Bordezac: Hiking Trails Between Chestnut Culture and Forest History

Bordezac brings hiking and regional history together on several trails. The first stage of the GR® de Pays Haute Vallée de la Cèze has clearly specified distance, elevation gain and duration; the Parcours pour la vue Arielle Dumas focuses on audio guidance and forest scenery; Les crêtes d’Aujac follows historic paths. Traces of chestnut farming and a 19th-century church add to the area’s appeal.

Hikes with Different Highlights

The first stage of the GR® de Pays Haute Vallée de la Cèze starts in Bordezac and ends in Malons-et-Elze. It is 17.67 km long, has an elevation gain of 916 m and a stated duration of six hours. You can consider the distance, elevation gain and time together when planning your schedule. The stage is marked with the yellow markings of the local GRP network and signage.

The Parcours pour la vue Arielle Dumas starts and ends in Bordezac. It was designed as one of the first trails on the Rando-Gard app for people with visual impairments who are accompanied. It offers precise audio guidance along the entire route. The surrounding forests of Bordezac also provide shade, with views across the Haute Vallée de la Cèze. Audio guidance, forest and views offer a different focus from the first GRP stage, with its specified measurements.

On the Les crêtes d’Aujac hike, you can start and finish at the car park by Bordezac town hall; Aujac is also an option for both the starting point and the destination. The route follows the former Draille des crêtes de la Loubière and an old Roman road hidden in the pine forest. This hike brings together traces of different historic paths.

Forest Landscape and the Salzmann Pine

The Natura 2000 site “Forêt de pins de Salzmann de Bessèges,” which remained officially designated as of August 21, 2026, extends partly into the municipality of Bordezac. The site’s official designation was still in force on August 21, 2026. Salzmann pines grow in the area; the Salzmann pine is considered one of France’s rarest forest tree species. Along with the forests surrounding the Parcours pour la vue Arielle Dumas, this tree species is one of the area’s notable natural features.

Chestnut Culture and Architectural History

The first stage of the GR® de Pays Haute Vallée de la Cèze passes La Clède, a traditional building used to dry chestnuts. At the “Le Chataignier” interpretive point, the chestnut is presented as a resource that was central to the Cévennes for centuries and as a historic source of livelihood. One dish made with chestnuts is bajanat soup. The chestnut thus features both as a defining element of regional history and in a named dish.

Another building in Bordezac is the Church of Saint Joseph, built in 1859. Together with La Clède and the Le Chataignier interpretive point, it adds tangible traces of local and cultural history to the hiking trails.

Discover more destinations: Sardan, Mandagout, Notre-Dame-De-La-Rouvière, Carsan, Uzès, Mialet, Tornac, Boisset-Et-Gaujac.

For the broader travel overview: Gard.