Arlempdes is a commune in the Haute-Loire department in south-central France.

Ranked among the most beautiful villages in France, Arlempdes takes place in the department of Haute-Loire, about thirty kilometers from the famous city of Puy-en-Velay. Visitors are immediately charmed by the spectacular view afforded to them from a bend in the road: this typical little village with stone houses, classified among the most beautiful villages of France, is perched on a volcanic peak surrounded by a meander of the Loire.

Surrounded by basalt flows, this picture postcard spot full of timeless charm is a real gem of the Loire Gorges. In the heights of the village, at the top of the rocky spur, you can walk up a path to discover the remains of the castle built in the Middle Ages by the Lords of Montlaur, a site that still offers a beautiful view of the surrounding wild landscape. Downhill from the old fortress, the village's 11th-century postern entrance, the Church of St. Peter, a 12th-century single-nave Romanesque building with a four-arched open bell tower, and the 15th-century carved stone cross are other unmissable attractions of Arlempdes.

Today entirely in ruins, the 13th century castle still reveals a chapel and a building with a vaulted ground floor. First castle located on the course of the Loire, it still allows to discover a fortress wall in debris, a circular tower or a wall of the old seigniorial home. Built in the 12th century, the chapel Saint-Jacques is entirely red stone and has been recently renovated. Listed historical monument, it reveals a rather rustic and bare in its interior.

Built between the twelfth and thirteenth century, the church of St. Peter was greatly reworked in the sixteenth. Listed as a Historical Monument, it allows you to admire a bell tower with four arcades typical of Languedoc or a western portal with four columns. Not far away, you can see the monumental 15th century stone cross that once stood on the wall of the old cemetery. It is also classified as an historic monument, it consists of an upper part decorated with a Pietà and a crucifixion.

Listed in Historical Monuments, the postern is from the second half of the eleventh century. It consists of a high barrel vault and was once used as a gateway to the city. It was part of the outer enclosure of the castle.

If you want to enjoy sunny days, go to the banks of the Loire with its pebble beaches that delight young and old. Many marked hiking trails are also accessible from the village or its surroundings.

Feel free to Email me any additions or corrections

LINKS AVAILABLE TO YOUR SITE