Hiking options in Bordezac differ in their starting and ending points. The first stage of the GR® de Pays Haute Vallée de la Cèze starts in Bordezac and leads to Malons-et-Elze; “Les crêtes d’Aujac” can start and end at the Mairie car park in Bordezac. The “Parcours pour la vue Arielle Dumas” also starts and ends in Bordezac. Together, these routes raise different planning questions: How long and how steep is a stage, where does it end, and is the focus more on scenery, historic paths, or a distinctive route?

Choosing a route: a stage or historic paths

The first stage of the GR® de Pays Haute Vallée de la Cèze is 17.67 km long, has an elevation gain of 916 m, and takes an indicated six hours. The distance, elevation gain, and duration provide concrete figures for planning. The stage is marked with the yellow signposting of the local GRP network and directional signs. Since it ends in Malons-et-Elze, that destination is just as important to the planning as Bordezac, the starting point.

For the “Les crêtes d’Aujac” hike, the Mairie car park in Bordezac can be both the starting and ending point; alternatively, the hike can start and end in Aujac. It follows the former Draille des crêtes de la Loubière and uses an old Roman road hidden in a pine forest. Alongside the GRP stage’s route details, this offers a different kind of orientation: historic routes give “Les crêtes d’Aujac” its distinctive character. You can choose between hikes based on their specific differences, rather than treating them as similar trails.

Forest, views, and audio guidance

The “Parcours pour la vue Arielle Dumas” offers shade in the forests around Bordezac and views of the Haute Vallée de la Cèze. It leads to the Dolmen de Chams, whose historical perspective reaches back more than 3,000 years. The route also starts and ends in Bordezac. It was designed as one of the first trails on the Rando-Gard app for people with visual impairments accompanied by a guide, and offers precise audio guidance along its entire length. When choosing a route, scenery and history are not the only relevant factors: the guided design and continuous audio guidance are specific features of this trail.

Chestnut culture and local history

One stage of the GR® de Pays Haute Vallée de la Cèze passes La Clède, a traditional building used to dry chestnuts. At the “Le Chataignier” interpretation point, the chestnut takes center stage: for centuries, it was a key resource in the Cévennes and an important source of livelihood. Chestnuts were used, among other things, to make bajanat soup. This makes both the traditional use of chestnuts and their role in the local diet tangible. Bordezac’s history also includes the Church of Saint Joseph, built in 1859. This dated church building adds another concrete point of reference to the cultural history of chestnuts and the historic routes.

A natural area with a distinctive tree species

Part of the municipality of Bordezac lies within the Natura 2000 site “Forêt de pins de Salzmann de Bessèges”; the site remained designated as such on August 21, 2026. Salzmann pines grow in the area. The Salzmann pine is considered one of France’s rarest forest tree species. For visitors interested in forests as well as hiking trails and culture, this offers a botanical point of interest that adds a concrete natural dimension to Bordezac.

Discover more destinations: Saint-Félix-De-Pallières, Manduel, Dions, Roquemaure, Aujargues, Collias, Souvignargues, Marsillargues

For the wider travel overview: Gard.