A little tour of Aveyron ...
Do you know this French department in the Occitan region?
The heart of Aveyron is a discovery for those who love nature and history. Indeed, Aveyron is brimming with local historical culture and magnificent scenery.
The Aveyron is full of winding roads and lanes, stretches of water and rivers lined with forests, all set in a mountainous landscape.
As a photographer, I see Aveyron as a 2-storey landscape!
The lower level features valleys with rivers and mountainsides covered in vegetation.
In the upper tier, above the forests and hydroelectric dams, small villages and farms appear on the bare summits. Fields, meadows and bodies of water take shape on these heights.
Sheep and cows live peacefully together on these heights, invisible from below.
My wife and I began our exploration of Aveyron with the Truyère Gorges. Just 50km from our base in Estaing! But in Aveyron, with its winding roads, you need to allow an hour or so (especially if you're not familiar with the area!).
Truyere Gorges, Aveyron, France
Truyere Gorges, Aveyron, France
Truyere Gorges, Aveyron, France
Vallée en Vallon, Aveyron, France
The Truyère Gorges are several 10 km of steep-sided valleys through which "the Truyère meanders"!
For those who know the area, there are a number of small, hard-to-reach beaches for water-based activities.
For lovers of beautiful scenery, you need to find some magnificent vantage points high up in the mountains! So here we are, climbing, climbing, zigzagging in search of the perfect spot!
Once you've found that spot and taken a moment's meditation and a few shots, it's back to the adventure, with even more twists and turns, and an attempt to pass through other photographic spots marked on the map beforehand.
It wasn't until we found a bridge to change sides of the mountain that we came across a happy coincidence: the village of Vallon, with its magnificent little castle (of which there are many in the Aveyron). As the day went on, the sun began to play hide and seek behind the mountain opposite! So much the better for the photographer in me! The colours of the sky are getting stronger and the light is ideal!
Let's get a move on, though, because it's getting late and getting to Estaing by night would be great, while we're at it!
Well, Estaing by night isn't too bad, but you'll have to come back 3 days later to enjoy the fiery skies behind the château! (yes, another one, but there aren't many of them around! Estaing is surrounded by mountains, so finding the right light, if possible golden, is far from easy!
Before the golden hour arrives, the sun is hidden behind a mountain! This is often the case in mountainous landscapes! So you need to be well organised geographically and plan the orientation and azimuth of the sun, and then find the right location to frame the shot!
And there you have it!
Aveyron has a few rivers and lots of mountains, so there are a few waterfalls to be found! One in particular, called "le Saut du Chien"! So named, it seems, because it has multiple levels and the water flows like a staircase! First you have to walk through an authentic micro-village with its ancient gates... Then walk a few hundred metres through the forest to finally find it!
As this waterfall lies between two mountains, you can take an 8km hike, with the waterfall as the starting and finishing point! Beautiful forest!
That's all the photos you need, don't hesitate to visit the gallery!
See you soon for more photographic adventures,
David
Saut du chien waterfall, Aveyron, France
Aveyron caught on the hop
Forest near the dog jump
Village near Saut du chien
Hello,
Born and bred in Aveyron, I'm delighted to see that more and more photographers are taking an interest in this wonderful and varied department.
I've always thought that the natural light to be found in Aveyron and Aubrac in particular was more than sufficient.
I wish you every success with this site, which I've just joined.
Hello and thank you Christian!
It's a wonderful region, and I'll definitely be going back to explore it!
For the photos, no artificial light at all, no Photoshop, just development in DxO Photo Labs.
On the other hand, the shots were calculated (position, times, height and orientation of the sun, etc.) using Photopills.
David