Circular des Bergeries in Paziols

Park in the small cul-de-sac south of the cemetery.

(S/E) With your back to the cemetery, set off to the left, heading south on Chemin du Pont Romain. Leave the tarmac road for a wide track suitable for vehicles.

(1) At the three-way junction, take the track on the right and continue straight ahead, keeping some distance from the Ruisseau de la Coume stream.

(2) Cross the ford over the stream and continue along the other bank. Reach the end of the track at a place called Villarzel.

(3) Continue along the path and ignore two paths on the left further on.

(4) Turn left onto the path and start climbing. Go straight ahead at the crossroads just after and reach the plateau.

(5) Turn left towards the east and continue in the same direction until you reach the narrow tarmac road that follows the track.

(6) Follow this road until you reach a junction with another small road.

(7) Turn left and follow this road, which winds its way through the vineyards. Continue until you reach a crossroads near a ruin on your left.

(8) Turn left and follow this path, which quickly leads to a small tarmac road just before its end.

(9) Turn right at the three-way junction to follow the path that runs alongside the D66 for several hundred metres before joining it before Paziols.

(10) Turn left and carefully follow the departmental road. Pass the old cooperative winery and continue for about 200 metres.

(11) Turn left onto Allée des Marronniers, join Rue de la Tonnellerie and turn right. Then turn left to go around the cemetery and return to the car park (S/E).

Walking shoes. Sweater. Windbreaker. Water. Sunglasses. Cap.

1:25,000 paper map.

Village pub.

Paziols is a French commune located in the Aude department, in the Occitanie region, in the Corbières massif.

Here is some key information about it.

Geography and Demographics.

• Paziols is a small village with around 530 inhabitants (known as Paziolais and Paziolaises).

• It is located in the Hautes Corbières, watered by the coastal river Verdouble.

• It is part of the district of Narbonne and the Corbières Salanque Méditerranée community of municipalities.

• The village is not far from the famous castles of the Cathar Country: Quéribus, Peyrepertuse, Aguilar, etc.

• The region enjoys a warm, temperate climate.

History and heritage.

• Historically, Paziols was a border village with the Kingdom of Spain until the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659.

• In the Middle Ages, the village belonged to the House of Termes and to abbeys such as Lagrasse and Fontfroide.

• It has the ruins of a medieval castle on top of a hill. The Church of Saint-Félix was built in the 17th century, partly on the ruins of the fortified castle.

• Protected architectural heritage: the cooperative winery has been listed as a historic monument since 2013, although it is currently abandoned and undergoing restoration work.

• You can see the Romanesque bridge and the fountain known as "Fontaine de Cucugnan".

Vineyards and economy.

• Like many villages in the Corbières region, the local economy is traditionally linked to wine-growing (Languedoc-Roussillon wine).

• The commune is part of the Corbières wine production area.

Famous people.

• The singer Claude Nougaro lived in Paziols from 1994 onwards, in a house near the church.

In short, Paziols is a village in the Corbières region, rich in historical heritage linked to border wars and Cathar castles, and marked by the culture of wine growing.