The route from Albi to the beguilingly attractive village of Olargues took us through the rugged and mountainous countryside of the Haut-Languedoc National Park. Olargues nestles in the foothills of the Montagnes du Caroux, a group of jagged and forested peaks at the southern edge of the Massif Central. It was a lovely journey through an area of outstanding natural beauty. Things only improved when we arrived in the village.
Olargues is quite deservedly one of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France. Its medieval houses climb up a steep hill crowned by a bell tower built from the ruined keep of a medieval castle. Reaching the tower involves walking through gorgeous narrow streets lined with stone houses. In the valley floor, the River Jaur flows beneath the village and under the dramatic arch of the 12th century Pont du Diable, or Devil’s Bridge.
Like other bridges with a Devilish association – I went to school in a town with a Devil’s Bridge – legend has it that the villagers made a pact with the Devil to build the bridge in exchange for one or more souls. The story though has a twist, and the villagers trick the Devil. In my school town, the legend said the Devil was to take the soul of the first person to cross the bridge.
When the moment comes, a local pig farmer drives a herd of swine over the bridge and the Devil has to accept the soul of a pig. Raising the question of whether the Devil is a bit of an idiot, or why this alleged personification of evil wouldn’t just renege on the deal? In truth, the name likely originates with the local landlord charging a toll for crossing the bridge, whereas the ford it replaced was free to use.
The village is extraordinarily photogenic, and a good base for exploring the surrounding countryside, but there are two other exceptional reasons for spending a few days here: the Restaurant Fleurs d’ Olargues and the Ecole d’Olargues. We ate one of the finest meals of our trip in the former, and we stayed in the latter, a luxurious hotel with a pool on the river. It was literal bliss that not even the Devil could disturb.
I don’t normally extol the virtues of places I’ve stayed, but the Ecole d’Olargues is worth making an exception. The riverside garden – filled with homegrown vegetables and sunflowers – contains an infinity pool, from which you can gaze across the Jaur at the picturesque jumble of buildings that make up the village. It is a short stroll to the Fleurs d’Olargues where dinner was served in the garden. It is exquisite.
It transpired that the Ecole is owned and run by a Belgian family from Flanders, who happened to be there at the same time. When the time came, it was hard to leave, only the threat of ending our days in debtors prison finally forced us to continue our trip. In the meantime though, there was relaxing and exploring to be done. To be fair, it would be hard not to relax in Olargues. It is very quiet. Especially on a Monday.
It was a salutary reminder that in rural France, Monday even more than Sunday is a day of rest. Even so, I was horrified to discover that not even the boulangerie was open on Monday morning. In the absence of other options, we were left with no alternative but to spend the day by the pool gazing out over the village and the hills beyond. It’s incredibly hard work, but someone has to do it. Plus there were tasty Belgian blonde beers to go with the view.
An absolutely beautiful place. I might deal with the devil myself for a life in a spot like that!
It really is worth a visit, Devil or not!