Larzac

Larzac is a limestone plateau in southern France, part of the Grands Causses in the Massif Central, located mainly in the Aveyron department and surrounding the Millau area. The plateau sits at elevations around 600 to 900 meters and features karst topography, open pastures, and scrubland, with a network of small villages and hamlets, including La Couvertoirade and Le Caylar. The landscape supports traditional dry farming and sheep pastoralism, and the economy today blends agriculture with growing rural tourism, notably hiking and caving.

Historically, the Larzac area has been inhabited for centuries and is notable for its pastoral traditions and stone-built settlements. In the 20th century, the French government proposed expanding a military encampment on the site. Beginning in 1971, a broad-based, nonviolent protest movement known as the Larzac movement mobilized peasants, students, and supporters from across France to resist the expansion. After a decade of demonstrations and negotiation, the project was scaled back in 1981, making the Larzac campaign a landmark example of rural activism and civil society engagement in France.

Today, the Larzac is recognized for its distinctive landscape within the Parc naturel régional des Grands Causses and for its role in social history as a symbol of popular protest and citizen activism. The area remains a destination for outdoor recreation, cultural heritage, and sustainable agriculture, preserving traditional shepherding practices and rural ways of life.