The Nicoulou circular starting from Saint-Astier

Park in the car park on Place du Général de Gaulle, behind Saint-Astier Town Hall.

(S/E) Walk round the town hall on the left, pass the hiking information board, walk alongside the market hall, turn left and take the covered passageway (Passage du Marché). Head towards the church forecourt, continue along Rue du 20 Août 1944, then take the steps running alongside the Medical and Psychological Centre. Cross the square diagonally to the left and turn into Rue Victor Hugo. At the stop sign, turn left into Rue Kléber and, at Boulevard Mallebay, cross at the pedestrian crossing and continue to the right.

(1) Turn left into the small street towards the lower cemetery. The road becomes a track that runs below the cemetery. At the hamlet of Les Roches, join the D43 road which runs from Saint-Astier to Saint-Aquilin. Follow it to the left. Please note that this is a busy road. Walk to the first house at no. 2319.

(2) Take the path that starts on the left. Turn left again at house no. 767 onto the GR® towards the “Circular Route of Nicoulou”. A little further on, leave the junction for Saint-Aquilin on your right and continue straight ahead. At the first house, the limestone track turns into tarmac.

(3) At the three-way junction, let the GR® continue straight ahead and turn left. At the next junction, turn right. Between the houses, there is a view of the Isle valley.

(4) At the crossroads, ignore the sign for the "Circular Route of Puyferrat" on the left and continue straight ahead.

(5) After a descent and crossing the Puyolem stream, continue straight on along the road (Chemin des Veyssières. From the Occitan word vaissa: hazel tree).

(6) At the first house, at the top (no. 1406), take the path on the right. At the T-junction, take the main path on the left. In a clear-cut area, the path disappears completely. Head down to the left towards the corner of a meadow where you will find the path again.

(7) On the climb, almost at the top, after a cattle enclosure, take the path on the left. Pass close to a spring and a wash house. In the hamlet of Nicoulou, at the road, turn left. Then leave Rue des Botteleurs on your left. Leave Nicoulou to reach Puychaussat at a crossroads.

(8) At Chemindes Veyssières on the left, leave the main road and turn right. After a short tarmac section leading to the houses, continue along a track suitable for vehicles. At the three-way junction, ignore the track leading left and head up the path opposite.

(9) At the junction with a bus shelter and bins, take the road opposite towards Jaubertie. Then leave Chemin de Chausse-Vieux on your right and continue straight on along Impasse de la Font Froide. After the hamlet, at the last house (no. 798), the road becomes a track.

(10) At the T-junction at the bottom of the valley, continue to the right.

(11) In the Salembre valley, at the junction with a road, turn left towards “Circular Route of Nicoulou”. Continue past the “Fontvaleix” sign.

(12) At the first set of letterboxes, opposite a wash house on the right, take the small road that climbs to the left and becomes a track running alongside the house. At the road, in the hamlet of Nouaillac, continue to the right. At the three-way junction, ignore the road leading down to the right and continue along Rue du Dinandier. At the end, turn right and you will soon reach the next junction.

(13) Take care when crossing the junction as visibility is poor. Continue straight ahead onto Route des Plateaux, towards the CD41 and Saint-Germain du Salembre.

(14) After a slight climb, take the path branching off to the left. A little further on, turn right and, at the road, continue straight ahead along the path. At the T-junction, turn left towards the hamlet of Puy de Merland, which you can see, and continue along the road straight ahead.

(15) After passing between two houses, one of which is called La Cerisaie, turn left onto the path. At the next crossroads, continue straight ahead and then cross through the hamlet of Fontaneau.

(16) Turn left onto the path that starts after the last house. At the junction with a track, turn left.

(17) In the valley, let the track continue to the left and turn right onto the path at the edge of the woods. A little further on, ignore the path climbing to the left and continue straight ahead. At the edge of the meadow, ignore the path on the right and take the path straight ahead.

(18) At the T-junction, turn left and take the path below. Shortly after entering the woods, turn right. After a spring, join a small road and follow it to the right, towards “Circular Route of Nicoulou”. In the hamlet of Leybardie (from the Occitan bardis: mud-brick wall), opposite house no. 664, turn right.

(19) Turn left onto the Chemin des Deux Tours. At the last house, continue straight ahead along the path. In the valley, ignore the path opposite and turn right to cross the stream.

(20) After going round some buildings and joining a main road, continue to the right. At the next junction, turn left and follow the road round the bend to the left.

(21) Take the path that starts on the right between the fences, then turn right again, still between the fences. At the road, first turn left then right to take a path blocked by stone blocks. Shortly afterwards, turn left, then left again and finally straight ahead. Continue in this way until you pass close to a field and the swimming pool.

(22) Turn right in front of the entrance to the Stade Gimel and join a side street (Boulevard Mallebay). Opposite house no. 43, first turn right then left, enter a small cul-de-sac, then take the passage on the left just before the grey gate. At the end of the passage, turn left into Rue Sadi Carnot. After passing the first street on the right, reach the second, also on the right,

(23) Take this and immediately turn left into a passage that runs alongside La Fabrique and leads to Place du Général de Gaulle (S/E).