To the foot of the Château de Quéribus from Cucugnan

fr

From the village, a climb to the foot of the Château de Quéribus on well-marked paths.
See: practical information.
The descent is quite steep, after waypoint (5).
It's quite possible to do this circuit the other way round, and climb from waypoint (6) to (5).

Technical sheet

n°2795895
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 8.49 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: Yes
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 392 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 396 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 625 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 261 m
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To the foot of the Château de Quéribus from Cucugnan
To the foot of the Château de Quéribus from Cucugnan
To the foot of the Château de Quéribus from Cucugnan
To the foot of the Château de Quéribus from Cucugnan

Description of the walk

Start: From Perpignan, head for the airport and then Foix on the D117. Pass Estagel and, in Maury, turn right on the D19 towards Cucugnan. This beautiful road takes you over the Grau de Maury pass. From the pass, descend to Cucugnan on the D123. Park on the right at the entrance to the village, opposite the Tourist Office on the D14.

Red and white GR®367__ signposting (old blue and yellow signposting also present).

(S/E) With your back to the car park, go uphill to the right of the Tourist Office and find the GR®367 markings. Continue due East through the village, then right down the Chemin de la Chapelle to reach the D14 (Route de Padern).
Cross it with caution. Continue for 100m. Leave the GR®367 which goes off to the right and arrive at the oratory on your left.

Old yellow markings__.

(1) Continue straight ahead on this road (Chemin du Bourdicou). Ignore the minor road on your left. 100 m further on, at the fork in the road, turn left, South-East. Again, ignore the adjacent paths and tracks. At 279 on the map, turn right at right-angles, climbing a little steeper. Continue on the main track, which meanders before heading North-East.

(2) At this junction, ignore the flat track and head due east on the right, climbing more steeply into the forest.

(3) At this point (marker 508), ignore the track to the left and continue, following the signs, to enjoy the scenery. Rejoin the GR®367.

Balisage Rouge et Blanc du GR® 367 (red and white markings)

(4) Turn right at right-angles onto a good track, following the signs. Reach the parking area at the foot of the Château de Quéribus.
Access to and visit of the castle are subject to an entrance fee.

Red and white GR®367__ signposting

(5) Head uphill on a wide track used as a parking area during peak periods. The path leads first North and then West, offering a beautiful view over the valley.
Take care, however, on the steep descent with its wooden steps. The area is very gullied. Please use these steps. Thank you for future hikers. Join a small road and turn left for 100m.

(6) Leave the GR®367. Continue left along a small road towards the village.
At the D14, turn left with caution to reach the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 297 m - Cucugnan Tourist Office
  2. 1 : km 0.84 - alt. 265 m - Oratory. Opposite. Abandonment of the GR367
  3. 2 : km 2.56 - alt. 428 m - To the right as you go up
  4. 3 : km 3.19 - alt. 511 m - Straight on to the runway
  5. 4 : km 3.9 - alt. 577 m - Rating 508. Right-hand side.
  6. 5 : km 5.48 - alt. 605 m - Castle car park. Picnic tables.
  7. 6 : km 7.63 - alt. 275 m - On the left, abandonment of the GR367
  8. S/E : km 8.49 - alt. 297 m - Cucugnan Tourist Office

Practical information

Driving to start & parking: From Perpignan, head for the airport and then Foix on the D117. Pass Estagel and, in Maury, turn right on the D19 towards Cucugnan. This beautiful road takes you over the Grau de Maury pass. From the pass, descend to Cucugnan on the D123. Park on the right at the entrance to the village, opposite the Tourist Office on the D14.

Note: There is an entrance fee to visit the Château. Ticket office.

Waymarkers : The GR® 367, marked in red and white, replaces the former Sentier Cathare, marked in blue and yellow.

Facilities : Toilets at the Tourist Office at the start of the hike.
Picnic tables, drinks and toilets in the château car park.

Gears: This is a mid-mountain area. So you'll need: protective rainwear and an anorak, water, snack, GPX trail, description, map, GPS or Visorando app, camera, good walking shoes and walking sticks.

In the nearby area

 Always stay careful and alert while following a route. Visorando and the author of this walk cannot be held responsible in the event of an accident during this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

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Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 31 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Clarity of route map
4.9 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
lemarcheur65
lemarcheur65 ★

Hello Manogros
You wrote :

Tarmac all the way, no shade.

