Caucalières walks

From Caucalières to Caucalières via Payrin, a walk in the fresh air.

This is a round trip to visit the hilltop village of Hautpoul, discovering the Mazamet footbridge that leads there. The footbridge offers breathtaking views of the Arnette valley. This route takes you along the Chemin de la Jamarié, an old salt road and Roman road, until you reach the footbridge.

The loop represents a journey through history on the heights of Pont-de-l'Arn. On the plateau, a path, water and memories... This circuit passes through the open hills overlooking Pont-de-Larn. The Pas des Bêtes lake reveals itself in a wooded, fairy-tale setting. The journey ends with two menhir statues standing at the side of the path, witnesses to a civilisation from the late Neolithic period.

This trail runs south of Hautpoul through varied landscapes, a forest with multiple species and ever-changing flora. Your efforts to reach its heart will be rewarded by the discovery of this magnificent and picturesque little medieval village. At the foot of the Virgin perched on her rock, you will have access to a superb panorama. There are several historical sites, in particular Saint-Pierre des Plots. See warning at the beginning of the description

Hike with elevation gain, marked in yellow at intervals, which will allow you to use the Hautpoul footbridge opened at the end of 2018 and cross the medieval village of the same name. There is a tricky section between points (6) and (7) where recent tree felling has more or less destroyed the mapped paths and removed the markers.

An easy walk with no significant elevation gain through the Bois du Moussu, the Sagne Redonde and the Trou du Vent. Beautiful forests of fir and beech trees. Views of the Montagne Noire.

Hike in the Sidobre massif in the Tarn, a major trail in Sidobre that can be enjoyed again and again by young and old alike.A journey imagined and illustrated by the village children, based on the rocks and legends of Sidobre.Set off to discover the famous rocks of Sidobre, such as Napoleon's Hat and Chaos de la Balme, in the middle of the undergrowth, following in the footsteps of the main legends of the area and the remains left by the stone cutters of the early20th century.

A circuit with magnificent landscapes, ideal for lovers of beautiful photos.Along the way, discover the Lac des Saints-Peyres. Halfway back, enjoy Mediterranean scenery all along the Arn.

An easy hike, ideal for those who love peace and quiet and walking in the forest, offering a gentle introduction to the Montagne Noire and the Massif de Nore. The route combines sunken paths lined with beautiful hawthorn and holly hedges, clearings, pastures and large forest areas where spruce trees grow alongside deciduous trees. A breath of fresh air on the outskirts of Mazamet.

Here is a variation on the "Lac de Laprade, around the lake" hike. This variation avoids the climb up the paved road to the village of Laprade Basse. It allows you to visit the Laprade peat bogs and enjoy a pleasant walk on pontoons.

From Lac de Laprade Basse in the commune of Cuxac-Cabardès, "Let's go for a walk in the woods to see if the wolf is there!" In fact, let's set off to explore the Loubatière National Forest, from the Dure River, which feeds the lake, to the Linon Stream, which joins it upstream from Montolieu. Beneath centuries-old trees stand the ruins of an old Carthusian monastery abandoned long before the Revolution, due, among other things, to wolves... which have since been replaced by deer.

A beautiful hike in the heart of nature through woods with magnificent views of the surrounding valleys of Cambounès.

A beautiful, undulating route that passes through four places dedicated to the four saints of Dourgne: Saint-Macaire and his healing spring, Saint-Stapin the giant, Saint-Chipoli or Saint-Hippolyte, Saint-Ferréol and his Capelette.

The Pic de Nore is the highest point and iconic summit of the Montagne Noire, with its transmitter visible for dozens of kilometres around. The circuit described here allows you to make the ascent without any difficulty, passing by several exceptional viewpoints over the Pyrenees. Two menhirs along the way and a visit to the old ice houses in Pradelles-Cabardès are a pleasant addition to this varied hike at medium altitude.

Route through the Montagne Noire, with superb panoramic views of the Lauragais, the village of Dourgne and Sainte-Scholastique, places of worship (Quatre Saints) and magnificent pine forests.

Breathtaking panoramic views steeped in history and legend. 02/08/2023 Message from the moderator: Change to the route at point 11 to continue on thePR® and avoid En Crouzilles, which is private property.

A lovely climb up a steep gorge leads to the dry grasslands of the Désert de Saint-Ferréol, where La Capelette stands proudly overlooking a vast landscape.

This hike will allow you to discover the main attractions (granite rocks with surprising shapes) of Sidobre. Moderator's rating Some difficulties with orientation on this route, see reviews

A beautiful, easy walk between the plains and the mountains, in the bocage at the foot of the Montagne Noire, with superb views of the plains. See practical information.

This circuit combines the pleasures of walking with those of a picnic by the water. The Sidobre rocks are a curiosity worth discovering. Lac du Merle is a haven of peace and enchantment where you can relax in the summer heat. It is a beautiful spot with rocks rising out of the water, giving you the feeling of walking on air.

