On the banks of the Girou in Saint-Marcel-Paulel

A short, gentle walk in the countryside and along the banks of the Girou, suitable for all.

Details

17589346
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 10.41 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 10 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 77 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 83 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 203 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 142 m

Description of the walk

Park in Place de la Mairie in Saint-Marcel-Paulel, near the church.

(S/E) Leave the car park via the road on the left, turn right, pass by the church and descend to the crossroads at a place called l'Ormeau.

(1) Follow the D32 to the left towards Gragnague. After about 300 metres, take thefirst road on the right.

(2) At the end of the road, continue to the left, then, as you approach thefirst houses, follow the Ruisseau des Pradets stream to the right towards the motorway.

(3) Cross the bridge under the motorway to reach the bank of the Girou and follow the river to the right until you reach another bridge under the motorway. Cross it, keeping your head down, and continue along the river.

(4) At the next bridge, take the road to the right, then left after thefirst houses. Continue straight ahead and, at the exit of the hamlet of Nagen, return to the riverbank and continue to follow it, taking the path on the left until you reach another bridge. Ignore it and continue straight ahead for about 400 metres.

(5) Do not cross the stream, turn right along the fields and follow the grassy path to the D32.

(6) At the road, turn right, then left at the crossroads (cross) and, at thefirst bend, continue straight ahead to climb up to Paulel Castle.

(7) At the castle entrance, turn right and continue straight ahead along the path until you reach the road.

(8) At the road, turn left, then at thefirst bend, continue straight ahead along the grassy path that descends to the stream.

(9) Walk along the stream to the right, cross it and continue along the other bank until you reach the bridge.

(10) Turn left to go back up to the road, which you should follow to the left to return to the starting point, Place de la Mairie in Saint-Marcel-Paulet (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 191 m - Place de la Mairie - Église Saint-Pierre (Saint-Marcel-Paulel)
  2. 1 : km 0.38 - alt. 168 m - Gragnague road junction
  3. 2 : km 1.2 - alt. 147 m - At the end of the path on the left
  4. 3 : km 2.73 - alt. 142 m - Bridge under the motorway - Girou (rivière)
  5. 4 : km 4.5 - alt. 146 m - Bridge over the Girou
  6. 5 : km 6.23 - alt. 146 m - Canal de Madame
  7. 6 : km 6.95 - alt. 151 m - Route D32. Towards - Croix des Quatres Coins (Saint-Marcel-Paulel)
  8. 7 : km 7.81 - alt. 185 m - Château de Paulel
  9. 8 : km 8.29 - alt. 183 m - Las Peyres fork
  10. 9 : km 8.89 - alt. 174 m - Stream
  11. 10 : km 9.78 - alt. 161 m - Bridge over the Rambert Stream
  12. S/E : km 10.41 - alt. 192 m - Place de la Mairie - Église Saint-Pierre (Saint-Marcel-Paulel)

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 18 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.4 / 5
User 21978871

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 28, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Motorway works preventing continuation of the route from point no. 3

Machine-translated

User 21978871

Please note! On 28 September 2025, it will not be possible to travel from point 3 to point 4. Due to roadworks connecting the A680 and A68 motorways, it will no longer be possible to pass under the motorway from point 3 and therefore reach point 4. You must turn right along the Foncalbe stream 300 metres after point 2.

Machine-translated

Tatoune
Tatoune

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 04, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Actually, the roadworks on the motorway are a bit of a nuisance. After the 2, turn right and follow the signs for Bonrepos to reach the Girou. Point 5 is not accessible (roadworks). We returned to the Chemin de Nagen at the junction located just after a bridge with a poorly paved road that leads to a group of houses. Turn left after these houses, then right. Follow the GPS until the end

Machine-translated

Farce
Farce

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 10, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very pretty hike with a beautiful village to pass through

Machine-translated

jipekos1
jipekos1

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 08, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

As mentioned, it is impossible to pass between points 3 and 4 (construction work, but mainly a padlocked gate and 2-metre-high fencing). To avoid having to turn back, we decided to continue along the escape route from the Gragnague mill. This is a pleasant grassy path, not used by vehicles, which took us to Gragnague at the tennis courts, then past the church and village square, and back onto the road towards Saint Marcel (1 km partly on the pavement, then along the kerb until we reached the stony path on the left that we followed from point 2 to point 3). At the second path on the left, we rejoined section 3-4.
The rest remains unchanged.
Note: the distance increases from 10 to 13 kilometres.

Machine-translated

Ch.pebrel
Ch.pebrel

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 02, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The circuit is interrupted at the point where it crosses the motorway. Major roadworks have destroyed the path between points 3 and 4.
It is necessary to shorten the route and rejoin the trail shortly after point 2, following a sign for Bonrepos to reach the weather vane.

Machine-translated

dhellemmes
dhellemmes

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 15, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very little elevation gain, the paths remain passable even in wet weather, the time indicated seems generous to me, we took less time walking at a normal pace.
A lovely corner of the countryside.

Machine-translated

JOOO7
JOOO7

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 31, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A leisurely walk taking 2½ hours, including stops to take photos.
Taken on a beautiful, not too hot morning in July
It is best to do it in the morning in summer
Not too far from Toulouse

Machine-translated

Mathieu31300
Mathieu31300

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 06, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

I recommend this walk, which is not difficult at all, but it is best to do it with a GPS, as this will make it easier because, depending on the time of year, it can be more or less easy to find your way. We did it around 10 a.m. and had about 20% shade, which was pleasant.

Machine-translated

Saint-Jeannaise
Saint-Jeannaise

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 10, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant hike in the winter sunshine. No difficulty. Very little tarmac. Beautiful grassy paths. With the description and GPS track on Visorando, it's impossible to get lost. The only slight inconvenience, but only for a short while, is the noise pollution from the nearby Verfeil slip road.

Machine-translated

jeanmarie.chopin
jeanmarie.chopin

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 01, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant and interesting route, with varied scenery and several points of interest that are worth stopping at: the church of Saint Marcel (at least the exterior, but I will try to come back on Heritage Day to visit the interior, which has been beautifully restored), the brickworks, the two waterfalls on the Girou, the ramparts of Paulet Castle, etc.
The description of the route is perfect and easy to follow. Very few hikers, but that's normal on a weekday in December...

Machine-translated

jeanmarie.chopin
jeanmarie.chopin

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 20, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant route, easy to follow and very well described. The various points of interest are well worth a stop: the two waterfalls, the brickworks and the old mill, and above all the church of Saint-Marcel-Paulel (I definitely plan to come back and do this route again, on a day when I know I can visit the interior of the church, which has been beautifully restored).
The weather forecast promised fog... but we had beautiful sunshine!!!!

Machine-translated

floberthe
floberthe

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 15, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

a very pleasant route along beautiful paths. Sometimes it's a little difficult to find your way around the changes in direction because there are no signposts, but you always end up finding your way!

Machine-translated

Thierry83220
Thierry83220

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 26, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very well, thank you. Active walk completed in 2 hours. Very pleasant with this weather without many sunny spells today.

Machine-translated

Dispo
Dispo

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 24, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful walk, easy to do. The terrain is flat (!), so it was quickly completed. Points of interest to look at but which cannot be visited: the church (closed, incidentally), the Nagen brickworks and the old mill, Paulel Castle.

Machine-translated

Other walks in the area

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.