For a full selection ofbooks on the Pyrenees see Pyrenees General
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Topo Guides with Day Walks (Some of these publications are may not be stock
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BOOKS
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Top 25 and Serie Bleue
The French equivalent of Ordnance Survey Maps
IGN Top 25 maps cover areas of particular
tourist interest, mainly around the coast, and have a map number ending in
T. The maps have an overprint highlighting local footpaths,
long-distance GR routes and, where appropriate, ski routes. Other tourist
information includes campsites, equestrian or canoeing centres, huts,
mountain refuges, etc. Map legend is in French and English. Each TOP 25
map covers an area of approximately 28 x 21 km (17 x 13 miles).
The rest of France is covered by Serie Bleue maps, which have no
overprint and map numbers ending in O or E. The legend is in French
only but is fairly self-explanatory. Each Serie Bleue map covers an area
of approximately 20 x 14 km (12 x 9 miles), with some maps slightly
larger.
Both series have similar cartography, with contour interval of 5 metres,
except for mountainous areas, where the maps have hill shading and
contours at 10-metre intervals. Scale 1:25000
Generally, Top 25 Maps are
£8.99 and Serie Bleue £8.25 but prices do vary and offers apply from time to time.
Click here
for the full list of the individual maps available for LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON
and numbered grids.
- Detailing the Aude /
Pyrenees-Orientales region of France, this laminated fold-out map includes
a complete index of place names and covers all regional specialities,
heritage and traditions. It offers clear and concise mapping for
stress-free travelling. Published March 08
Languedoc-Roussillon, Auvergne Marco Polo Map - Marco Polo maps feature completely up-to-date, digitally generated mapping. The high quality cartography with distance indicators and scale converters aid route planning. The extensive coverage
of the maps enables travellers to cross country boundaries with the same map. A fold-out overview map is ideal for route planning and 7 self-adhesive Marco Polo mark-it stickers can be used to pin-point a destination or route for future reference. Scenic routes and places of interest are highlighted - ideal for touring holidays. The maps also contain a comprehensive index and inset street plans of major cities. Map Scale - 1: 300 000. Published April
12
Topo Guides with Day Walks - The extensive
list of topo-guides to the long-distance footpaths in France published by
the Federation Francaise de la Randonnee Pedestre has now been expanded to
include guides to local walks, the PRs (Promenades et Randonnees). Each
guide offers a selection of walks of various length and difficulty,
overprinted on extracts from the 1:25,000 or 1:50,000 topographic survey.
Some have text in English, others French. Some titles will have limited availability -
in case of difficulty please
email.
Several of the guides listed in the "Topo-guides to Long-distance
Footpaths" series also include day walks in addition to the long-distance
routes, as indicated in the description of each title.
- 40 day walks, from one to six hours long, in the department of
Herault. Most walks are in the foothills of the Cevennes, with a few in
the coastal area around Montpellier, Sete and Beziers. Maps in colour.
- 32 walks, from one to six hours long, in the Regional Natural Park
of Des Grands Causses. Maps in colour. Numerous photos and drawings of
fauna and flora.
- 20 walks, from one to six hours long, in the area around Mende,
including a tour of the town. Maps in colour. Numerous photos and
drawings of fauna and flora.
-
Several tours, from a day walk of 10km to
a circuit of 79km, around Mont Aigoual in the Cevennes National Park.
GR71C/71D - Tour du Larzac
-
200 km of walks in the region of the PNR
des Grands Causses. The 2 GR routes are covered, also 10 short day
walks. Maps in colour.