Nestled between Lake Galaube and Lake Laprade Basse, the Loubatière State Forest covers 450 hectares. It is located in the western part of the vast forest that covers the southern slope of the Montagne Noire in the Aude department. A single, completely wooded area, this forest, which ranges in altitude from 660 to 885 metres, forms the headwaters of the Linon stream. In autumn, it offers a dream setting for hikers in search of mushrooms and chestnuts, with the golden colours of oak, beech, birch and chestnut leaves carpeting the ground. This is the ideal playground for an easy walk starting from the hamlet of Cals Haut, part of the commune of Lacombe, between Saissac and Les Martys.

360 years ago, Pierre Paul Riquet had the trial trench for the Canal du Midi dug. The official purpose of this small diversion canal was to prove that large quantities of water could be brought from the Montagne Noire to the Naurouze threshold, where the planned navigation canal would have its "dividing point", its highest watercourse. However, for Riquet, the stakes were much higher: he also wanted to prove that he was fully capable of managing a project as large as the gigantic structure he had planned. To convince Colbert and the commission responsible for examining the feasibility of the project, he offered to finance the test canal himself and only be reimbursed if the objectives were achieved... Theoutcome proved this stubborn man right! This walk takes you on a journey of discovery to find traces of this "Rigole d'Essai" in the Alzeau valley, starting from the village of Lacombe. Parking is available opposite the town hall.

A refreshing walk in the Montagne Noire from the small village of Lacombe (11310) to the Ramondens national forest (Tarn) with a picnic stop near the retaining dyke of the St-Denis basin. Return via the right bank of the Alzeau and passage at the Prise d'Alzeau, source of the Canal du Midi, before climbing back up to Lacombe. Walk checked on 18/06/23. A few details have been added by the author

A circular route on the plateau above Arfons via the Croix des Fangasses, the Croix de Montalric and the Montalric orientation table. Magnificent view over the entire Revelois and Puylaurentais plains as well as the Pyrenees. GPS essential for this hike.

Semi-shaded route in the Montagne Noire, with beautiful views of the Revel and Puylaurens valley and the Pyrenees. Forest of fir, pine and beech trees, moors of ferns and ash trees. Little elevation gain. Most of this hike follows unmarked paths, even if you come across some markings. Only take these into account when they are mentioned in the description.

Pic de Nore is the highest point of the Montagne Noire (1,211 m). The climb is fairly easy from the typical village of Pradelles Cabardès. It mainly takes you through beech forests with views of moorland offering superb panoramas to the south over the Pyrenees and to the north over the Espinouse. In addition to the Pic de Nore, which offers a magnificent 360° view, this circuit allows you to visit the "Cabane d'Hélène" menhirs and the famous ice houses of Pradelles.

This region, between Mazamet and Castres, is extraordinary for its accumulation of granite boulders, left in all directions by nature. The walk is always sheltered from the sun and wind, and there is no tarmac. I am making an exception to my rule of ignoring the markings left on rocks and trees. This walk is well signposted, but only pay attention to the FFR markings. White and red lines for theGR® and yellow lines elsewhere.

Facing the Pic de Nore, which saw the Tour de France pass through in 2018, the wind turbines installed on Mont Sarrat and spread across the municipalities of Pradelles-Cabardès and Cabrespine immediately catch the eye. TheGR®36, coming from Pic de Nore, winds its way at the foot of the masts before plunging towards Carcassonne via the Pas de Montsarrat, an ancient "Roman" communication route. The short length of the route offers the opportunity to extend the hike along the lake (see practical information).

A fantastic hike starting from Lake Pradelles-Cabardès leading to Pic de Nore, the highest peak of the Montagne Noire, with its breathtaking 360° view stretching from Hérault to Tarn via Aude, Pyrénées Orientales, Ariège and Haute Garonne.

Three quarters of the hike is sheltered from the sun and wind by the beech forest (mainly). Wear good shoes as the trail is often muddy with some stream crossings that are more or less maintained. Foresters have cleared the trail, which creates some large puddles, but these can always be avoided by walking along the edges of the forest.

This is an easy hike, sheltered from the sun for 90% of the route. The hike can be done in either direction. You will be better sheltered from the sun if you follow the directions given here.

A lovely little walk from the Bassin de Saint-Denis to the Prise Alzeau and back along the stream.

The Clamoux, a small river and tributary of the Orbiel, rises on the slopes of Pic de Nore, the iconic peak of the Montagne Noire, where a Tour de France relay station stands. Following forest tracks, with climbs of varying difficulty, you arrive near the source of the Clamoux, a small stream at the start, which you follow on the right bank, off the marked trail, descending into the Soulanes de Nore National Forest to Laviale, which, along with six other hamlets, makes up the village of Castans.

On the watershed between the Aude and Tarn rivers, we follow in the footsteps of P.P. Riquet once again, discovering other water resources that enabled this self-taught engineer to demonstrate to the experts sent by Colbert the merits of his project to supply his Canal des Deux Mers. However, the forest remains present on this easy route, and Arfons, with its slate roofs, is a picturesque little village in the Haut-Languedoc Regional Nature Park.

The proximity of the lake for cooling off, the deciduous forest for a shaded walk and the very passable paths, despite a few fords along the route, ensure a very pleasant time even with children.