📝 Detailed information
🏢 About the local organisation
Rieupeyroux welcomed two groups of volunteers last year, and will continue to do so. The dwellers of the Segala are attached to volunteering projects and culture. The Aveyron people will be happy to share with you the tales and legends of the land throughout the centuries.
Come back again in a few years to see how much your work contributed to the local community!
💼 What the programme involves
Stand up for Napoleonic heritage in the Medieval town of Rieupeyroux, in the middle of Aveyron region. A great experience for nature and History lovers!
Your project will be located in the centre of the Segala hills in Aveyron, in the Southwest of France. The Segala is a very rural area, that lives on free-range cattle farming, producing some of the country\'s best food!
You will restore dry-stone walls following an ancient road built 200 years ago during Napoleon\'s empire. The road is now a hiking path climbing from the medieval Saint-Martial church to the top of the hill where another medieval chapel stands. You will learn dry-stone masonry techniques and archaeology basics, to rebuild and protect both the stonewalls and the old trail.
You will also follow workshops on archive studies, to learn about the History of the medieval town and how the landscape has evolved through the ages.
🏠 Accommodation on site
You will sleep at the local campsite in two-person tents (please bring your sleeping mat).
The group activities and meals will take place in a multipurpose room.
The group will be sharing the cleaning chores and preparing meals together. The budget will be allocated to the group leader and you will participate in the grocery shopping and in the preparation of meals, prioritizing products from the market and local producers.
📍 About the location
Your accommodation will be located in the centre of the Segala hills in Aveyron, in the Southwest of France, with remarkable natural and man-made heritage. Most neighbouring towns have been there since the Middle Ages, and Aveyron is the perfect place to visit medieval sites, cities and castles.
You will have the opportunity to learn how to fish in Rieupeyroux lake.
Not far from Rieupeyroux is the city of Villefranche-De-Rouergue, with its impressive architectural heritage and one of the country’s more colourful markets.
Geology lovers: in a range of 30 km around Rieupeyroux there are several natural regions such as the Segala, the Causses du Quercy, the Aubrac Mountains, the Levezou plateau, and the mystic land of Gevaudan, where wolves and other beasts roamed free.
You will have the chance to visit several castles, such as Severac, mentioned in the 2011 Season of the Witch movie starring Nicolas Cage.
⚠️ Requirements
If you have any questions regarding the Covid-19 regulations to come to France, please check the following link: https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/coming-to-france/coming-to-france-your-covid-19-questions-answered/
ℹ️ Additional information
Bring working clothes, gloves, and closed shoes. Bring a warm sleeping bag, as nights might be cold and we may also sleep in the mountains. To enjoy hiking, bring your trekking shoes. For the brave ones who want to take a dip in the river, bring your swimming suit. Feel free to bring activities from home such as photos, games, musical instruments, etc.
Foreigners from the European Union must bring their personal EHIC (European Health Insurance Card), and all participants must bring their insurance certificate. If health issues arise during the program, volunteers will need to cover all costs; they will be reimbursed upon their return to their home country.
