Capital of the Lozère département, MENDE lies well down in the deep valley of the Lot at the northern tip of the Parc des Cévennes, 28km east of Marvejols and 40km north of Florac, with train and bus links to the Paris–Nîmes and Clermont–Millau lines. It's a very attractive, unspoilt southern town, and a nice place to make an overnight stay.Standing against the haze of the mountain background, the town's main landmark, the Cathedral, owes its construction to Pope Urban V, who was born locally and wished to give something back to his native soil. Although work began in 1369, progress was hampered by war and natural disasters and the building wasn't completed until the end of the nineteenth century. The most obvious signs of its patchy construction are the two unequal towers that frame the front entrance, from where there's a fine view back along the pine-clad Lot valley. Inside is a handsome choir, and, suspended from the clerestory, eight great Aubusson tapestries, depicting the life of the Virgin. She's also present in one of the side chapels of the choir in the form of a statue made from olive wood, thought to have been brought back from the Middle East during the crusades. Aside from the cathedral, most pleasure resides in a quiet wander in the town's minuscule squares and narrow medieval streets, with their houses bulging outwards, as though buckling under the weight of the upper stories. In rue Notre-Dame, which separated the Christian from Jewish quarters in medieval times, the thirteenth-century house at no. 17 was once a synagogue. If you carry on down to the river, you'll see the medieval packhorse bridge, the Pont Notre-Dame, with its worn cobbles. The tourist office is at 14 bd Henri-Bourrillon, to the right as you reach the centre of town from the N88 (July & Aug Mon–Sat 9am–12.30pm & 2–7.15pm, Sun 9am–noon & 2.30–6pm; Sept–June Mon–Fri 9am–12.30pm & 2–6pm, Sat 9am–noon; tel 04.66.65.02.69, www.ot-mende.fr). The departmental tourist office is in the same building, with all the information you could want on the Lozère. The gare SNCF (tel 04.66.49.00.39) lies across the river, north of the centre. Buses depart from either the station or place du Foirail, at the southern end of boulevard Henri-Bourrillon. For a place to stay, try the well-kept Hôtel Drakkar, right in front of the cathedral on place Urbain-V (tel 04.66.49.04.04, [email protected]; €40–55; menu €9, mini-menu €6.40), or for more comfort the pretty Hôtel de France on boulevard Lucien-Arnault, the northern part of the inner ring road (tel 04.66.65.00.04, fax 04.66.49.30.47; €40–55; closed Dec & Jan; restaurant €19–23). Slightly further out of town, on the river at 2 av du 11 Novembre, the classy Hôtel Pont-Roupt (tel 04.66.65.01.43, [email protected]; €40–55) offers such luxuries as an indoor pool, terrace and good restaurant: dishes include truite au lard and salade au Roquefort (from €21–45). Apart from the hotel restaurants, the best food is served up at Le Mazel (closed Mon eve & Tues; from €12), though the setting – in the only modern square in the old town – is a little disappointing. More atmospheric are La Gogaille, 5 rue Notre-Dame, where you can eat wholesome, traditional fare outside in a medieval arched courtyard (from €12), and Les Voutes, 13 rue d'Aigues-Passes, in a similar setting and specializing in pizzas (menus from €9).
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