“Au fil de nos histoires” quiz walk in Mirepoix

You can park in the car park near the cathedral.

(S/E) The route starts right next to the cathedral, in front of the town hall, with a question about the name of the town’s inhabitants. Then head off to your left towards the central market hall. As you pass, take a look at the two old grain measures in the market hall, situated in front of the tourist office façade. This stop corresponds to the question about the town’s coat of arms. Cross the square to reach the opposite side, under the covered walkway. This stop discusses the characteristics of bastides, the Maison des Consuls and the modillions that adorn the façade.

(1) Opposite the Maison des Consuls, turn right, passing under the “Couverts”. At the junction of Rue Vigarosy and Rue Porte d’Amont, turn left onto Rue Vigarosy and stop near number 17. This stop corresponds to the question revealing another meaning of the word “mirepoix”.
Carry on straight ahead along this street. Cross the Cours du Colonel Petitpied and stop after the pedestrian crossing (at the corner by the Green Cross chemist’s). Here, the question concerns the cover of the *Petit Journal*, which featured the colonel’s wife.
Opposite the chemist’s, take the street on your left (which is still Rue Vigarosy). Stop at the next junction, where it meets Rue Vidal Lablache. This stop corresponds to the question about the name of the media library, André Malraux.
Carry on straight ahead along Rue Vigarosy and stop in front of number 6 for information about the Filentrope association , which is right in front of you.
Carry on along the street, pass the junction with Rue du Maréchal Joffre, and continue straight on until you reach the footbridge. This stop above the Béal corresponds to the question about the direction of the watercourses.
Cross the footbridge. Take a quick detour to the right, walking to the end of the street and back. Here, the question concerns the age of the tree in front of you, the oldest in the town.
Return to the footbridge for the question about what a ‘gabelou’ is and the anecdote about Pierre-Pol Riquet, the designer of the Canal du Midi.

(2) With the footbridge on your left, carry on straight ahead along the Béal and, on your right as you walk, you’ll be able to see Terride Castle on the hill (the ‘pech’); once the home of the lords of Mirepoix, it has now been magnificently brought back to life by two artists who founded the Castel Artes festival (featuring opera and dance in Mirepoix). ''Look at the building opposite number 48 on the street. The Béal flows beneath this building.
This stop relates to the question about the role of flour mills.”
Continue along the street, walking alongside the building (which used to be the mill). At the end of the street, turn left (you’ll pass the old fulling mill, which used the mill’s water to process wool into cloth) onto the Cours du Maréchal de Mirepoix, and stop at the next junction, where it meets Rue Maréchal Joffre, to answer the question about what else bears the name Maréchal Joffre.
Continue along the Cours Maréchal de Mirepoix, and stop at the second junction, where it meets the Cours du Colonel Petitpied, where the question concerns the difference between a city wall and a rampart. Still following the Cours du Maréchal de Mirepoix, continue along it to the Porte d’Aval, opposite Rue Gabriel Fauré (towards Pamiers) and leading onto Rue Monseigneur de Cambon.

(3) This stop corresponds to the question about the surveillance of the city walls. Here, you can choose route 1 (see ‘Practical Information’).
Alternatively, opposite the Porte d’Aval, continue to your right along the Cours Maréchal de Mirepoix. Stop at the next junction, where it meets Rue Maréchal Clauzel , where the question concerns a Napoleonic campaign.
Carry on straight ahead along the Cours Maréchal de Mirepoix. Here too, stop at the next junction, so that you can see the bell tower on your left. Then carry on straight ahead, crossing the junction (the Cours Maréchal de Mirepoix becomes the Avenue du 8 mai 1945). Walk right to the end, to the war memorial. This stop corresponds to the question about the mystery surrounding this monument. Take the long, plane-tree-lined path on the left, now known as the Promenade (formerly the Allée des Soupirs, as it led to the war memorial). Walk the entire length of it, and stop after the children’s playground. This stop corresponds to the question about Mirepoix’s twinning arrangement.
At the end of the avenue, turn left onto Avenue Maréchal Foch.

(4) Walk past the municipal swimming pool on your left. Stop at the next junction, where it meets Rue du 11 Novembre. This is where you’ll find the question about the Armistice. Carry on straight ahead, this time to the end of Avenue Maréchal Foch. Cross the road to get a better view of the church. Walk round the cathedral on the right to find a question about Simon de Montfort’s decision to rename this cathedral ‘Saint-Maurice’.

(5) Then continue under Les Couverts (you’ll be walking along the back of the cathedral) until you see the Halle on your right. Head towards it to reach your starting point, the town hall. (S/E)

The directions in the game are the same as those given here.
But you can split your smartphone screen to display the game and the Visorando page at the same time.

Route 1, suggested in point (3), allows you to shorten the walk by returning to the town centre. You can also see the cathedral there.

If you’d like to explore further, here are a few ideas for things to do:

-The Binotto House: on the outskirts of Mirepoix, heading towards Pamiers, a strange, completely round house can be seen just off a roundabout (designed by an architect from Jean Prouvé’s school; it is private property and not open to visitors).

-Lake Montbel (30 mins by car): a lovely spot for swimming, fishing, walking and water sports.

-The Tabariane necropolis (15 minutes’ drive away): a Merovingian necropolis comprising 166 tombs, arranged in three successive terraces.