This circular tour leads from Le-Pont-De-Montvert in the French Cévennes along the Tarn through an incredible scenario of gorges to Millau and the world’s largest cable-stayed bridge, the Viaduc de Milleau. You then return to the starting point of an unforgettable tour through barely less spectacular scenery, along the Dourbier and Tarnon rivers.
Find out more in the following tour description…..
Distance: 280 kilometers
Riding time: At least 5 hours without breaks
Route and GPX download: kurv.gr/WejXV
Le-Pont-De-Montvert – Saint-Enimie
The small village of Le-Pont-De-Montvert, the starting point for this route, would be worth a day visit in itself. At least the many tourists on this glorious late summer day at the end of August signal that there is more to enjoy in this picturesque spot than just the beautiful view. An unmanageable number of jacked-up motorcycles line the road alongside the cafés, which, squeezed between the narrow local road and steep slopes, encourage everyone passing by to stop for a bite to eat.
However, that would be a little too early for me. I want to continue into the legendary gorges of the Tarn, which are already very impressive here. A few kilometers earlier, behind the Col de la Croix de Berthel, I crossed the still young Tarn for the first time, which, due to its lack of mass, cannot yet develop the strength to carve its valley too deeply into the chalky subsoil of the Massif Central.
In the meantime, it has become hot: my thermometer reads 33°C in the breeze. I’ve long since strapped my biker outfit to the back of the luggage roll. It’s only bearable in shorts and a T-shirt. Again and again I meet fellow bikers in full leather gear and I wonder how they put up with it. Falling off the bike with heatstroke isn’t exactly conducive to personal safety, is it?


Le-Pont-Du-Tarn
The road winds its way to Le-Pont-Du-Tarn, along the precipices of the valley sides high above the river, overlooked by those stone cascades that are so typical of the Cévennes gorges. It’s the kind of scenario that gives you that strange feeling in the pit of your stomach when you try to gauge the depth of the abyss while driving close to the edge of the road.
In between, the valley widens again and again, making way for small picturesque villages dotted with restaurants and campsites.
In Le-Pont-Du-Tarn, a small supermarket smiles at me. It’s a perfect fit. My tank is empty and so is my lunch box, so I head for the pumps and then into the pleasantly air-conditioned store.
It has become extremely hot. I hastily stow the food in my suitcase, drink from my water canister like a camel and make sure I get back into the cooling breeze.
Castelbouc
Once again, the road winds adventurously along the gorge that the river has carved deep into the landscape. I soon reach a viewpoint that is advertised as “Point de Vue sur Castelbouc”.
And now it really blows my mind. Deep below me, in a picturesque bend in the river, lies the old village of Castelbouc. A painting!
I see people bathing down below and spontaneously decide to drive back to the bend and take a closer look at this place.
The approach is adventurous: I drive right through the campsite, over an untrustworthy footbridge to the other side of the Tarn, past a kind of lido, and then the road ends abruptly in front of a path that looks more like the entrance to a cave than a village street.
I take a tour of this unusual place and discover, for example, the site of the war memorial with the many little things that have been created here over the course of history.
Back from the village, I fancy a refreshing dip in the water of the Tarn to get rid of the salt on my skin, but I can’t find anywhere to hoist the bike onto the center stand. There is simply no reasonably flat surface.






Bathing near Prades
I pass the castle of Prades and ride downhill almost to the level of the Tarn.
I see people bathing through the bushes below me and spontaneously park the bike at the side of the road. A small path leads vertically downhill and I grab my towel and swimming trunks and set off on the descent.
The crystal-clear water signals maximum cooling. Taking a deep breath, I wade on the stones of the riverbed towards deeper water, but the cooling is only moderate. Of course, the river is not really deep and not really rushing either. The hot sun does the rest and so the refreshment in the belly-deep water doesn’t almost stop your heart.
Also very pleasant!


Sainte Enimie – La Malène
What a difference it makes when you’re not sitting on the bike covered in sweat! It’s not much less hot now, but I’m fresh and awake on my steed and I don’t even notice that Kurviger is directing me to the left over this great arched bridge out of the valley, up to the Col du Coperlac.
When I realize what a detour Kurviger has lured me onto, out of the beautiful valley floor, I start swearing loudly. What are you doing? I still have no idea what a stunning road awaits me!
A group of cyclists are standing in the shade of the trees at the top of the pass. Were they really so crazy as to pedal up the 500-metre difference in altitude in this heat? Or did they come at a leisurely pace from the Massif Central plateau, through which I am now cycling? It looks like home in the Swabian Alb, and you would never guess what a gigantic canyon landscape will open up just a few kilometers to the right.
After all the highlights today, I was almost ready to call it a day. But what follows is almost unbeatable.
It goes downhill. As if out of nowhere, the view opens up onto the deep gorge of the Tarn and a mountain road that couldn’t be carved more boldly into the almost vertical wall. It plunges steeply down to La Malène in wild hairpin bends and is still relatively quick to drive.
I hate to admit it: I plummeted down there like an eagle from a cliff. I completely forgot that I actually had almost nothing on my bones and it was only at the bottom in La Malène, on the bridge over the Tarn, that the feeling of happiness broke out in a cry of joy. Tears are streaming down my face, I’m completely out of it emotionally.
What a day!




