Location
![]() The stunning Château de Valon rises up and dominates the Truyère Valley. | ![]() A distant view of the 12th-century Château de Valon and the River Truyère. | ![]() The Château de Valon on a misty morning. |
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![]() The Château de Valon on a bright, sunny day. | ![]() Lavender grows abundantly in Valon in the summer months. | ![]() Local cattle grazing above the village of Valon. |
![]() A view of the Château de Valon and surrounding village and hills. | ![]() Valon from a distance in winter. | ![]() The Château de Valon at night. |
The Area
Valon
The medieval village of Valon is located on the edge of the Carladez, North Aveyron in the Midi-Pyrénées region. Surrounded by sweet chestnut forest as far as the eye can see, the landscape is wild and beautiful.
The River Truyère lies below the village, creating dramatic gorges on their way down to join the River Lot at Entraygues-sur-Truyère 21 km away.
A 12th-century château sits in the centre of the village. The restored tower shows its former glory, whereas the grounds are in more of a ruined state. The rooftop offers panoramic views which are breathtaking and make it well worth the climb.
Both guided and unguided tours are available for 3€ and 5€ respectively.
There are also many walks starting in Valon, suitable for all abilities.
Leisure Lake
Valon is very close to a leisure lake where you can swim safely, hire boats, and sit and have a drink and a bite to eat in the café. In the summer, there is a lifeguard on duty and a child-friendly swimming area. This is located 15 minutes away in the village of Saint Gervais.
Aveyron
Aveyron is one of the largest departments of France and also amongst the least populated. Largely unspoilt, 10 villages classified as "Les plus beaux villages de France" can be found here - more than in any other French department!
The natural diversity of Aveyron makes it an ideal choice for those who love the great outdoors, offering gentle walks around its 500 castles and exhilarating white water rafting rides.
Aveyron caters to everyone!
Distance to Valon
Aurillac
Calais
Clermont Ferrand
Lyon
Montpellier
Mur-de-Barrez
Paris
Rodez
Toulouse
43 km
860 km
160 km
360 km
241 km
576 km
12 km
81 km
225 km

Nearby Amenities
Lacroix-Barrez
Mur-de-Barrez
Montezic
Saint-Gervais
Entraygues-sur-Truyère
Conques
5 mins
15 mins
10 mins
15 mins
25 mins
60 mins
shops, bars, restaurants, tennis
shops, supermarkets, bars, restaurants, hotels, swimming pool, tennis, squash, tourist information centre, weekly market
bars, restaurants
leisure lake with lifeguard and café during the summer months
shops, supermarket, bars, restaurants, tourist information centre, hotels, tennis, weekly market
shops, supermarket, bars, restaurants, tourist information centre, hotels
Getting Here
The gîtes are situated after the château in the village of Valon. For those using a satnav/GPS navigation system, please search for "Vallon, Lacroix Barrez" in your navigation system to plan your route here.
For my gîte guests: please drive through the village (past the parking lot and the "do not enter" sign - don't worry, this sign is for non-residents only but guest of the gîte are ok). You will find both gîtes on the left-hand side of the road - the gate in front of the gîtes is marked with a sign saying "Gîte de Valon. Please park in the parking lot on your left, just past the gîtes. I will show you where to leave your car for the duration of your stay. Please call me if you have any questions!