Spring break in Nages (81), from 15 to 22 May 2027
Corinne and Roland Dameron, Jean-Michel Clausse and the IT team have contributed to this page about the trip.
The spring 2027 trip will take place from 15 to 22 May 2027, based in the Tarn department in the commune of Nages, but right on the border with the Hérault, where we will be collecting most of the cols. The routes were designed by Roland and recce’d by Corinne and Roland Dameron, assisted by Jean-Michel Clausse.
We will be staying at the holiday village The Fairies of the Lake. email: Tel: 05 67 29 03 07
Presentation
In the Lacaune mountains, at the heart of the Haut-Languedoc Regional Nature Park, at an altitude of 800 metres, Nages offers an unspoilt setting where forests, rolling hills and the tranquil waters of Lake Laouzas come together.The small village of Nages is built on the River Viau, which rises near Mont Barre and flows gently southwards to Lake Laouzas, where it joins the River Vèbre. The village, surrounded by nature, is the starting point for numerous walks and hikes. The lake also offers the chance to enjoy the scenery to the full and take part in water sports.
History
Nages Castle was built in the 14th century and belonged to the Counts of Thézan. During the Hundred Years’ War, the region suffered the infamous raids of the Black Prince (Edward of England). During the Wars of Religion, on 24 February 1586, Protestants from Castres seized the castle and partially destroyed it; the parish church of Saint-Martin was destroyed, following which the castle church of Saint-Victor was enlarged and served as the parish church. One of the castle’s towers was converted into a bell tower.
During the Revolution, the Count of Thézan did not emigrate, and his property was not seized. His daughter and then his granddaughter inherited the château and retained ownership until the First World War, when it was sold to the local council. For the past few years, restoration work on the castle’s remains has been underway, carried out by private owners and the Rieumontagné Heritage Research Centre, which has acquired two towers.
Geography
Nages is a rural commune with a population of 352 in 2023, having reached a peak of 2,016 inhabitants in 1851. With a mountain climate, it is situated in the Lacaunais, a region of plateaus where dairy sheep farming predominates. Our playground will be largely situated in the Somail Mountains and the Espinouse Mountain, the ridge of which forms the local watershed between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. The Laouzas Dam, built between 1961 and 1965, is unique in that it allows, via a long underground pipeline, to divert part of the water from the tributaries of the Vèbre and the Agout on the Atlantic side to the Mediterranean side, thereby helping to regulate the flow of the Vèbre.
Circuits
ccTours Nages 2027 Route
There are well over a hundred cols routes available via the suggested itineraries, half of which are road routes, spread across the Hérault (the majority), the Tarn and the Aveyron. The 16 suggested itineraries are available, or will be available shortly, on the Club’s website.
Our accommodation
Situated right on the shores of Lake Laouzas (altitude 775 m), the village of «Les Fées du Lac» enjoys a particularly pleasant setting, nestled amongst more than 6 hectares of greenery. The accommodation offers a natural and welcoming atmosphere, with holiday cottages and permanent rentals, all of which boast views of the lake.
Motorhome pitches are also available:
For this, please contact the Lake Fairies directly: or 05 67 29 03 07
Les Fées du Lac*** Campsite
12 Route des Corniches
81320 Nages
05 67 29 03 07
Note from the Board of Directors
If you are organising your accommodation elsewhere than at the stay centre, don't forget to register as a «Simple Participant»:
- In order to correctly size joint events (information sessions, welcome and closing drinks).
- To provide the holiday booklet.
- To ensure that the costs of preparation and organisation are shared.
Registrations
Télécharger le bulletin / download the booking form / scarica il modulo
The deadline for receipt of applications has been set at 31 March 2027
Services for cyclists
The Holiday Village has a room that can be made available for storing bicycles.
Facilities for walkers
For walkers, information is available at reception, detailing a number of routes starting from the holiday village or in the surrounding area.
There's more to life than cycling
Nages has a number of places of interest, either in the town itself or nearby; here are a few of them:
- St Victor’s Church (15th–19th centuries), a former castle chapel adjoining the castle
- Byzantine murals by Michael Greschny (2005, painted in 14 days), son of Nicolas Greschny
- Stained-glass windows by Henri Louis-Victor Gesta and modern stained-glass windows
- Castle tours : two towers restored by the Rieumontagné Heritage Research Centre, which have been converted into exhibition spaces (guided tours in the summer)
- Cross of 1612; the churches of Notre-Dame de Condomines and Notre-Dame de Villelongue (on the Way of St James), and the priory of Saint-Pierre de Tastavy
- Menhir statues (Tribi, Laouzeto…): standing stones erected over 5,000 years ago
- Museum of Rural Life in the Haut-Languedoc (Rieumontagné): a reconstructed traditional farm, showcasing rural life and crafts of days gone by
- Tastavy Rectory Conservatoire : Religious heritage of the Monts de Lacaune
- Payrac House : traditional handmade wooden items, cured meats, a selection of paintings, entertainment
- Brasserie du Castel : craft beer just a stone’s throw from the castle towers
- Lacaune-les-Bains (13 km): spa town, mineral springs, renowned charcuterie, the Saut du Goutal Museum
- The Sidobre (UNESCO Geopark): granite chaos — Peyro Clabado, Roc de l’Oie, Lac du Merle
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