The Monts d'Aubrac, a name that evokes vast desert, wild and windy plateaus covered with peat bogs and dense forests where wolves once roamed.
Aubrac, an unknown and mysterious country, a country of scary legends invented during the Middle-Ages by pilgrims when they walked along the Via Podensis, the road that led them to Santiago de Compostela.
Aubrac, nestled at 1300 m of altitude, is also the village where Adalard, a pilgrim of Flemish origin decided to build a monastery-hospital after being attacked by bandits.
La Dômerie d'Aubrac could soon accommodate hundreds of pilgrims who, through fog and bad weather were guided by the sound of the Dômerie's bell known as Cloche des Perdus (Bell of the Lost).
There they found shelter for the night before continuing on their path in first light of dawn after a traditional lunch of cheese.
It is logical that the village has left its name to the region!
The village grew rapidly.
The Eglise Notre-Dame-des-Pauvres (Our Lady of the Poor) was built in the 12th century, the bell-tower in the 16th century and the Tour des Anglais (Tower of the English) in the 14th century.
It isalong with the hospital the only remnant of the monastery.
Today a paradise for hikers, the Via Podiensis connects Puy-en-Velay to Santiago de Compostela.
The 135km long section that crosses the Aubrac leads through St-Cosme d'Olt, Conques, and Espalion...superb medieval walled cities.
When they stop in the village of Aubrac, hikers can visit the Maison de l'Aubrac where they can attend an audio-visual description of the country, its history, its people and its traditions, and taste the wonderful local specialties.
The magical and wild mountains of Aubrac now spread over the départements of Aveyron, Cantal and Lozère.
Wolves spreading terror among humans and the abundant game animals or birds at the turn of every path and trail have long gone.
Aubrac cows took their place and became the undisputed queens of the Monts d'Aubrac.
This tawny colored breed with gentle eyes outlined with black produces the best milk and meat in France.
Its reputation is second to none and the label of quality Aubrac ensures that they are fed exclusively on grass during the summer and hay during the winter.
Like ewes in the Grands Causses plateaus, they spend the summer months in the high pastures.
The transhumance or change of pasture occurs in May and gives rise to joyous celebrations, one of the highlights of the pastoral life of the region.
Beautifully decorated with ribbons, flowers and colourful bells, herds are led along the cattle tracks or drailles to the plateaus where they will graze in large paddocks bounded by stone walls until Saint-Géraud's Day on 13th October.
Men and animals form a lively and joyous crowd that is brought together in thisFête de la Transhumance where the ancestral tradition reasserts itself, and ends with a feast of Aubrac beef, a tender and tasty meat served with the famous aligot.
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The huts or burons where shepherds of Aubrac once made their cheese have almost all disappeared.
The tradition was happily taken up by the cheese cooperative Jeune-Montagne in Laguiole.
Like Roquefort, I recommend a visit to the dairy, which through an audio-visual visit to its cellars explains the manufacture of Laguiole cheese from the beginning (Tome fraîche de l'Aubrac) to the finished product (Laguiole AOC) ready to be sold and eaten...
The ripening time varies from four months to one year following the maturity and intensity of flavour desired, and produces various AOC cheeses: Laguiole, Grand Aubrac, AOC Vieux…
The cooperative also produces the other traditional flagship of the region, the famous aligot, mashed potato mixed with Aubrac cheese and garlic.
Photos source:
Photo #2 Domerie d'Aubrac via Wikimedia Commons Public Domain
Photo # 3 Aubac Cows on the Plomb du Cantal by Ikimashoo via Wikimedia Commons GNU free License
Photo # 5 Laguiole Cheese By Myrabella via Wikimedia Commons License GFDL
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