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Exploring the Tarn gorges in southwest France with the Malène boatmen
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The Malene boatmen
The river Tarn runs through the Lozère department of southwest France. The limestone canyons protect the jade stream until it cuts through Millau and continues its tranquil way beneath the famous viaduct, some 880 feet overhead.
Taking a boat ride through the Tarn gorges is to follow in the wake of boatmen who have been navigating these waters since the 14th century. The torturous topography of the area made the boat the means of transport best suited to going from village to village. It remained so until the 1940s when the first roads were built through the gorges.
Today, the Malène boatmen continue the tradition of descending the river using long poles and shallow boats, a cross between Venice's gondoliers and Indiana Jones. In fact, the surrounding greenery looks probably much as it did when the first boatmen explored this area, with only a few riverside villages as witness to man's presence in the gorges. Only a few boats' motors, used sparingly, jolt us back to modern times.
Inside the gorges of the Tarn
1,600 feet deep in some places, the sun comes and goes as the rock formations overhead rise and fall. The humid air envelopes explorers in a misty chill before warming up suddenly with a broad ray of sunlight. Even in the heat of summer, it is a good idea to bring a jacket, especially for morning trips when the air flirts with frosty temperatures.
The Malène boatman acts as a living guide to the area, having rowed the five mile strip of river more times than anyone can count. He'll slow down to point out trout hovering between the boat and the riverbed, beavers basking on the shores, or golden eagles preying overhead. They personally know the curious limestone shapes, the result of millenniums of carving by Mother Nature.
A boat on the river Tarn
To climb aboard one of their boats is to take a trip in both time and space, gliding through a crevasse in the earth. No noise, no sign of industrialized life, like not much has changed since 14th century wooden boats first sliced through the Tarn gorges.
To take a trip down the most beautiful part of the Tarn gorges, contact les Bateliers de la Malène (The Malène boatmen). You can find more information at www.gorgesdutarn.com.
The Comité départemental du tourisme de la Lozère can also help in planning a trip to this natural region of France. Visit www.lozere.com for more information.
More about: Millau viaduct : Hiking near Millau : Roquefort cellars : Gabriel Coulet Roquefort : Papillon Roquefort : Société Roquefort : Horseback riding in the Alps : French culture and travel : Christina Rebuffet-Broadus
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