For a trip to Pied De Borne, you can choose between a clearly defined circular hike and two chapels with different architectural features. This lets you tailor your stay to outdoor activity or to culture and architecture. The details below show how the outing options differ: for the hike, mainly in distance and average walking time; for the chapels, in architectural form, location and the preserved portal.
Hiking: the Les Baumes circular route
The Les Baumes hiking route starts in the village of Les Beaumes in Pied-de-Borne and forms an 8.8674-kilometre circular route. An average walking time of 2 hours and 51 minutes is given for the loop. The distance describes the entire circular route, while the time is an average. Actual walking time may vary depending on conditions and individual pace. Therefore, do not treat 2 hours and 51 minutes as a fixed time frame. Before setting off, it is advisable to check the current route description, as route details may be revised.
Chapelle de la Madeleine: architecture and history
The Chapelle de la Madeleine stands on a terrace above the Borne Valley and is a small granite chapel dating from the 12th century. It has a single nave and a semicircular vaulted apse. The nave is the main space of the church; the apse is the semicircular vaulted end of the building. The material, date and floor plan therefore provide three specific points of reference for understanding the chapel: granite identifies the building material, the single nave describes the layout of the space, and the apse its form. The chapel also houses the heart of Odilon Barrot. This historical connection adds a distinct detail to the architectural description.
Chapelle des Beaumes: the Romanesque portal
The Chapelle des Beaumes is a Romanesque pilgrimage chapel on a hill above the Borne Valley. Its portal preserves one of the few surviving examples of a Romanesque sculpted portal. The decoration alternates between animal, human-figure, floral and geometric motifs, and is topped by a sawtooth frieze. The variety of motifs and the portal’s upper finish thus offer specific points of reference for architectural study. Unlike the Madeleine, whose description highlights its material and floor plan, the focus at the Chapelle des Beaumes is the design of the portal.
Two chapels, different features
For those interested in culture and architecture, this offers a clear comparison: at the Madeleine, granite, the 12th century, the nave and apse are complemented by the historical detail about Odilon Barrot. At the Chapelle des Beaumes, the emphasis is on its status as a Romanesque pilgrimage chapel and its rarely preserved sculpted portal. The descriptions of their locations also differ: a terrace above the Borne Valley for the Madeleine, and a hill above the valley for the Chapelle des Beaumes. Both buildings are therefore associated with the valley, but not with the same type of terrain as described.
Discover more destinations: Mas-Saint-Chély, Marchastel, Sainte-Croix-Vallée-Française, Balsièges, Chanac, Le Malzieu-Ville, Le Massegros, Aumont-Aubrac
For the broader travel overview: Lozère.
