Hures la parade on the Causse Méjean plateau
Encircled by the Tarn and the Jonte river Canyons, the Causse Méjean plateau is the tallest and least populated of the Grands Causses highlands. From this vast rough and arid territory sometimes hamlets emerge, scattered between stony meadows. Wood is scarce, as is water to extinguish any fire: limestone has always supplanted it. As such, the Causse Méjeanis not the most hospitable of places, yet the number of its inhabitants will continue to increase until the XIXth century. This was followed by a long rural exodus from which some homesick returned, who sometimes took over from their elders and gave new life to buildings that were about to be threatened by oblivion.
After merging Hures and La Parade municipalities, it extends over an extremely vast territory: 88.6 km². The population density is one of the lowest in France. Agriculture with sheep farming is one of the main sources of income, along with tourism. It enjoys many major tourist sites in Lozère on its territory, such as the Borie’ s Mill (Moulin de la Borie), the Aven Armand cave or the Ferme Caussenarde d'Autrefois (educational historic farm) and the Fédou cheese dairy. It is also here that the association TAKH settled, in order to accustom Przewalski horses to their future Mongolian steppes.