The Causse

The chalky plateau of the Causse is covered with oaks, juniper and wild orchids and lends itself to sheep rearing. You’ll find the stones used in local buildings, the dry stone walls that separate the fields, and in the numerous pigeonniers and ‘cazelles’ (exquisite small circular cottages used as shelters for the shepherds).

The Ségala

The Segala got its name from ‘seigle’, meaning rye, which was the only cereal to grow on the region’s poor acid soil. But things changed. The arrival of the railway allowed farmers to alter the structure of the soil by adding chalk. By the end of the 19th century the area was producing cereal so abundantly it became known as the “cereal attic” of the Rouergue. Today the area is also well known for cattle rearing.