Cathédrale Notre Dame

Languedoc-Roussillon


The town's improbably large Cathédrale Notre Dame was built in 1368 as the official seat of Mende’s bishop. The cathedral is home to outstanding 18th-century tapestries and a Vierge Noire (Black Madonna) from the 12th century carved from olive wood.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Languedoc-Roussillon attractions

1. Les Loups du Gévaudan

11.51 MILES

Wolves once prowled freely through the Lozère forests, but today you’ll see them only in this sanctuary in Ste-Lucie, 7km north of Marvejols and 36km…

2. Mont Lozère

13.79 MILES

The Mont Lozère range is of tough, impenetrable granite, from which the rainfall sluices in small streams. It's the source of the River Tarn, which flows…

3. Réserve de Bisons d’Europe

19.6 MILES

Near the small village of Ste-Eulalie-en-Margeride, 45km north of Mende, this vast 200-hectare nature reserve contains more than 30 free-roaming bison…

4. Aven Armand

21.64 MILES

Within the cavern of Aven Armand is the world’s greatest concentration of stalagmites, including a gallery of stone columns known as the Forêt Vierge …

5. Grotte de Dargilan

23.32 MILES

Just south of the Gorges de la Jonte, Grotte de Dargilan is known as La Grotte Rose (Pink Cave) for its rosy colouring. The most memorable moment of the…

6. Maison des Vautours

24.9 MILES

Birdwatchers won't want to miss the Maison des Vautours, just west of Le Truel on the D996, where a population of more than 200 reintroduced vultures now…

7. Mont Aigoual Observatory

27.66 MILES

Looming 37km south of Florac off the D18 is the prominent peak of Mont Aigoual (1567m). Its lofty 1894-opened observatory is the last remaining mountain…