Chapel of Saint-Étienne de Braguse, former toll bridge at Gimel-les-Cascades

(S/E) Before leaving the car park at the crossroads of the Gimel-les-Cascades war memorial, take a moment to admire the valley where the three Gimel waterfalls flow and, further away, the fourth waterfall at a place called La Gour.
Head west on the D53E4 road towards the cemetery. Follow this road with great caution for about 400 metres.
At the building with the sign "Le Peintre", look towards the valley: you will see one of the waterfalls.
After an S-bend in the road where there is a house on each side of the road, look for a path on the left.

(1) Take this steeply descending path, which begins with a few steps made from tree trunks.
After the steps, the route continues along a steep, stony path (be careful of some stones that may roll).
Continue downhill until you reach a junction with a flat path.

(2) Turn left onto the path, which now descends at a much gentler gradient. The path approaches the Montane valley, which can be heard rumbling below during periods of high water.
Continue along the path until you reach a junction near the ruins of the chapel

(3) Take the path on the left uphill towards the porch of the Chapel of Saint-Étienne-de-Braguse. Visit the ruins of the chapel and enjoy the view of the lush green valley. Retrace your steps.

(3). (NB: the path leading off to the left at this point is narrow, grassy and quite slippery towards the Montane river before climbing back up towards Bourg-de-Gimel - the condition of the first section of this path makes it very difficult to walk on and is not recommended).
Take the path in the opposite direction, climbing gently towards the previous crossroads.

(2) Continue straight ahead on the flat path (leaving the path coming from the D53E4 road near the cemetery on your right).
The path runs alongside a stream (which may be intermittent). Further on, cross the stream and continue along the path uphill on the opposite slope.

Continue to the junction with a farm track coming from the D53E4 road on the right. Continue left along the farm track heading west. Further on, the grassy path crosses a small valley over a small dyke before climbing slightly.
It continues through the woods, crosses another small valley and eventually leads to a place called Espérut, which is served by a small road on the right.

(4) Cross the small road and take the path opposite, which descends alongside a small building (do not enter Espérut, which is private property).
The path quickly becomes stony and is in fairly poor condition due to logging in the valley below. In addition, during periods of heavy rain, one or two springs may appear and use the path as a bed.
Continue along the path, which passes under a high-voltage power line and eventually joins a forest road at a hairpin bend. Turn left onto this road and continue downhill for about fifty metres.

(5) Turn left onto a downhill path which soon makes a hairpin bend, then runs alongside an intermittent stream.
Further on, the path moves away from the stream and climbs slightly up a small spur overlooking the Montane or Gimelle river.

Immediately, the path descends to the riverbank, which the route crosses via a metal humpback bridge stabilised by a cable (those who are afraid of heights should not look down, as the bridge floor is made of openwork latticework).
The path climbs up the other bank along a small valley with a stream and passes under the high-voltage power line again.

(6) During the climb, turn left onto a gently sloping path, which then becomes steeper, towards the ruins of a mill at the Gour waterfall (the fourth waterfall in Gimel-les-Cascades).
The path leads to a clearing, ideal for a break under the trees by the water's edge. Turn right to go around the ruins of the mill and reach the riverbank for a beautiful view of the fourth waterfall. Be careful, as the ground can be slippery. Go back up to the previous junction.

(6) When you get there, turn left onto the steep path along a ridge beside a small valley. At the next junction, turn left, leaving the steep path opposite.
The path, which becomes less steep, heads towards the Chalet des Cascades. It crosses a valley with a stream, then joins a path on the left coming from the three waterfalls, just before reaching the Chalet des Cascades.

Take the Route des Cascades on the left towards the village of Gimel-les-Cascades until you reach a junction with a path on the right, just before the bridge over the Montane or Gimelle river.
At the junction, take a look at the Virgin of Saint-Dumine, also known as the Virgin of the Waterfalls, erected by Abbé Talin on 6 January 1868 overlooking the road.

Turn right onto the path that leads to the Fontaine Saint-Michel (on the ground) along the river. Formerly sacred, it was the site of pilgrimages.
Continue along the path towards Les Cascadelles. You can reach it by climbing down a metal ladder (no difficulty).

