Alès is the traditional southern end of the Chemin de Stevenson, the GR 70 route inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson's 1878 journey with a donkey through the Cévennes. Walkers who have crossed the plateaux and valleys often arrive here with dusty boots and mixed feelings about returning to town.
Even if you are not walking the whole trail, the connection helps explain Alès' role. It is the city at the end of the mountain story, where the wild country gives way to trains and ordinary streets.