Around the Ravin du Valat de la Curée

Access: from junction 40 on the A75, head for La Canourgue after Banassac-Canilhac. Drive through the village towards the Gorges du Tarn (D998) and, at the roundabout on the outskirts of the town, take the
^second exit, Rue du Patus, towards the Saint-Frézal site.

La Canourgue – Car park under the trees on Rue du Patus (Square 19 Mars 1962).

(S/E) Walk along the square until you reach the junction with Rue Callongue. Without crossing the road bridge, turn left onto Rue Callongue and walk for 200 metres until you come to a signpost.

(1) Look out for a few steps on the right, where the Chemin de la Can begins. Climb steeply along the edge of the Valat de la Curée cliff. The gradient eases after 600 m. Pass through two small gates on the plateau and continue along a more comfortable path, under the canopy. After a left-right bend, join the^GR® 60 at Plo de la Can

(2) Follow the^GR® to the right along a very scenic path (pass through two wooden gates). Emerge onto a small road

Leave the^GR® 60, which heads off to the left

(3) Take the Route des Balmes opposite. Walk through the hamlet and cross the start of the Valat de la Curée ravine. Follow a sweeping curve before reaching a small pass.

(4) Keep to the right, on the road that passes through Fraissinet^, following a new^{PR® sign.} Pass the farm on your left, then leave the^PR® as it heads left towards Coustous. Continue for a further 650 m on the tarmac before finding a path on the left.

(5) Take the path on the left (marked with a blue line), which splits into two. Go through the gate on the left and follow the path down towards the Chapel of Saint-Frézal. Take care on this descent as it is very steep. Winding down through hairpin bends and steps, make your way down into the valley and reach the chapel. The developed site is ideal for a longer stop to enjoy this idyllic spot.

(6) Set off again towards the Lycée Louis Pasteur, then turn right onto the Allée de Saint-Frézal, which runs alongside the Urugne. At the crossroads, cross the Valat de la Curée before it joins the Urugne, then take the Rue du Patus to return to the car park under the trees on the Rue du Patus (Square 19 mars 1962) (S/E).

A steep descent along a footpath with a few tricky sections for those prone to vertigo. Best avoided in wet weather (slippery rocks).

There is a picnic area at the Chapelle Saint-Frézal with several picnic tables.

The Saint-Frézal Chapel
Tucked away in a small, shaded valley, cradled by the clear waters of a spring said to have miraculous properties, lies the Chapel of Saint-Frézal. The site is famous for having been the setting for many customs and events throughout the ages: initially a place of pagan worship, it was later Christianised; it was here that the famous Bishop Frézal carried his head after his nephew, driven by the devil, had severed it. The holy man was therefore buried here, where a chapel was built, restored and rebuilt over the centuries. Today, it is possible to enter the chapel in the summer or during guided tours of the village. Outside these periods, the entrance gate remains open but is protected by a grille.

La Canourgue
You simply must wander and linger amongst the village’s narrow cobbled streets, pass by the Clock Tower, stroll alongside the Urugne and Merderic streams, and walk through the vaulted passageways, and so on. A route, organised by the Tourist Office, allows you to experience all of this!