Travel Guide Langogne

The town, located in the upper Allier valley, on the borders of the Ardèche and Haute-Loire, has a population of 3,200, but is at the centre of a catchment area of 20,000 people spread over the three departments. The birth of Langogne dates back to the foundation of a monastery in 998, which was home to Benedictine monks. It was they who, a century later, built the church that can be seen today. Only five of the six round towers forming the "little town tour" remain from the old enclosure that protected the monastery, some of which are still inhabited. In the square, the walls of the destroyed former monastery have been materialized on the ground. All around, several houses present interesting architectural details: mullioned windows, stone gate, carved heads...Over the centuries, Langogne has lived mainly from logging, livestock farming, but also from wool weaving. Even today, it still has a commercial vocation, with its traditional cattle market. Since the creation of Lake Naussac, the town has turned towards tourism and is part of the network of green holiday resorts. It is also a possible stopover on the GR 70 (Stevenson) and GR 700 (the Régordane route, linking Le Puy-en-Velay to Saint-Gilles-du-Gard). Its many shops, indoor swimming pool and cinema make it a very popular holiday resort.