In the heart of Cevennes National Park, halfway between Saint Germain de Calberte and Col de Jalcreste, a little road of 3,3 kms. leads you to Vernet, a small hamlet named after alders (vernes) which still grow in the neighbourhood ever since…
You will discover a different life, where everything tells the story of the Cevennes People and their efforts to leave in those mountains, resisting to the constraints and struggling to think freely.
The mountain is beautiful, colorful, simple and quiet, and the altitude Mediterranean climate is very nice (620 meters high).
Sabine and Gerard welcome you in this massive natural stone walls and fascinating roofs of slate stone hamlet. They take time to discuss with their guest, tell them about their life in Cevennes, and exchange views.
In this amazing region, rich of history, theatre of the Camisards during the religious wars, they took the continuation of the former Cevennes families which formerly populated this valley, rebuilt the houses and took over the farm: you will discover a preserved and authentic architecture, the sheepfold and its sheep going for summer transhumances on the Mont-Lozere, donkeys and horses you can feed…
You will have your meals under the vine arbour or the large dining room and you will taste the local and regional specialties, the Cevennes meats, mountain lamb, "pelardon" as is called the local goatcheese, vegetables grown in Vernet own kitchengarden, raspberries and various other tasty fruits. At breakfast you will enjoy home-made yogurts, sourdough bread and colorful confitures(jams) on the terrace.
If you like nature, hiking roads like Flandonenque path (P.R) will make you discover the most curious valley and if you are patient patient you will be able to observe stags, roe-deers, wild boars and raptors, a whole fauna adapted to the roughness of the country. It is also a stop over close to the way of Stevenson (G.R 70), that can accommodate you. You will be surprised by the quietness of this lost valley.
From Vernet you can access four hiking roads to discover the valley or go sightseeing in the Cevennes (around one hour drive). In summer, enjoy see-trough water rivers, those “gardons”, rivers forming Gard - abound in trouts, crayfish and beavers… and Gerard, who is a hydrobiologist and specialist in animal behavior will be happy to speak to you about it!
You will spend one or several days under oak trees and chestnut trees in those mountains that change colors every season, and which beauty always make you heart happy… enoying bird singings and sheep bells as only background noise.