours of walking per day, with no technical difficulties, and elevation changes of 300 to 400m on mid-mountain terrain, tracks, paths and moorland. The walks take place at altitudes between 900 and 1699m. The highest point is the pic de Finiels, at an altitude of 1699m.

You only carry your belongings for the day and your picnic lunch in a small backpack or shoulder bag. Your luggage will be at the hotel each evening.

Local bus transfers for the walks.

From 4 to 12 participants.

Guide gratuities are optional and at your discretion. To reward outstanding service, a suggested guideline is 5–10% of the total trip cost. Local currency is preferred.

7 days, 6 nights, 5 days of walking.

Around two weeks before departure, you will receive joining instructions specifying the meeting time and place, the guide’s name and contact details, and the address of your first accommodation.

Accommodation

You will stay in a room for 2 people, or occasionally a triple room. You can choose a single room, subject to availability.

You will receive a warm welcome at a ** Logis de France hotel with a 2-fireplace rating. The property consists of 3 buildings a few metres apart, in the village of Bagnols-les-Bains. The main building has a restaurant, a fireside seating area, a library and a relaxation area with a heated indoor swimming pool, sauna and hot tub.

Meals

Breakfasts and dinners are served in the hotel restaurant. The restaurant is a member of the Tables Gourmandes de la Lozère network, and its menus feature local produce. Lunch is a picnic carried in your bag.
Please let us know of any food allergies or special dietary requirements when booking; we will do our best to adapt your meals.

Dinner is served in the restaurant every evening at around 20:00.

The Aqua Calida thermal spa, located 150metres from the hotel, underwent extensive work throughout 2020. These renovations had several aims, including showcasing the heritage of the spa town and enhancing the image of the Roman baths. Whichever option you choose, you will have access to at least the following facilities at the new thermal spa:

• Indoor and outdoor thermal-water pool
• Herbal tea room
• Infrared sauna
• Salt sauna
• Runes shower (Niagara shower)
• Steam room
• Frigidarium (the part of the baths where you can take cold-water baths).
• Caldarium (the part of the baths where you can take hot baths).
• Targeted shower
• Body-surround shower

Access conditions

• Access to the thermal SPA on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 16:30. Entry is not permitted before this time.

The different options:

• Access to the THERMAL SPA (1 half-day)
• Package of 3 visits to the THERMAL SPA
• Package of 4 visits to the THERMAL SPA

Wellness treatments (not included in the offer – booking recommended)
For an additional charge, you can also enjoy our range of wellness treatments:

Marianne, a beauty therapist, offers massages and individual treatments at your accommodation. She is available on request throughout your stay for a moment of relaxation. You can book on site or when booking your stay.

MASSAGES

• Targeted massage lasting 20 min 27 €: take a moment to relax with this targeted back treatment
• Foot reflexology 20 min 27 €
• Back or front-of-body massage lasting 30 min 40 €
• Walker’s massage 30 min 40 €: after physical exertion, a leg massage with arnica helps your muscles recover
• Californian massage lasting 1 h 80 €: this massage uses broad, slow, flowing and harmonious movements over the whole body. The treatment combines several techniques: light stroking, gliding pressure, friction and kneading

Arrival / Departure

Start

On Day 1, from 16:00 at your accommodation.

End

On Day 7, after breakfast.

You can add an extra night before or after your stay. Contact us for rates.

Stays run from Sunday to Saturday. Departures from April to October.

By train

Bagnols-Chadenet SNCF railway halt, on the La Bastide-Saint-Laurent / Mende / Marvejols line.
(Connections with the Paris/Clermont/Nîmes and Paris/Clermont/Béziers lines).
Please check with SNCF on 3635 or online https://www.sncf-connect.com/ when booking

Please note that for departures from Paris, SNCF systematically suggests the TGV route via Nîmes. Another option is to travel through Clermont-Ferrand via La Bastide/Saint-Laurent-les-Bains (you need to insist!). Get off at Bagnols-Chadenet SNCF railway halt (arrivals around 15:00 and 17:00). A complimentary return shuttle service between the station and hotel is provided. Remember to let your accommodation know your arrival time.

By car

Bagnols-les-Bains is in Lozère, on the D901 between Mende and Villefort, 20km from Mende. From Paris, take the A71 to Clermont-Ferrand. Then take the A75 to exit 34. Follow the N106 to Mende, then the N88 towards Langogne - Le Puy.
Michelin map no. 240 Languedoc-Roussillon, folds 2-6
Quick access via the A75 motorway between Clermont-Ferrand and Béziers, and the N88 route between Lyon and Toulouse.
Free parking next to the hotel and in the village.

