From this ghost village, the houses clinging to the cliff offer a breathtaking view

There is a surprising troglodyte hamlet in France, worthy of a movie set.

There are places where time seems to have stopped. These abandoned places attract the curious in search of ghosts of the past, photographers eager to immortalize the abandonment or even lovers of old stones. What if we told you that there is in France an abandoned troglodyte hamlet worthy of a setting from the Lord of the Rings trilogy, perched high on cliffs?

Direction Églazines in the Occitanie region, a ghost village, perched at more than 140 meters high, where stone houses blend into the cliff. A little air of the White City of Minas Tirith, the capital of Gondor in the Lord of the Rings, but in pocket format!  This small abandoned troglodyte hamlet is clinging to the cliffs of the Causse de Sauveterre, offering an incredible view of the vastness of the Gorges du Tarn and the steep cliffs around.

The ascent to Glazines is via the ledges of the gorges, following the GR de Pays markings, in red and white, along a 16-kilometre hike from the centre of the village of Liaucous, along the hillside below the Roc des Agudes. We start with a passage through the forest, and we quickly find ourselves clinging to the side of cliffs, and that's where that the magic works: the void below is sensational and the panorama is majestic. If you are there at sunset, the atmosphere becomes almost unreal.

Like any ghost village, Glazines has a story to tell. 20 good souls had indeed experienced life on the hillside there at the end of the 19th century. By caressing its ruined houses with gaping doors and gutted roofs, one can only imagine life in the hamlet without many amenities, in perfect symbiosis with nature. Site of a lordship named Gladinas, it was the obligatory passage between the plateau and the valley, and was crossed on the backs of mules. On site, it is still possible to rub shoulders with the majestic vultures and mouflons.

Ready to let yourself be seduced by the captivating atmosphere of this frozen village? Put on your best walking boots and let yourself be guided by this hike, to the discovery of this little-known and rarely mentioned abandoned hamlet. Then enjoy the silence that reigns there, full of nostalgia, savoring one of the most beautiful views that Aveyron has to offer. An unforgettable climb.