Located in the Parc Naturel Régional des Grands Causses, the city of Roquefort cheese, altitude 630 meters, about 700 inhabitants, stretches the side of the famous rock Combalou, southern Larzac.
Under quiet outside, Roquefort is also an industrial town where close to a thousand people at refining the famous Roquefort cheese. Tradition dating back over a thousand years, it is jealously guarded in the depths of its natural cellars built into the rock in the landslide Combalou, 2 km long and 300 m wide.
Visit of the cellars: Arranged in superimposed layers, the cellars are ventilated by the fleurines (faults) which maintain a constant temperature, summer as well as winter, from 8 ° C to 10 ° C and a hygrometry of 95% thanks to the infiltration of the water by the scree. The Roquefort breads are slowly refined in this natural environment composed of stones and wood. You can visit the cellars all year round to discover the mysterious universe of the King of Cheeses. Four manufacturers offer tours:
Company: Guided tour of about an hour from their active ripening cellar. Several animations are proposed throughout the course: animated model, sound and light on the legend, passage in a museum with the famous characters of Roquefort. A tasting is offered at the end of the visit.
Butterfly: Free guided tour of about an hour in a historic cellar following a movie about cheese making procedures. Tasting at the end of the visit.
Gabriel Coulet: Free visit of a reconstituted cellar inside an old salt cellar. A documentary retraces the history of the Coulet family and the manufacturing process. Tasting.
The Old Shepherd: Free visit of the packaging workshops. Following a movie in the form of a tale, you access a glazed hallway to observe the turning and wrapping steps. Tasting.
The digital ride: With your tablet or smartphone, let Francine, the cabanière, guide you through the streets of Roquefort. It will take you to discover the village, its hidden treasures and its famous cheese.
Free application "Balades des Grands Causses" available on iOS or Android.
The Scale Trail: Will you be able to climb to the Comablou to discover a beautiful landscape and then go down to admire the Saut de Bahol surrounded by greenery? Detail of the circuit on the hiking website of the Grands Causses Natural Park.
End of June: Les Roq'Folies, festival of the village of Roquefort. On the program: games for children, aperitif with musical accompaniment and diurnal fireworks, animated meal, musical show and pyrosymphonic show. Information: contact the Tourist Office of the Pays de Roquefort and Saint-Affricain on +33 (0) 5 65 58 56 00.
