Investigate the Beast of Gévaudan

Day 01: Aubrac

Stalking and investigation without frontiers You can start your day at a château, just outside Prinsuéjols. When you arrive at what is known as the “little Versailles of Gévaudan”, you’ll be impressed by the massive granite building. Then you’ll be surprised by the striking contrast between the outside and the inside: goodbye to the austere granite, make way for wood panelling, paintings and other colourful finery.

But don’t let your guard down! For the Beast can hide anywhere, appearing at random to carry a child off to certain death. It’s high time to act. With the story having made it all the way to the Court, the King’s wolfman is sent to track down the Beast.

At Château de la Baume, he finds the support of the local lord, whom he thanks for his help by giving him a rifle. A rifle that still hangs on a wall in the château. As is a spear, said to have been used by a shepherd to defend himself against the Beast. Legend has it that blood still stains the tip of the weapon. Continue your day by discovering the wide-open spaces of the Aubrac, waterfalls and typical roads lining the lakes. A change of scenery guaranteed.

Day 02: The Margeride

Continue your investigation with a visit to Le Malzieu, a medieval village and “most beautiful village in France”, which was also marked by the terrible misdeeds of the Beast of Gévaudan. Two monumental works by sculptor Louis CASTEL, at the entrance to Le Malzieu and at the foot of the ramparts, are a reminder of the events that enraged the local population, and even more so the royal court of Louis XV. To accompany your children in their investigation, download the Baludick app. It’s your turn to play!

Step back in time to the XVIIIᵉ century and investigate the Beast of Gévaudan with Alice Coop! To do so, take a good look around you – there are clues all over town. Don’t worry, Alice will guide you! Back on the road, you’ll reach Saint-Alban-sur-Limagnole and its Scénovision “La Margeride à la folie”. You’ll meet Auguste, a letter carrier about to retire. During 45 minutes of an atypical sound and light show, follow the adventures of this cheerful letter carrier as he makes his last rounds of the Margeride hamlets on his bicycle.

Eager to share the secrets of his homeland, Auguste talks about the Pilgrim’s Way to Santiago de Compostela and the Resistance, psychotherapy… and the Beast of Gévaudan. Faced with increasing numbers of attacks and a growing list of victims, the Château de Saint-Alban became one of the rallying points for men engaged in the hunt for the Beast. At their head was Jean-François-Charles de Molette, count, soldier… and, incidentally, suspect in the Beast affair! Could he have trained a dog to attack innocent villagers? A mystery!

Day 03: Mende & Marvejols

Mende, the prefecture of the département, is no stranger to history. In fact, the town has spent 3 years renovating a former mansion to create the Musée du Gévaudan, spread over 1,200 m² of exhibition space, including one entirely dedicated to La Bête and its legend. As you will have gathered, the shadow of the Beast of Gévaudan still hangs over the towns and villages of Lozère. The proof: numerous statues of the Beast populate fountains, traffic circles and squares in Marvejols, Mende, Aumont-Aubrac, Le Malzieu-Ville… Will you be able to see them all?

Embark on a giant treasure hunt, Beast of Gévaudan style! And if you’d like to spend a fun-filled afternoon in keeping with the theme, visit the Parc des Loups du Gévaudan: Born of the passion of one man, Gérard Ménatory, the Parc Les Loups du Gévaudan offers visitors an exceptional encounter with this animal as mysterious as it is fascinating. Today, it is the largest wolf park in Europe.