Nicolas Bertin - Horizons Nature
Discover the Buèges Valley and much more...
Beyond the walks, hikes and landscapes, the Buèges reveals to those who take the time to discover a subtle ecosystem and inhabitants who love their environment and their history. Just follow your guide Nicolas Bertin...
How did the idea of organising walks in the Buèges valley come about?
I fell in love with it! When I first moved to the valley, I fell in love with it and decided to give new life to my diploma as a mountain leader. It was an obvious choice to discover all the potential of the surrounding area.
What's special about your walks?
The idea is to combine walking with meeting people. I organise made-to-measure walks, depending on the level of walking ability and, above all, the wishes of the customers. For example, I offer wine-tasting walks, where small groups explore the countryside and the valley. We talk about its history, observe its flora and fauna, then meet up with the winegrowers from Saint-Jean-de-Buèges, the Coulet estate - Tour de Baulx - in their vineyard. We talk about the work in the vineyard, the specific features of the terroir and finish with a tasting in the cellar.
What does another idea of travel mean to you?
That travel and a change of scenery are sometimes very close... We imagine we have to go very far away, whereas there are little nuggets right next door to us.
A few tips for hiking?
Choose your time of day according to the season. In the morning or at the end of the day in summer to avoid the heat of the sun, take water and suitable footwear. Finally, be attentive and curious, respect the paths, never make a fire and leave nature as you found it.
There's no shortage of things to do to make your walks more enjoyable. In the spring, you'll find little corners of paradise by the water, with translucent waters offering lovely moments of tranquillity. You can discover capitelles* and dolmens, and learn to recognise the drailles**... So many traces that have stood the test of time, allowing you to relive the story of a valley that was very active from the Middle Ages onwards.
We retrace the history of the silkworm nurseries and silkworm cultivation, as well as charcoal-making and pastoralism. You can also meet Camille and Nicolas, a couple of goatherds who are always delighted to let you taste their goat's cheese.
*Capitelle
Small dry stone hut, i.e. without mortar, used in the past as a temporary or seasonal shelter.
**Draille
A transhumance path, generally marked by low stone walls, which widens from time to time to provide wider spaces for the herd to gather.