Circular starting from Saint-Paulet

A circular that will allow you to discover the Lauragais countryside and the Rigole de la Plaine, which feeds the Canal du Midi

Details

3335991
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 15.59 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 05 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 221 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 220 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 307 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 206 m

Description of the walk

Parking available near the church in Saint-Paulet.

(S/E) With your back to the church, walk up towards the castle and, after thefirst left-hand bend, take the right-hand bend that follows, leaving the road for the path that goes straight ahead. Walk past the mill and you will reach a crossroads.

(1) Cross and continue straight ahead until you reach a bend in a gravel path.

(2) Turn right onto it. Continue straight ahead until you reach the crossroads at Les Bouscarres.

(3) Turn right, then take thefirst path on the left to reach the tarmac road.

(4) Follow the road, ignore the street on the right, at the junction with the D 1117, cross carefully, pass the stream and in the left-hand bend, take a dirt track opposite. Go to the end of the track at a T-junction.

(5) Turn right to go back down towards the stream. Do not cross it, but follow it to the left until you reach the road.

(6) Take the road to the left and cross the hamlet of Les Rougés. Exit via the path at the top of the village, then take thefirst path on the left to the road.

(7) Continue left on the road, pass in front of Château de Biès and continue to Lauraguel.

(8) Go around the hamlet on the path on the right until you reach the forest. Walk along the edge of the forest until you find a path on the left.

(9) Cross the forest, then turn right, first along the edge of the field, then down to thefirst path on the right.

(10) Continue along this path to the end, then turn left to the stream. Follow the stream on the right to the bridge. Cross and climb back up to the D 1117 main road (take care).

(11) Follow the road to the right for about 200 metres and take thefirst street on the left. Cross the hamlet of Anarques and, atthe first bend, take the path on the right to the road.

(12) At the road, continue straight ahead, then take thefirst road on the left, which leads in a long straight line to the old mine buildings.

(13) At the crossroads, follow the road to the left, leaving the buildings on your right, and after about 100 m, take the path on the right that goes downhill and then uphill again. Ignore the path on the left.

(14) Take thefirst path downhill on the right and follow it to the Rigole de la Plaine.

(15) Cross the bridge and turn left onto the path along the edge of the canal until you reach the D113 tarmac road.

(16) Take the road to the left and follow it straight on to Saint-Paulet (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 240 m - Saint Paulet Church
  2. 1 : km 0.6 - alt. 277 m - Old mill
  3. 2 : km 1.31 - alt. 262 m - Towards Les Bouscarres
  4. 3 : km 2.17 - alt. 247 m - Les Bouscarres crossroads
  5. 4 : km 2.85 - alt. 232 m - Tarmac road
  6. 5 : km 3.9 - alt. 230 m - T-junction
  7. 6 : km 4.7 - alt. 235 m - Les Rougés
  8. 7 : km 5.59 - alt. 307 m - Route du Château de Biès
  9. 8 : km 6.59 - alt. 288 m - Lauraguel
  10. 9 : km 7.14 - alt. 250 m - Forest path
  11. 10 : km 8.35 - alt. 234 m - Towards the stream
  12. 11 : km 9.02 - alt. 222 m - Route D1117
  13. 12 : km 10.12 - alt. 221 m - Tarmac road
  14. 13 : km 11.73 - alt. 259 m - Old mine
  15. 14 : km 13.1 - alt. 274 m - Descent towards the Rigole
  16. 15 : km 13.87 - alt. 208 m - Bridge over the Rigole
  17. 16 : km 15.07 - alt. 208 m - Route D113
  18. S/E : km 15.59 - alt. 242 m - Saint Paulet Church

Worth a visit

Biès Castle with adjoining campsite
Montmaur Castle
Rigole de la Plaine
Buildings of the old mine

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 13 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.3 / 5
Muc31
Muc31

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 06, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The app is recommended as there are no markings on the ground.
A very beautiful, easy hike with a wide variety of landscapes. The detour to the village of Montmaur to see the castle is highly recommended. A very pleasant hike in early spring with flowers and scents along much of the route. Thank you for this wonderful suggestion

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Clorophil
Clorophil

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 02, 2024
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant hike with friends, even in gloomy weather.
Having downloaded the route (which was a good thing, as there were no signposts), I didn't bother to read the written description.
No particular difficulties. Beautiful landscapes of the Lauragais region, snow-capped and sun-kissed Pyrenees!
We climbed up to Montlaur to see the castle up close, and it was well worth the detour.
A leisurely 4 hour 40 minute walk.

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Jeaclamer
Jeaclamer

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 26, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant hike, feasible after rain as the plateau is limestone. Benches for eating in the dry near the Cathar memorial

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massat
massat

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 22, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Beautiful views of the Pyrenees, good hike, one critical point: no markings
Hike to be done with a group, no difficulty.

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Alain Eveillard
Alain Eveillard

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 01, 2023
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant route with beautiful views of the surrounding hills and the Pyrenees in the distance. Easy walk.
We didn't need to use the detailed written description, as the map loaded onto our smartphone (which can be enlarged with two fingers...) showing our actual position (GPS) made the walk so easy.
Thank you, VISORANDO! (And, of course, the creators of this hike).

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toto11
toto11

Hike cancelled due to inclement weather

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gbnos
gbnos

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 01, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant, easy route, perfect for winter or mid-season (there is little shade).
We only had half a day, so we shortened the route by going from point 4 (after the road, path via Cazilhac) to point 10. With this shortcut, the route takes just under 3 hours.
Between points 12 and 13, it is worth taking a short detour through the village of Montmaur along the quiet road.
There is a small error in the description at point 13: the buildings are not those of an old mine but of an old flour mill. You can't miss them as there are many millstones used as decoration.

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hcrando
hcrando

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 25, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant route with beautiful villages and castles. No signposting. A little difficult to follow in places according to the description, but no problem with the app. Not much road, except for the long straight stretch leading to a disused mine, which we didn't see. Very windy and beautiful views. Thank you for this route.

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VincentLafon
VincentLafon

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 28, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Congratulations to the tracker, a very beautiful and accurate hike

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Lune11
Lune11

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 17, 2021
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant, easy hike with beautiful views of the Lauragais region.
There are no markings. I followed the route on the app without paying too much attention to the description.
A small suggestion: between points 12 and 13, rather than taking the long, straight, uninteresting tarmac road, climb up to the village of Montmaur, where there is a beautiful castle.

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Bernard CONDAMINES
Bernard CONDAMINES

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 08, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful walk, mainly along paths and farm tracks. No particular difficulties
very beautiful scenery
Well done to the person who put this route on Visorando

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JOADIE
JOADIE

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 04, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike in a quiet and little-known area.

You need to pay close attention to the description as there are no signposts except at the end where you join the GR353.

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Guy Jalut
Guy Jalut

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 25, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful, varied and relatively easy route with some magnificent views of the Pyrenees. As the signage is currently very poor, it is strongly recommended that you save the route on your smartphone beforehand to ensure you are on the right path.

G.J.31

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tehanie
tehanie

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 15, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very good route, reliable information, best done in good weather to enjoy the view of all the surrounding landscapes
Well done to the person who put this route on Visorando
No difficulties except perhaps the length

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Tenzig11250
Tenzig11250

Not yet done, in October if possible!

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