Circular route via Girgols starting from Le Rieu

In the heart of the Cantal, this circular route reveals a landscape where nature and heritage blend at every step. From Les Havres Verts, the route descends towards Le Rieu before following the Doire along its shaded banks. The path climbs through the forest and, from an isolated barn, offers a beautiful view of the valley. You then pass through quiet hamlets (La Blatte, Labastide, Soulage) that bear witness to a preserved rural way of life. At La Blatte, an old castle invites you to take a break. Its owner, who is there in spring and summer, is happy to act as a guardian of the site’s history. The route reaches its highest point at Girgols, a charming village where the church and the old wash house are well worth a stop. The return route takes you across the plateau and through the forest, with a stop at the Blatte waterfall (more lively in spring than in summer). You then head for the banks of the Doire to make a leisurely return to the start. An accessible, varied and authentic walk, ideal for discovering the Cantal off the beaten track.

Details

n°92839610

Creation:
09 Mar 2026

Last update:
29 May 2026

Last review:
23 Jun 2026

Activity: Walking
Distance: 7.96 mi
Average duration: 4h 45
Difficulty: Moderate
Back to start: Yes
Ascent: + 1,289 ft
Descent: - 1,286 ft
Highest point: 3,255 ft
Lowest point: 2,526 ft

Country: France
Areas: Massif central, Monts du Cantal
City: Girgols (15310)
Start/End: N 45.055356° / E 2.523153°
IGN map(s): Ref. 2335E, 2435OT
Hour-by-hour weather

Avalanche risk assessment bulletin

Discover Visorando Premium

Downloads

Open in the mobile app

Download GPX GPX

Download PDF PDF

Description of the walk

Start at Les Havres Verts. Parking available on site.

(S/E) From Les Havres Verts, head downhill. At the two Rieu crossroads, go straight on until the third Fork in the road.

(1) Cross the D60. Keep straight ahead, then turn right until you reach the Pont du Rieu.

(2) Cross the bridge. Then follow the Doire river and cross the field to the start of the path which climbs left into the forest. Follow the path to a first gap. Cross it and continue to a barn. Enjoy the lovely view here of the Rieu, the valley and the Havres Verts opposite. Continue to the entrance of the next field. At the dirt track, turn immediately right towards La Blatte. This spot is home to an old little castle, and the owner will be happy to tell you its story if he is there, which is often the case in spring and summer.

(3) Walk around the estate before heading back up to the barn a little further up and rejoining the path. You’ll reach a junction known as ‘the Triangle’. You can head straight down to the right to shorten the route.

(4) For the full circular loop, turn left twice towards Labastide.

(5) Then continue straight on along the road to Soulage.

(6) Then turn right, then right again at the junction and head for the village of Girgols.

(7) Head straight on, then turn right at the junction leading to the church and the old wash house.

(8) Turn right twice to climb up to the town hall.

(9) Continue along the road until it turns into a dirt track. Cross the plateau through the fields to reach the junction from the outward journey. Head straight on towards ‘Le Triangle’.

(4) From there, head back down into the forest on the left to the hamlet of La Forge. At the bottom of the path, keep to the right.

(10) At the La Forge bridge, do not cross it. Go through the field on the right and head back up into the forest. Cross a small stream to reach the forest track. Follow it, stopping briefly at the Cascade de la Blatte (it may be dry in summer, as it dries up quite quickly).

(11) Continue straight on, following the Doire river, and rejoin the start of the route just before the Rieu bridge.

(2) Head back up to Les Havres Verts via the reverse route of the outward journey to complete a circular route (S/E).

Waypoints

S/E : mi 0 - alt. 2,953 ft - Les Havres Verts
1 : mi 0.36 - alt. 2,762 ft - Crossroads. D60
2 : mi 0.55 - alt. 2,641 ft - The Rieu Bridge
3 : mi 1.35 - alt. 2,956 ft - La Blatte
4 : mi 2.19 - alt. 3,159 ft - The Triangle
5 : mi 2.68 - alt. 3,120 ft - Labastide
6 : mi 2.94 - alt. 3,025 ft - Soulages
7 : mi 3.85 - alt. 2,904 ft - Entrance to the village of Girgols
8 : mi 4.07 - alt. 2,972 ft - Church and old wash house
9 : mi 4.18 - alt. 3,022 ft - Town Hall
10 : mi 6.68 - alt. 2,526 ft - Pont de la Forge
11 : mi 6.9 - alt. 2,615 ft - La Blatte Waterfall
S/E : mi 7.96 - alt. 2,959 ft - Les Havres Verts

Notes

Good walking boots.

Worth a visit

-Cascade de la Blatte (11).

Reviews and comments

User 29760269

23 Jun 2026 at 19:02 7200

Thank you for taking my comments on board and for your willingness to provide further details about this route, which allows us to explore the rural landscapes of the Cantal. Thank you also to the local volunteers who plan the routes.

Machine-translated

Les Havres Verts

23 Jun 2026 at 08:45 7200

Hello, and thank you for your detailed feedback,

I’m sorry that this walk didn’t live up to your expectations. I’ve taken careful note of your comments regarding the signposting; this is a key factor for the comfort and safety of walkers.

I’d like to clarify the context: we are a small village of 80 residents, and we are gradually reopening, on a voluntary basis, hiking trails that have been neglected for many years. A project to signpost this route is indeed planned, but it takes time given the resources at our disposal.

In the meantime, this route passes through agricultural and pastoral areas typical of the Cantal region, where the route sometimes follows poorly marked local paths rather than traditional footpaths – GPS or a track log is indeed essential here.

As for the cows, these are herds grazing freely, a very common practice in the Auvergne summer pastures; I shall add an explicit note on this in the description to avoid any surprises.

As for the Château de la Blatte, that was indeed the case originally, but the ruins have gradually been restored by a local resident. So it no longer really looks like a castle today, but it remains a beautiful historic building that forms part of the region’s heritage – I’ll amend the description to be more precise on this point.

Thank you once again for taking the time to share your experience; it helps us to improve and provide the best possible information for future walkers.

Kind regards,
Anaïs

Machine-translated

patjc

22 Jun 2026 at 17:50 7200 • Edited: 22 Jun 2026 at 18:52 7200

I would like to share my negative experience of this walking route. First of all, there was absolutely no sign of a path. We were forced to walk across fields, relying solely on our GPS for direction, which made the walk very difficult and rather unpleasant.
The castle mentioned in the description is nothing more than an ordinary old building, of little interest. Finally, we came across a herd of cows on the path, with no fence to separate us from them and no sign indicating that they were roaming freely.
In short, I do not recommend this route. The lack of signposting and safety measures makes for a very unsatisfactory experience. I hope improvements will be made for the benefit of future walkers.

Machine-translated