Barbaira walks

Hike in the Montagne d'Alaric with numerous viewpoints over the Montagne Noire and the Pyrenees on a clear day. Pass by the bénitiers (rocks), the ruins of Miramont Castle and the Priory of Saint-Jean.

A circular route around the central part of the Alaric massif with beautiful panoramic views of the Corbières and the Pyrenees from the high points. The circular route starts on tarmac, then runs alongside the Corbières vineyards and finally follows the GR®36 trail along the limestone ridges. Feast your eyes!

This is a challenging hike on beautiful trails to reach the Signal de l'Alaric, the highest point of the eponymous mountain range, where the view is breathtaking – literally for hikers who do the circular loop in the opposite direction.The descent that follows is challenging, over rocky terrain, with the last kilometre at a gradient of over 20% and permanent views of the Pyrenees and Corbières mountain ranges.The end, which is more relaxing but mostly on tarmac, simply completes the circular. The final variant, which is a little longer, reduces the amount of tarmac.

Starting from the small village of Montlaur, in the heart of the Corbières region, this circular trail is fragrant with the scent of pine trees and heath. The return journey takes you through vineyards, in a very Mediterranean atmosphere. There is a little tarmac at the end of the route, but this should not spoil the enjoyment of the walk.

Lake Cavayère is the place to visit in Carcassonne when the sun is out. The path around the lake is laid out clearly and is very easy to follow even with children (over ten years). The ever present lake provides a very pleasant setting.

This is a great walk in the heart of the Alaric massif, where you can explore deep valleys and forests of holm oaks and Austrian black pines. Legend has it that the Visigoth king Alaric, passing through the region, gave the mountain its name, and some say that his treasure is hidden here. A trip to the summit offers views of the entire Aude plain, the Corbières, the Eastern Pyrenees and the Mediterranean Sea if the weather is clear enough.

In the Laure-Minervois area, drystone shelters known as capitelles bear witness to the history and work of the rural world. This route, marked in yellow, will take you to around thirty capitelles that have been restored by the villagers.

Take a walk or bike ride along the Canal du Midi, passing through the river port of Trèbes to the Château de Bouilhonnac.

At the gates of Carcassonne, the Montagne d'Alaric offers a superb viewpoint over the Pyrenees and the Aude plain. The ruins of the priories of Saint-Pierre d'Alaric and Saint-Michel de Nahuze, as well as those of the Métairie de Vidal, encourage us to reflect on the history of this mountain and the life that must have once animated it. Finally, the return journey through the vineyards of the Corbières region is an invitation to end this day's walk with a well-deserved wine tasting.

You'll be amazed by the well-preserved state of the Visigoths' tombs found along the way. You can explore the cemetery, made up of fifteen or so graves, at the corner of a path in the middle of shrub land.

The Lacamp plateau overlooking the Val de Dagne offers numerous viewpoints. Heath, communal forest (beech and oak) and state-owned forest (fir and cedar). This trail passes two orientation tables that provide information about the Montagne Noire and the Pyrenees. It led to Bouisse, a day's walk across the Lacamp plateau. On the village square, next to the fountain and at the corner of the old town hall, a sign describing the trail was installed in 2010. Since 2020, the old public toilets have become the smallest museum in the world!

From the medieval city, which you can visit before or after the walk, it is worth going to the top of Pech Mary to enjoy a 360° panorama of the city and its surroundings, as well as a bird's eye view of the city, particularly Porte Narbonnaise.

This short hike takes you up to a vantage point where you can admire the village of Lagrasse and its listed abbey. The name "fesses de Charlemagne" (Charlemagne's buttocks) comes from a legend which tells how Charlemagne's horse stumbled, throwing him onto the hill where he landed on his backside.

This hike, a little longer than Charlemagne's buttocks, takes you to a chapel and a viewpoint overlooking the surrounding area, all surrounded by wild vegetation.

On 300 hectares, an association in Conques-sur-Orbiel has restored a large number of drystone shelters, which were once used to shelter farmers when they worked on this inhospitable land. The rocks dug up during the work were used to build these shelters. You will come across around thirty of these drystone shelters.

If you enjoy walking among junipers, gorse and rockroses on a very stony but not particularly difficult path, you will love this short hike, which will take you to the quarry where the red marble columns of the Palace of Versailles were quarried.

Despite its modest altitude, Mont Major (541 m), the highest point of the Serre de Blanes, offers a magnificent 360° panorama that takes in the Montagne d'Alaric, the Carcassonne plain and, on a clear day, the peaks of the Ariège Pyrenees and Canigou. The climb, starting from the village of Saint-Pierre-des-Champs, takes place in a landscape typical of the Corbières region, with small isolated vineyards, pine trees and heath where holm oaks reign supreme. A breath of fresh air and peace and quiet guaranteed.

From Notre-Dame du Cros (Caunes-Minervois), a route takes you to former marble quarries, with a picnic stop at the renovated Ventajou refuge, near the ruins of the castle of the old village that has disappeared. On the way back, you pass by the Moulin de Biot, a former witness to a technique of using wind energy for sawing marble. Warning from the author of the route in the "practical information" tab (2/11/2021)

A walk in the hills above Tournissan, surrounded by pine trees, vineyards and heath. Geology enthusiasts will particularly enjoy the section through the Terres Rouges, where you follow part of the Sentier Francis Lastenouse trail, which is full of informative signs. Not to mention the magnificent natural surroundings, rich in striking colour contrasts, which are sure to delight other walkers.