Marvejols: A Land Lost in Time

A few weekends ago, 4 friends and I visited a fellow English assistant who had the great fortune of being placed in Marvejols, France. Marvejols, for those who aren’t familiar with it (and I don’t know why you would be) is located in the department of La Lozère. This area has the distinction of being the least populous in France. Accordingly, some French people have nicknamed it “le trou du cul du monde,” something that roughly translates to the “Boondocks,” or something like that…

The Marvejols Crew: Lisa, Susanna, Darcy, Me, and Alissa (the local). Thanks to Tom (our 6th) for the photography skills.

Despite this grim description, Marvejols has all the charm of a quaint town of 5,000 in the French countryside: medieval-looking houses, mountains surrounding it on all sides, and a calm feeling you can’t find in the larger cities. Not paying for lodging for the weekend was a big plus, made possible because Alissa lives in the boarding section of the middle school where she teaches. A few sleeping bags, blankets, and pillows later and the recreation room had become our very own dormitory. We hiked up the “mountain” that looks down on the town and ventured around the plateau on top for a while.

Once we felt like we had seen the town, we hopped in the car and drove 20 minutes to a lake nearby, stopping by a castle we found signs for on the way back. Yes, castles are found in the wild of La Lozère. The area is also known for its wolf population back in the day, but unfortunately the Wolf Park (a kind of zoo dedicated only to wolves) was closed in January.

On our way to Marvejols, we also stopped by the town of Roquefort, birthplace of the smelly cheese. Being off-season (if a cheese town in France ever has an off-season) and a Saturday, we saw maybe 6 people during our 4 hours there, 2 of which gave us a tour and tasting of the cheese caves. I’ve got to say that I agree with the old say: the smellier the cheese, the better.

Getting away for the weekend was great and the French countryside is beautiful no matter where you stop. Marvejols- definitely one of my favorite towns with a population under 5,000. Check it out if you’re ever in the neighborhood.