Nestled at an altitude of 480 meters in the valley of the Tarn gorges, Sainte-Enimie is among the best-preserved villages of Lozère, a department in the south of France. The village is located in the Tarn gorges, clinging to the slope of the canyon on the banks of the river. Its history begins in the 7th century with the legend of Princess Énimie, a Merovingian daughter said to have been cured of leprosy by the waters of the local spring. In gratitude, she is said to have founded a monastery, around which the village developed throughout the Middle Ages. The village's name comes from this legendary princess, giving the visit a small pilgrimage dimension. The religious history shaped every corner of the village, even its staircase-like layout carved directly into the rock. The best way to start the visit is from the bottom of the village, near the Tarn, before slowly ascending to the heights. The paved alleys and arched passages follow one another, punctuated by wide staircases and shaded courtyards where it is pleasant to stop. The Notre-Dame-du-Gourg Church, from the 14th century, is worth a stop, as its apse vault and statue of Saint Anne today stand alongside contemporary ceramics that tell the story of the village's foundation. A little higher up, the former Benedictine monastery still retains its refectory, a beautiful Romanesque chapter house that gives an idea of monastic life of the past. The old village has also preserved a grain hall and its grain measuring device, a tangible vestige of its trading past, at a time when Sainte-Enimie lived mainly from its market rather than its visitors. What strikes most about Sainte-Enimie is the village's location itself, nestled in a limestone canyon that reaches a depth of 500 meters in some places. From several points in the village, the view plunges directly onto the cliffs and the Tarn winding below. The site belongs to the National Park of the Cévennes and is part of the UNESCO site Causses and Cévennes. The village itself remains perfectly accessible and is discovered in a calm very different from the summer's bustle. Shops are operating at a slower pace, some are already reducing their hours, but the heart of the village and its viewpoints remain open at any time. Access to Sainte-Enimie is approximately three and a half hours from Toulouse, via the A75 to the Banassac-La Canourgue exit, then heading toward the Tarn Gorges and Sainte-Enimie. At the beginning of October, most of the village's canoe bases are closing or preparing to do so, as the water sports season comes to an end on the Tarn. The village is best experienced during this time without the crowds, between the low light and the deserted alleys.