The route starts in Vaurs, a hamlet of Labesserette, where you can rent a characterful holiday home with unobstructed views.
The Couesques dam (RP 5) is a hydroelectric infrastructure built in the village of Couesques, in Viadène, in the north of Aveyron (Occitanie).
The reservoir is 2.40 km² in size and 12 km long. It is fed by the Truyère and its tributary, the Gouzou, as well as by some thirty small streams, and is used to supply the Montézic dam reservoir through pump storage via the Montézic power station. You now follow the Truyère for a while. After crossing the river, a narrow winding road alternates between open countryside and forests with a small village here and there.

A visit to Espalion (RP 15) is certainly worthwhile. Although the town is not particularly large, a walk through the historic center is absolutely worthwhile. You can, for example, visit the Pont-Vieux. This pink sandstone bridge dates back to the eleventh century AD. Several old tanneries can be seen along the river Lot. These characteristic houses, called "calquières", with wooden balconies and stones on which the skins used to be cleaned, are a reminder of the past when the town played an important role in the leather industry.
You can eat well in the Brasserie du Marché. They offer a nice selection of local and traditional French dishes.

Above Belvezet you can still see remains of the castle. The ruins of the Castellas (RP 22) of the 12th century Belvezet Castle, is remarkable for its plan and for the quality of the construction of the square keep that dominates the Seynes valley. It is built in very hard limestone.
From here you enter the wide landscape with beautiful views. Typical Aubrac cows graze in the extensive meadows. This beautiful breed is characterized by its almost make-up eyes, matt coat, black, white-rimmed muzzle and lyre-shaped horns. This robust cow has adapted to the harsh climate of the high plateaus, where the wind can blow particularly hard and the temperature can change in no time.

Laguiole, capital of the Aubrac, is known for its prestigious, high-quality knives, which have been handcrafted since 1829. The Laguiole knife can be recognized by the bee on the handle of the knife. The authenticity is guaranteed by the signature die-cut signature, and is manufactured in no less than forty consecutive phases. In the knife factory with museum (RP 25) you can learn all about the history of the famous knife, there is a collection of old laguioles to admire, and the work of a blacksmith.
Visit is free. There are free workshop tours and free assembly demonstrations. You can find information about this via the link at the bottom.

On the Place du Foirail there are several options for a drink or a meal. Here is also the impressive statue of the Laguiole bull (RP 26). In addition to its artistic character, the sculpture is a permanent tribute to the region's beautiful livestock and at the same time the synthesis of the region's most important resources. It is a bull from Auriac that served as a model for the sculptor. The magnificent bull, measuring 3 meters by 1.80 meters high, was first made in earth, to the final dimensions, then it was cast in plaster and then in bronze. It was installed on a base in a basalt organ.

The Montézic reservoir (RP 31) dates back to 1981 and is part of the EDF Center production unit. It is an immense surface of water of 245 ha located on the plateau of the Viadène base at an altitude of 703 meters in the municipalities of Montézic and Saint-Symphorien de Thenières and which differs from the other lakes in several points.
First of all, the water reserve is not provided by the supply of a stream. It is filled by pumping water from Lake Couesque (295m) through an imposing underground gallery, the water is then returned to the same lake from the reverse way while taking advantage of the steep fall separating these two structures. So it is a transfer of energy by pumping between two reservoirs.
Another originality: this water has no dam, but two monumental rocky dikes. The complex also includes an underground factory built entirely of granite, 145m long, 25m wide and 35m high, as well as a 400,000 volt power line.
This lake is therefore a huge storage reservoir that can drain and fill up within hours, making it dangerous and prohibiting all nautical activities.

Just before the village of Lacroix-Barrez you pass a lava flow (RP 33). This 'river of stones' is the result of the evolution, in the Quaternary era, of a basalt flow that dates back about 4 million years ago. Then the climate was a warm Mediterranean climate. The Cantal Mountains then reach their peak (3000 meters) to generate a flora on the flanks that extends to the mountain climate. The leaves of these plants can be found in various fossil locations. The lava flow is subject to volume loss during cooling, resulting in a network of cracks that can be compared to clay drying out. Long afterwards, during the Ice Ages, the alternation of frost and thaw periods promoted the 'fragmentation' of the initial flow and led to the formation of debris.
You will return to your holiday home for about 25 kilometers along a winding track through the woods.

The landscape is very varied: from woodland to extensive views, small villages, lakes and winding rivers. The roads are 95% in excellent condition; only in the dense forests they are a bit bumpy, but they are still pleasant to drive on. Although this region is mainly known for its nature, you will encounter some sights here and there that are worth a stop. That is why this tour gets 5 stars.