Les Chalets de La Margeride

Les Chalets de la Margeride occupy a park of about 1.4 ha in the hamlet of Chassagnes, in the commune of Blavignac, in Lozère. The village overlooks the Truyère gorges, with a southern exposure and a view of the Margeride mountains, 5 km from the A75 junction. Le Malzieu-Ville, listed among the Plus Beaux Villages de France, is 4 km away with its shops, and Saint-Chély-d’Apcher is 10 km away. The GR 4 passes nearby and the Truyère, renowned for its trout, flows 800 m away.

It is a holiday cottage village rated 3 stars by Atout France, not a campsite: only 21 chalets, including detached chalets of 35 m² with a covered terrace, chalets with a double terrace and six chalets semi-attached in pairs, able to sleep up to twelve people together. One chalet is adapted for people with reduced mobility; the shared areas are accessible, except for the pool basin.

The site presents itself as open all year round and takes bookings in every season, for furnished rentals of two days to one month, or even longer. Management therefore advertises winter as well as summer stays, with no closure period indicated on the website. No camping pitches are offered: only the chalets can be booked.

The covered pool, with its paddling pool, extends the fine season and allows daily swimming whatever the weather. The website invites visitors to “come back” in every season, so much do the landscapes change between the broom of spring and the tints of autumn.

Cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and sledding in winter; visit to the bison reserve by sleigh; hiking and mushroom picking in autumn.

The village is designed as a quiet place to stay, not an entertainment complex. The reception building, built on a granite base, houses the tourist information; a wide terrace links it to the pool, which serves as a meeting place. The pool is protected by glazed wooden shelters and includes a paddling pool: it is the main water facility, usable in all weather, and the website states that the cover opens to enjoy the sun in season.

Each chalet has a living room with kitchenette, two bedrooms for the models sleeping 4 to 6, a shower room, a toilet and a covered terrace. The photos show a kitchen corner with microwave and coffee maker, sofa benches with pull-out beds and double or twin bedrooms. The website does not specify a heating system; you should ask when booking a winter stay.

The shared facilities include a laundry with washing machine and dryer, a barbecue area, a recently built petanque court and children’s play areas. A private car park is inside the grounds, and the shared composters and decorated recycling bins encourage waste sorting. For groups, a single contact person helps prepare the stay and a room can be hired, with or without kitchen equipment. A digital welcome guide gathers the practical information.

The Margeride and the neighbouring Aubrac make a playground for walkers: the GR 4 passes near the village and leads to the Porte des Fées, and the département has more than 2,450 km of waymarked trails. You can also go mountain biking, pick blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and mushrooms in season, and fish in rivers and lakes.

Nearby, a granite climbing site, a via ferrata and a zip line of 2 times 200 m are accessible with a qualified guide, who can also offer a treetop adventure course. The Parc des Loups du Gévaudan wolf park, the European bison reserve of Sainte-Eulalie, visited by horse-drawn carriage, Mont Mouchet, and the lake and viaduct of Garabit are about twenty kilometres away. The Gorges du Tarn, the Jonte valley and the Aven Armand are about an hour’s drive away. The Écomusée de la Margeride, the peat bogs and the medieval site of Apcher complete the visits.

Off-season, the region offers cross-country skiing and snowshoe walks and sled rides; in winter, the bison reserve is visited by horse-drawn sleigh. The village has also hosted the Hivernales 2 CV, a winter gathering of vintage cars. In the surrounding area, you can play golf at La Canourgue, go horse trekking, windsurfing or play tennis.