I didn't know that the Aude department had macadamised all the tracks and paths!

(It's funny for a hike that's marked on the map as going through the forest).

Yes, it's the Aude, so the trees are small and often sparse!
There's no mention of any shade.
Fortunately there was no mud, because whose fault was that!

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Manogros
Manogros
• Last modified:

Tarmac all the way, no shade (funny for a walk marked on the map as going through the forest) and an upside-down climb.

On a bike, it could be very interesting, but on foot, it's pretty uninteresting.

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PHALIP
PHALIP

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Apr 04, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

Tour done in reverse because of steep and slippery descent

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Vejapi
Vejapi

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Mar 16, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

A very pretty walk from the village of Cucugnan with its mill, its authentic bakery and its bread baked in a wood-fired oven, past the church of Saint-Julien and its pregnant Virgin Mary.
A visit to the Château de Quéribus is a must, with its magnificent views over the plain and the village of Cucugnan.

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Philval
Philval

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Feb 16, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

It's a lovely walk, and of course a visit to the castle is a must, as the view is magnificent (7.50 euros....). On the way back, it's worth strolling through the streets of Cucugnan, visiting the church and the mill further up.

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Joël Bars
Joël Bars

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 22, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

Walk carried out as indicated on the map. GPS tracking loaded with .gpx file. No problems at all!

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joelbis
joelbis

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Apr 21, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A very interesting walk because of the crest overlooking the Château de Queribus. Magnificent view of the castle and the Canigou in good weather.

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lemarcheur65
lemarcheur65 ★

Hello Jubilat66
You write
- Most of the participants would have preferred to do the bulk of the effort on the raidillon in the morning, which was quite hard on the descent for the older members of our group.
Indeed, and that's why I added in the introduction :
=> See the description concerning the descent is quite steep, after the (5).
=> It's quite possible to do this tour in the other direction and climb from (6) to (5).
Happy hiking

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Jubilat66
Jubilat66

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Jan 27, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

We hiked with a group of 15 people, including several octogenarians. No such luck that day, with thick fog!
Most of the participants would have preferred to make the most of the effort on the steep slope in the morning, which was quite difficult on the descent for the oldest members of our group.

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Givze
Givze

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Oct 25, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A lovely walk.
Don't hesitate to visit the Château de Quéribus, which offers magnificent views over the whole region.
There is an entrance fee (around €8) but it would be a shame to miss the panorama.
We followed the direction of the topo, which is much more gradual than the reverse: the climb from Cucugnan is direct and steep, so the choice is a matter of physical fitness and a taste for effort.

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mimcaf
mimcaf
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Apr 15, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

We didn't meet any hikers. We did the route in the direction of the topo, in strong winds! But I think it's more interesting to do the route the other way round, as the descent is steep...

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Patrice09
Patrice09

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Apr 08, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : Yes

Lovely walk in fine weather. We set off from Cucugnan and did it in the opposite direction, as indicated in the comments (we think it's much better too). Beautiful views, a visit to the Château de Queribus, lunch at the paraglider departure area between 5 and 4, with a magnificent view of the valley, Cucugnan, Peyrepertuse and Bugarach. We wish you all a pleasant outing.

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PAT le lion
PAT le lion

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Jan 11, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Busy trail : Yes

A lot of big tracks and roads, not very interesting except for the castle of Quéribus and a beautiful view and the descent to Cucugnan;
What's more, the bakery is closed until 20 February, which is a shame;

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Vie Cardonne Sabine
Vie Cardonne Sabine
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Nov 13, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

Departure from the Tourist Office through the village of Cucugnan.
From Cucugnan to the foot of the Château de Quérigus
Red & White GR 367 signposting
A strenuous climb, with paths lined with rock, woodland, arbutus, box and oak trees, and breaks to admire the magical panorama.
A panorama from the sea to the Pyrenees in fine weather: 17°C, all in the heart of this Citadel "known as one of the others of the Cathar country of Vertigo. Massive yet elegant architecture.
Visit to the Château at an additional cost.
Return as described.
Thank you, our souls, minds and bodies were in unison for this day.

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LAFUMAS
LAFUMAS

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Nov 06, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : Yes

The descent past Château Queribus is dangerous.

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