(7) The Cascadelles are on the right.
N.B: At this point, a modern bridge (metal and wood) crosses the Montane and a path on the other side leads to the ruins of the Château de Haute Roche and the lower part of the village of Gimel.
Continue along the same bank of the stream on a narrow path with stone steps in places.

Shortly afterwards, the path arrives at an old toll bridge, marked by a thatched-roof house. Cross the Montane on the bridge and join the road known as Le Bourg, at a right-angle bend.
Walk up the street towards the medieval part of the village of Gimel-les-Cascades.
Cross the village. When you reach the war memorial, take in the view from the garden of the Cure, which has been converted into a public space. Then head back up to the car park at the war memorial, which marks the end of this walk (S/E).

The car park is located at the war memorial: a small car park at the corner of the D53A4 road and the street known as "Le Bourg" (limited number of spaces). There is a drop-off point for coaches. Alternatively, there is a second car park near the school and town hall of Gimel-les-Cascades on the D53E5 road (car park) about 300 metres away.
There are public toilets under the Monument aux Morts car park.

This hike covers varied terrain and requires suitable footwear (high-top shoes recommended). Bear in mind the humidity of the valley where the waterfalls are located and the steep, rocky path. This hike is not recommended for very young children and is not accessible to pushchairs.

This route is partially unmarked, although most of it is marked with yellow signs. It is advisable to follow the directions in the description and on the map, while also reading the landscape.

Hike completed by the author on 29 May 2018

Variation
A short hike is possible by going to and from the Chapel of Saint-Étienne-de-Braguse, a distance of 2.8 km.

Gimel-les-Cascades
The Gimel Waterfalls are one of the main tourist attractions in Limousin. They consist of a series of three waterfalls on the Montane, a tributary of the Corrèze, located in the commune of Gimel-les-Cascades, eleven kilometres north-east of Tulle. In 1912, the site was one of the first natural sites to be classified in France.
The three falls are the Grand Saut (45 m), the Redole (27 m) and the highest, the Queue de Cheval, which plunges more than 60 m into the Inferno chasm.
They are located on private property, the Parc Vuillier. They can be accessed via a bar-ticket office and then a footpath. The route takes about an hour. A fourth waterfall is located downstream from the park.
It was Gaston Vuillier who made the Gimel waterfalls famous at the end of the 19th century and campaigned for their preservation.

The church
The Church of Saint-Pardoux dates from the 15th century; it has a bell tower and is best known for its treasure, which is housed in a small room to the left as you enter.
The treasure consists of several pieces, including:
- a 12th-century Limoges enamel shrine containing the relics of Saint Stephen. It has been classified as a historical monument since 1891. It is protected behind thick glass, as it was stolen and then recovered.
- a repoussé and chiselled silver reliquary bust of Saint Dumine dating from the 15th century, in another display case.
Also worth seeing in the church:
- 13th-century frescoes decorating the choir,
- a 15th-century Pietà.

The ruins of the castle
Only ruins remain of the castle known as La Roche Haute overlooking the village; in 1594, it was the scene of a siege by the royal army against the Lord of Gimel, who was forced to surrender. The castle was demolished on this occasion.

The Church of Saint-Étienne-de-Braguse
Downstream from the waterfalls, overlooking a bend in the Montane river, are the remains of the Church of Saint-Étienne-de-Braguse, built in the 6th century, then a parish church in the 12th century and deconsecrated in the 18th century. It has been listed as a historic monument since 1926.

Other sites and monuments
On the main square of the village, the tiny chapel of Notre-Dame du Rosaire (or des Pénitents blancs) was built in the 18th century. It is decorated with a large painting depicting the Lamentation of Christ, which bears the inscription "Adèle de Kérado d'après Carrache" in the lower left-hand corner. Also in the village, a 13th-century style cross was installed by the municipality in 1865. Another remarkable cross can also be found in the cemetery located 500 metres from the village.

Upstream from the waterfalls, the Montane river flows around the village to the east. An old toll bridge is flanked by a thatched-roof house. Downstream from this bridge, the Cascadelles site features a stream that joins the Montane after a small waterfall. On the edge of Vuillier Park, a statue of the Virgin and Child overlooks the Grand Saut waterfall.

After the three major waterfalls at the cascade site, the Montane rushes into the Gimel valley, where there is a fourth waterfall known as La Gour.