-
Two routes from l'Esperou in the Cevennes:
307km along the GR7 to the Canal du Midi and 250km to Mazamet along
the GR71. Also includes the GR74 which is attached to the GR7 south of
Le Vigan, and the Boucle Pierre-Paul Riquet which extends from the GR7
at Les Cammazes to the Canal du Midi. Maps in colour. 112
Walking in the Languedoc, John Cross - Providing 32
walks, this text covers the central part of the Languedoc, north of Beziers. Much of this area forms the Parc Naturel du Haut-Languedoc, at
the heart of which is the stunning Espinouse massif, rising abruptly some
850 metres from the valley floor. Close by is the valley of Lac du Salagou,
an enormous man-made lake surrounded by hills. A little further east is
the valley of the river Herault, which provides the explorer with
limestone gorges, caves and cliffs. All of these areas are well provided
with footpaths on which it is rare to see another human being. This book
aims to provide walks into these areas for hikers of all standards; some
are very straightforward, others are for the very fit and experienced.
Published Nov 07
Walking in the Cathar Region, Cathar Castles of South-west
France, Alan Mattingly
- Walking in the Cathar Region offers 22
walks based on the once strategically important castles that dominate the
foothills of the Pyrenees. The collection of walks explore the castles and
other locations which featured in Cathar history (mostly the 13th century)
ensuring that this is an interesting and valuable guide to this area. The
three long-distance walks, Le Sentier Cathare, Le Chemin des Bonshommes
and the Grande Randonnees 7 & 71, are also included. Each walk has as its
focal point a castle or other location associated with the Cathars.
Summaries of the historical connections of each location with the Cathar
period are given, and together these relate the story of the downfall of
the Cathar Church, from the massacre in Beziers in 1209 to the siege at
Montsegur in 1244, which ended with the burning alive of over 200
believers who refused to renounce their Cathar faith. Published March 05
Pyrenees, Landscape Series, Paul Jenner & Christine Smith - Pocket-sized full-colour motoring and walking guides with fold-out touring maps and large-scale topographical walking maps. Published March 11
Landscapes of Western Provence & Languedoc-Roussillon, John
and Pat Underwood - Detailed descriptions of 50 long and short circular walks. Also contains 33 picnic suggestions, routes for 12 car tours and a touring map for motorists. Published May 09
Avignon, Walk and Eat, John and Pat Underwood - Although all the walks described are easy, even 'non-walkers' will want to stroll around the cities, so will find the city plans, descriptions of the sights, and restaurant recommendations useful. For each suggested restaurant there is a photograph of
the decor and one of their dishes, plus sample menu, price guide, opening times, and a recipe for one of their specialities. On-line updates keep readers abreast of any route or restaurant changes. Published July 08
, Simon Calder & Mick Webb -
The Pyrenees stretches 900 kilometres, from the Atlantic to the
Mediterranean coasts, and provides some of the most breathtakingly
beautiful landscape to be found in Europe. This rocky ridge rides the cusp
between three cultures: French, Spanish and Basque - each having its own
rich and passionately defended identity - and every year tens of thousands
of visitors sample its unique delights. TV presenter Simon Calder is an
enthusiastic fan of this spectacular mountain range and, being a keen
walker, delights in the well-plotted hiking routes that traverse the
region. Along with friend and colleague, BBC radio producer Mick Webb, he
steps out to conquer the roof of the Pyrenees. They follow the
time-honoured tradition of walking the G10, the preferred route of the
fiercely independent -and, at times eccentric - French Ramblers'
Federation. Testing a hiker's emotional resilience as keenly as his
walking boots, the G10 is not for the faint-hearted. Weaving an
occasionally treacherous, always exhilarating trajectory through a
landscape of strong traditions and strange animals, Calder and Webb
narrate an eventful and humorous travelogue that will delight keen hikers
and armchair travellers alike.