La Malène – Millau
The traffic on the narrow riverside road, which winds spectacularly along the narrow Tarn Gorge, interrupted by tunnels from time to time, is quite lively and as all the canoe rental companies drive their customers up the valley in buses that are just barely compatible with the narrow road, with huge trailers full of boats in tow, things get quite sporty for a few kilometers.
It’s a hive of activity here!
Armies of antique VW buses are parked all over the place. There are a conspicuous number of young people here and the amount of ropes, pitons and rucksacks they carry is impressive.
Later I learn that there are around 700 registered climbing routes in the Gorges du Tarn, and I can see for myself: Most of them are overhanging.
Right next to the road, the route climbs vertically upwards and I watch the activity in this natural climbing arena for a while before I have to get back on the saddle due to lack of space.




Parc Naturel Régional des Grands Causses
A little later, the Grands Causses Regional Nature Park begins in Le Rozier on the border with the Département of Aveyron. There I change from the right-hand side of the valley over a small tributary of the Tarn called Jonte to the smaller D87 and continue along the left-hand side of the Tarn. The valley has become a little wider by now, but the stony limestone cascades on the right remain impressive and I struggle not to lose sight of the road while gazing upwards.
I pass the cascades at La Cresse, which correspond beautifully with the architecture of the town, and shortly afterwards reach the town of Millau.


Le Viaduc de Millau
The Millau bridge, on which the A75 crosses the Tarn valley at a spectacular height of up to 270 meters, is definitely worth a visit.
As I don’t intend to drive on the toll freeway, I let Kurviger guide me to the Brocuéjouls information center, outside the freeway area. It’s well worth a visit, as this structure is not only an impressive sight, but also a great feat of European engineering that you really learn to understand here.
I chose the subsequent onward journey so that you can experience the bridge from all perspectives.
I head towards Creissels and immediately after entering the town, I turn right almost 180 degrees onto an unsignposted road that you wouldn’t find without Kurviger. It goes quickly uphill to a suburb of Millau called La Roquette, on the Route des Brunes. Immediately after the village, the road becomes a single lane. The road climbs in narrow hairpin bends along the flank of the Tarn valley, which is already quite wide here. During the entire ascent, there are always fabulous views of the large bridge structure in its entire length. After about 5 km, you reach a turn-off onto a short track to the Cap de Coste viewpoint, for those who still haven’t had their fill.


Nant – Saint-Jean-Du-Bruel – Trèves
A few kilometers further on, the altimeter reads around 800m and despite the altitude, you almost forget the steep climb you’ve left behind. The road becomes very flat and I soon reach the D809, which is a 4-lane road. But after just under a kilometer, Kurviger directs me back to the right onto something that doesn’t exactly inspire confidence. But soon we are alone again on this almost dirt road in a seemingly endless hilly landscape, which is a wonderful contrast to the narrow gorges of the last few hours.
I’ve just got used to the vastness when the plateau breaks away and a wide view of the Dourbie valley opens up. After an exciting descent, I reach Nant, the southernmost point of our tour, and just behind it, on the valley floor, I reach Saint-Jean-Du-Bruel. It’s not long before Kurviger finds another pretty little road that leads steeply up the other side of the valley to the other side of the plateau. Over the Col de la Pierre-Plantée at an altitude of 843 m, the road leads to the next basin and then down narrow hairpin bends to Trèves on the Trèvezel river. In the middle of the village, the “Gorges Du Trèvezel” restaurant announces that we can expect another gorge landscape. If you don’t want to sit on the terrace here to enjoy at least a cup of coffee, you can’t be helped.



Meyrueis – Florac – Le-Pont-De-Montvert
Shortly after Trèves, the gorge becomes a ravine and the road becomes single-lane. No problem for bikers, on the contrary. At the same time, the road climbs again. You can guess that the source of the little river and thus the end of the gorge is near.
Do I need to emphasize how beautiful the landscape is? Honestly, you get used to it, because you can’t burst into tears at every one of these wonderful corners. But it would be appropriate.
Shortly before a small village called Villemagne, I leave the valley of the now tiny Trèvezel on an even tinier road, and I can already tell that the Integra is starting to get tired of the hopping and endless bends. But salvation arrives at the junction with the D986. The road is a decent two-lane road again and speeds of over 60 km/h are theoretically possible.
I cross Meyrueis and head towards Florac. “La Jonte” is now the name of our new river course along which the route runs. The valley is wide and rather flat. Only the mountain peaks to the left and right have limestone towers.
At Gatuzières, Kurviger tells me to leave the valley to the north. The Integra is allowed to let off some steam on a fairly fast mountain stretch. At over 1000 m above sea level, the Col de Perjuret is quickly reached and soon after we cross over into another high valley, whose little stream will flow into the Tarnon, an important tributary of the Tarn. You have already reached Florac.

To avoid driving the same route from the morning again, I turn left at the first traffic circle towards La Salle-Prunet.
The national road is well developed and you can take it easy. In the middle of the route, I turn left onto the tiny D20 towards Le-Pont-De-Montvert, over a pass called Col du Sapet, which is at an altitude of 1080m.
The view back over the Cévennes is fantastic and a great end to the tour.

A good dozen kilometers further on, Le-Pont-De-Montvert comes into view again.
I have arrived at the start and finish of my tour.