Discover Lestrade-et-Thouels

Lestrade-et-Thouels brings together archaeological remains, churches with different historical associations, and a waymarked hiking trail. The dolmens point to an early human presence, while churches, historical information panels, and a viewpoint offer further perspectives. When choosing a destination for a hotel stay, you can consider whether this combination of local history and hiking suits your plans.

Dolmens and early history

The Dolmen of Saint-Louis is particularly well preserved. The dolmens of Saint-Louis and Peyrelevade are together regarded as evidence of human presence in this area around 5000 BC. The dating is approximate: it refers to human presence, not to the exact construction year of each individual dolmen. To understand the archaeological context, the two sites should therefore be considered together. The Sentier des cimes leads to the Dolmen of Saint-Louis, giving the hike a specific destination. This makes it possible to distinguish the area's broader prehistory from this particular destination along the trail.

Churches in Saugane and Thouels

In Saugane, the church features architectural elements from the 16th century and has been altered several times over the years. The date applies to individual elements, while the history of alterations encompasses changes over a longer period. The church of Thouels dates from the 18th century. The two churches offer different historical reference points for comparison: in Saugane, older architectural elements sit alongside a history of multiple alterations; in Thouels, the church belongs to the 18th century. This comparison helps avoid reducing the churches' building histories to a single shared period.

The Sentier des cimes and the landscape

The Sentier des cimes starts 2.7 kilometres from Lestrade, on the D44 towards Villefranche-de-Panat. The starting point is on the left side of the road, at a roadside area. For orientation, both the road and direction of travel, as well as the side of the road, are specified. The trail follows a contour line around the hamlet of Lavergne and passes the foot of a wind farm. It then continues to the Dolmen of Saint-Louis. To reach the dolmen, follow the fence and keep to the route indicated on site. There is a waymarked hiking trail in Lestrade-et-Thouels; check trail conditions locally before setting out.

Valley views, local history, and a culinary stop

From Thouels, a viewpoint offers a view of the Alrance Valley. This view provides a distinct landscape highlight alongside the archaeological destination of the Sentier des cimes. Historical information panels on the agricultural revolution are available in Lestrade. This adds another topic to consider when planning your trip, alongside the dolmens' early history and the churches' building history: the agricultural revolution. For a culinary stop, consider the La Belle Epoque restaurant in Lestrade-et-Thouels. Check whether the restaurant is currently open before your trip.

Discover more destinations: Saint-Laurent-de-Lévézou, Sanvensa, Decazeville, Brousse-le-Château, Saint-Affrique, Le Vibal, La Loubière, Agen-D'aveyron.

For the broader travel overview: Aveyron.