Published Dec 04 K
The Robert Louis Stevenson Trail, Alan Castle -
A guide for walking in the footsteps of Stevenson as he travelled through
France’s Velay and Cevennes regions accompanied by his faithful donkey,
Modestine. At 140km, this route is ideal for people new to walking
holidays. Starts at Le Puy, finishes at St Jean de Gard. A great route
with a historic and literary feel. Published Oct 07
, Jannette Norton - This guide to
walking in the Cevennes region provides 16 day-walks in the southern
Cevennes (based around Le Vignan), 15 day-walks in the northern Cevennes
(based around Florac), plus the 5-day trek around Mont Lozere. Published
May 02
Alan Mattingley -The
Cathar Way - the Sentier Cathare - is a popular, well-waymarked trail
which links several of the world-famous 'Cathar castles' of south-west
France. A challenging, fascinating and rewarding route, it is not an
arduous mountain trek. The trail runs for about 250 kilometres, from the
Mediterranean coast, westward to the historic town of Foix. It can be
walked in two weeks or less by anyone who is well-equipped and moderately
fit. Good-quality accommodation is available at regular intervals along
the entire length of the trail. The trail traverses the dramatic foothills
of the Pyrenees mountains, a beautiful countryside which enjoys plenty of
sunshine and which is rich in wildlife. The highlights of the Cathar Way
are the 'castles in the sky' like Queribus, Peyrepertuse and Montsegur.
These incredible medieval fortifications will forever be associated with
the ill-fated Cathar 'heresy', which was brutally suppressed in the
thirteenth century. Published May 06
- the
finest valley and mountain walks. Rother Guide -
50
walks in the French Central Pyrenees, from Arren to Seix. 50 maps at 1:25,000, 1:50,000 and 1:75,000 scale. Translated by experienced British walkers from the German original. Published Feb 04
- The Rough Guide to the Pyrenees is the only
guidebook available to the entire region, covering both the French and
Spanish sides of this spectacular region, from the Atlantic to the
Mediterranean. A full-colour section introduces the author's pick of the
attractions, from relaxing in the picturesque spa towns to watching the
Tour de France wind up the mountains. There are detailed listings of the
best places to eat, drink and stay, from boutique hotels in Biarritz to
the most remote mountain refuges. For the outdoor enthusiast there are
exhaustive accounts of the walking and climbing routes available and
information on the host of other activities available, including skiing,
paragliding, rafting, cycling and horse riding. There is also expansive
coverage of all the cultural highlights including the prehistoric cave art
at Ariege and an accessible history of the region from prehistory to the
current day. Published Aug 07
, Kev
Reynolds - This guide provides an introduction to the Pyrenees. It offers
suggestions for 170 walks, multi-day tours and moderate ascents of some of
the principal summits of the Central or High Pyrenees, and includes the
Pyrenean High Route - one of the most challenging mountain treks of all.
Published Feb 08
Through the French Pyrenees, The GR10 Trail,Paul Lucia -
The 900km of footpath, lane and trackway which link the
Atlantic coast with the Mediterranean have created one of the finest
long-distance routes in France. GR10, the so-called Sentier des Pyrenees, is
a walk of epic proportions, routed as it is along the north flank of a
majical range of mountains. Unlike it's counterpart the GR11 on the Spanish side, the GR10 actively seeks out a number of villages lying snugly at the foot of the mountains. Published March 10
, Alison Raju -
The Way of St James from Le Puy-en-Velay in the Haute Loire to the City of the Apostle in Galicia is a long-distance footpath with a difference. People have been walking it - as a pilgrimage route - for over a thousand years and it has changed little in all that time. It still passes through the same villages, climbs the same hills, crosses the same rivers and visits the same chapels, churches, cathedrals and monuments. Many
of those who walk the route are not experienced walkers. This updated guide to the French section of the route - the 730km Pilgrim Road from Le Puy-en-Velay to the Pyrenees - provides all the information they will need to tackle it. As well as detailed route descriptions, practical information is provided about places to visit, shops, bars, restaurants and accommodation. This new edition offers extra route description from St Jean Pied de Port to
Pamplona and also St Palais to Irun to join the Camino del Norte. It also includes a unique and comprehensive listing of St James and other pilgrim references along the way.
Published March 10
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