Plan Circular

Park on Promenade du Quai, near the church.

(S/E) Head towards the church, then turn left at Place de la Halle. Turn right onto Rue Louis Tourte, then left onto Grande Rue Principale until you reach a roundabout. Turn right and continue almost straight ahead to follow Rue du Bout du Pré.

(1) Turn right onto Route des Mandillets (D86) and continue to the crossroads at the edge of a wood.

(2) Turn left onto Route de Lafitte and join the D40i (Route de Saint-Christaud) at the hamlet.

(3) Turn left and continue to the inverted Y-shaped junction at Pradette.

(4) Take the hairpin left turn onto Chemin de Coumo Tortos, which runs along the ridge and offers beautiful views of the Pyrenees. Continue to the T-junction with another path.

(5) Head left towards Volp and reach a crossroads.

(6) Turn left to follow Route de la Piche. Walk along a wooded area on your left and reach the junction with a wider path.

(7) Turn left then right onto Chemin des Aubuts and walk for about 400 metres.

(8) Turn right towards the village of Le Plan. Pass the cemetery and you will immediately reach a crossroads.

(9) Turn left onto Route du Bout du Pré and walk past the school.

(1) Continue straight ahead to the roundabout. Continue straight ahead to reach Promenade du Quai and return to the car park (S/E).

Some sections may be slippery, so walking sticks are recommended.

Whatever the weather, bring water to drink.

Wear suitable walking shoes.

The Plan covers an area of 800 hectares, mainly agricultural, with cereal crops and cattle and sheep farming. A visit to the old village is a must, where you can see medieval half-timbered houses and a beautiful market hall dating from 1888.

In the 19th century, flax cultivation was the main industry in the village and of the 1,100 or more inhabitants of the commune, 456 lived from this product of the earth as weavers, with all the related trades. Gradually, these crops and trades disappeared. Then came modernisation and the depopulation of the villages: 441 inhabitants in 2023.

The starting point for this hike is the 14th-century Place de l'Église Saint-Pierre with its bell tower.

Large 19th-century market hall.

The post office, built in 1899.

Three-arch bridge over the Volp on Route de Montberaud, with one arch perpendicular to the other two. The Volp rises in the Contrazy massif at an altitude of 695 m and is about 50 kilometres long. The Volp gave its name to the Volvestre and flows into the Garonne at Cazères at the Pont du Diable.