A number of our trips offer opportunities to swim, either along the way or at the end of the day. It would be a shame to miss out. However, we emphasise that you alone must decide whether it is appropriate to swim; you therefore swim under your own responsibility and at your own risk.

Member of Agir pour un Tourisme Responsable (ATR)

Since 2012, Grand Angle has been a member of ATR, the leading association for more responsible tourism. We design our trips – on foot, by bike and on snow – to invite everyone to discover the world differently: with curiosity, respect and kindness.

As a member of the board of directors since 2018, we actively help the sector move towards more meaningful practices. In practical terms, we ensure:

• Transparency in our practices and prices
• Respect for our partners and local communities
• Protection of the environment on every trip

We also share the values of the traveller’s ethical charter, which encourages everyone to take simple steps to protect the places they visit and create opportunities for rewarding encounters.

Travelife Partner

Since 2025, Grand Angle has held Travelife Partner status, an international label that certifies our responsible practices in environmental protection, ethics and sustainable management, both within our company and in our work with partners and the organisation of our trips.

This label, the second level of a demanding international certification scheme, recognises our practical actions in support of responsible tourism. We are actively working towards the next level, Travelife Certified, in line with our sustainability policy

• A comfortable small backpack with a capacity of 40 to 50 L and a hip belt, for carrying your personal belongings and picnic lunch during the day
• One piece of luggage for transfer: a backpack, a travel bag in good condition or a suitcase that is not too bulky. One bag per person, weighing no more than 15kg.

• A jumper or fleece
• Comfortable walking trousers
• A pair of shorts
• Technical T-shirts and underwear (quick-drying fabric)
• A tracksuit or a change of clothes
• A lightweight, long-sleeved cotton shirt
• A pair of running-style trainers for the evening
• Spare clothes and underwear
• A toiletry bag

Note: synthetic technical clothing performs very well. New merino wool garments have also become available; they perform very well, are comfortable to wear and have the advantage of not developing sweat odours! (Brands include Icebreaker, Ruka, etc.).

Protection from sun and rain

• Sunscreen (high protection) and sunglasses
• Hat, cap or bucket hat
• A rain poncho or a Gore-Tex jacket, and optionally Gore-Tex trousers

After your walk

• A pair of trainers or running shoes for the evening
• A change of clothes and underwear
• A small first-aid kit: personal medication, Elastoplast, Biogaze or “2nd Skin”, gauze, antiseptic, arnica pellets and aspirin for minor aches and injuries… (quite a list! But rest assured, your first-aid kit often comes home untouched after your week of hiking)

For using the hotel swimming pool:
Bring swimwear and a bath towel. Plastic sandals are recommended for walking around the relaxation and pool area. Bathrobes and towels are available to hire.

For hiking

• Mountain walking boots with ankle support, a well-treaded sole, a supportive heel counter and good waterproofing
• Comfortable hiking socks (at least 3 pairs)
• Walking poles (telescopic), very important for making walking easier

Travellers, including minors, must carry a national identity card or passport (EU nationals).

Mont Lozère forms a mountain barrier to weather systems arriving from the south. The Mediterranean influence can be very strong and bring heavy rainfall. The oceanic influence is less pronounced, but in summer the region generally enjoys plenty of sunshine.

The walks take place in the peripheral and core areas of Cévennes National Park. It is the only French national park with people living in its core area, where the strictest respect for the environment applies (a distinctive feature of the park) alongside permanent or seasonal human activities: respect for natural heritage, cultural heritage and residents, and natural resources (water, soils, habitats, wildlife, plants and climate).

Set in the heart of Lozère, France’s least populated department, the hotel is first and foremost a family business. Since 1933, the business has developed its activities around three guiding principles: a warm welcome, a friendly atmosphere and discovering the local region. Over time, the hotel has become a major contributor to the economy of the upper Lot valley, and sustainable development is naturally one of its concerns. It contributes to local life by maintaining and developing economic activity and jobs in a rural area. Our hosts love their region above all and are keen to introduce visitors to this unique, unspoilt area, its wildlife, its plants, its history and its way of life…

The establishment is recommended by Cévennes National Park as part of the “Cévennes Ecotourisme” network and is a signatory to the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism (ECST).

The Cévennes Écotourisme association is a network of professionals who have chosen to live in the Cévennes and introduce visitors to this region, which reflects an exceptional relationship between people and nature. Owners of bed and breakfasts, holiday cottages, hotels, farm inns, campsites and visitor attractions, mountain guides, outdoor activity leaders and environmental education associations have joined forces to offer you a thoughtful, welcoming way to discover the Cévennes in every season. The association now brings together more than 70 tourism providers who are keen to put the principles set out in the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism into practice.