Le Pain de Sucre (627m) walks

It’s impossible to spend a few days in Montgailhard without climbing the local ‘peak’, the ‘Pain de Sucre’ of Montgailhard (in Occitan) or Montgaillard (in French), also grandly known as the ‘Pic de Montgailhard’ or Costebelle on the land registry. From the summit rock at an altitude of 627 metres, there are beautiful views of the surrounding countryside, set in completely unspoilt natural surroundings. In the Middle Ages, each hilltop was crowned by a castle or a watchtower. At the summit of the peak, you can play at being an archaeologist by searching for the remains of a stronghold of the County of Foix, the Château de Montgrenier (built in the 12th century and demolished on the orders of Louis XIII), of which at least one square tower still stood in 1673. But the circular walk first takes us to ‘Le Château’ in the village centre, then up a small hill known as ‘Le Castel’ (the castle)... All that’s missing are the men-at-arms to transport us straight into the heart of feudal warfare.