La Malène is a village in the heart of the Gorges du Tarn, in the Lozère department in the south of France.
Explore La Malène
France This Way review: La Malène is a small village, but it is a picturesque village with several sites of interest, so we recommend you visit as you explore the Gorges du Tarn
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The parking for the village is in the centre of La Malène near the bridge, and it is from here that you have one of the most impressive views, with an ancient stone house and a stone tower overlooked by a rocky outcrop: this building is the manoir de Montesquiou, built in the 15th century.
We suggest you start your visit by crossing the stone bridge across the Tarn, from where you can enjoy lovely views along the river. The bridge was built in the middle of the 19th century, then rebuilt after a flood in 1875 destroyed the original bridge.
On the other side of the bridge you can follow the road a short distance for picturesque views of the village.
The centre of the village is easy to explore: from the parking you can follow the main road a short distance west and walk up a path to discover the church, or follow the single road that passes up the hill through the centre of La Malène.
The Church Saint-Jean has its origins in the 11th century. It is a small church in the romanesque style with an arch above the entrance. The interior of the church is entirely made of stone, with more arches and massive stone pillars, and outside there is a pretty cemetery.
In 1793, 21 men from La Malène who still defended the Royalist party were captured by the revolutionaries and sentenced to death - they were executed by guillotine on the sixth of June that year, and became known as the Malène martyrs. The chapel on the left inside the church is dedicated to this sad event in the history of the village.
Returning to the centre of the village, follow the street up the hill a short distance to see more stone houses and to find a small shop and a cafe, and to see the lovaly views of the hills to the south of the river beyond the village.
There are also some vestiges of a castle in the village. While these may not be very impressive, it is interesting to know that this is the oldest castle in France, and dates from the 6th century.
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Attractions nearby
From near the bridge in La Malène you can organise a boat trip with the "Bateliers des Gorges du Tarn". A local expert in the gorges accompanies you on a hour boat trip through the gorges and it is a lovely way to enjoy the spectacular scenery along the Gorges du Tarn.
If you prefer to take your own canoe to explore the gorges, there is a canoe rental station slightly east of the centre of La Malène.
If you follow the road along the gorges to the west of the village, after a few kilometres you will see the Pas de Soucy. This is a very pretty viewpoint across the gorges and well worth the small entrance charge (1 euro at the time of our visit).
There are several other villages that you will want to explore, of which our favourite is Sainte-Enimie. See the Gorges du Tarn for details of other villages in the gorges.
You can find more travel ideas in the Lozere guide and the Languedoc-Roussillon guide.
To make travel arrangements to visit La Malène see HERE
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Reserve excursions near La Malène
Photos of La Malène
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Map of La Malène and places nearby
Places to visit near La Malène
Saint-Chely-du-Tarn
Saint-Chely-du-Tarn is in an idyllic spot within the western part of the Gorges du Tarn
Saint-Chely-du-Tarn guide
Les Vignes
Les Vignes is a village on the banks of the Tarn river, surrounded by impressive craggy hills
Les Vignes guide
Gorges du Tarn
The cliffs and deep wooded slopes of the Gorges du Tarn make it one of the most lovely places in France to explore
Gorges du Tarn guide
Sainte-Enimie
Sainte-Enimie is the most extensive, and perhaps the most interesting, of the pretty villages along the Gorges du Tarn
Sainte-Enimie guide Castelbouc
The tiny village of Castelbouc, in the Gorges du Tarn, is very lovely and in an exceptional riverside location
Castelbouc guide
Gorges de la Jonte
Less dramatic and less well known than the Gorges du Tarn north of here, the Gorges de la Jonte are also very scenic and a pleasure to explore
Gorges de la Jonte guide... or see ALL recommended places to visit in Lozere
Address: Malène, Sainte-Enimie, Florac, Languedoc-Roussillon, 48210, France || GPS coordinates: latitude 44.301286362372, longitude 3.3209178449695
Plan your visit to La Malène, Lozere
Sightseeing & tourist attractions to visit nearby
- Aven Armand (grotte): site of natural beauty (9 km)
- Gorges du Tarn: grand site of france (10 km)
- Sainte-Enimie: most beautiful village (10 km)
- Maison des vautours (vultures): zoo or wildlife park (13 km)
- Parc à loups du Gévaudan (wolves): zoo or wildlife park (14 km)
- La Canourgue: village d'etape (17 km)
- Chaos de Nimes-le-Vieux: site of natural beauty (19 km)
- Chaos de Montpellier-le-Vieux: site of natural beauty (21 km)
- Abîme de Bramabiau: site of natural beauty (24 km)
- Marvejols: recommended detour (28 km)
- Mont Aigoual: site of natural beauty (29 km)
- Peyre: most beautiful village (35 km)
The French version of this page is at La Malène (Francais)