Tarn river canyon's Troglodyte hamlets

Discover the hamlets suspended between heaven and earth.

The troglodyte hamlets of the Tarn river Canyon

In the heart of the Tarn river Canyon there are some unusual places that were inhabited for a long time. Come and discover them during your hikes.

Saint-Marcellin

It's hard to imagine visiting the troglodyte hamlet of Saint-Marcellin that people have lived here since immemorial times. From an era that is now over, remain poignant testimonies: at the bend of the narrow alleys of this unusual hamlet, let yourself be charmed by the houses carved out of stone and the picturesque Romanesque chapel. A pilgrimage takes place there every year, in June. Until 1830, it was one of the most important places of pilgrimage to the Tarn river Canyon, and people flocked there to invoke rain. Overlooking the village, you can see the remains of the old castle. It served as a refuge for the village’s inhabitants: accessible only by a ladder, which was removed in the event of an attack. This castle was the property of the Mostuéjouls family, originally from the hamlet. The family then became one of the most important ones in Rouergue. It will give its name to the eponymous village located a little further down the Tarn, where it will build a castle.

 

The Eglazines hamlet

Not far away, still in the Tarn river Canyon, the hamlet of Eglazines seems suspended in time. All around the village, one can still see the low walls used to cultivate on the canyon’s slopes. It was occupied until 1960, when its last resident, aged 80, decided to leave it to descend into the valley.