Cathar castle of Roquefixade

A pleasant walk in the hills above Roquefixade, near Foix. Passing by its Cathar castle and the Grotte de l'Église Catholique, used to celebrate Mass during the French Revolution.
A varied route: heath, woods and clearings.
Suitable for families, but caution is advised along the cliff ridge.

Details

11890102
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 7.82 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 489 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 489 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 979 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 633 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Access via Foix, N20 towards Tarascon, at junction 12 take the D117, after 8.5 km turn left onto the D709 towards Leychert and D9a to Roquefixade. Park in the car park in the central square (town hall, church).

(S/E) With your back to the church, cross the car park on the north side and take the path opposite. Follow it to the first intersection.

(1) Take the path on the right and climb up to the next crossroads. Turn right onto the path that leads to the castle. From here until you enter the forest, be careful of the steep cliffs.

(2) From the castle, retrace your steps and turn right. Follow the ridge, pass Roc de la Lauzade and Roc Marot, then descend into the forest.

(3) Follow the path to the right to the Grotte de l'Église Catholique. Be careful, it is located 20 metres to the left of the path. To avoid missing it, follow the GPS track.

(4) Continue downhill through the forest until you reach a track.

(5) Cross the track, walk along the hedge opposite on the left for about 25 metres, then take the path on the left towards Le Grézat. Continue to the crossroads at an altitude of 650 metres.

(6) Contrary to the IGN map, the correct route is the path on the left.
Otherwise, continue straight ahead for about 150 m and turn left at the crossroads, as shown on the map.

(7) When you reach the field fence, cross it and turn left. Further on, cross the fence again.

Please note: contrary to what is shown on the IGN map, there is no longer a path. You must climb directly into the woods.

(8) Find theGR® Pays d'Olmes trail and turn right. When you leave the forest, continue straight ahead, then turn left to reach the fork in the trail from the outward journey.

(1) Descend straight down to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 768 m - Central square: town hall, church, car park
  2. 1 : km 0.52 - alt. 833 m - Common crossroads A/R
  3. 2 : km 0.84 - alt. 874 m - Roquefixade Castle
  4. 3 : km 2.22 - alt. 919 m - Crossroads
  5. 4 : km 2.67 - alt. 869 m - Grotte de l'Église Catholique en Pays Cathare
  6. 5 : km 3.34 - alt. 811 m - Crossroads
  7. 6 : km 4.7 - alt. 648 m - Crossroads
  8. 7 : km 5 - alt. 660 m - Crossroads
  9. 8 : km 5.24 - alt. 714 m - GR de Pays d'Olmes
  10. S/E : km 7.82 - alt. 768 m - Central square: town hall, church, car park

Notes

Completed on 19/07/2021 in 4 hours. Can be done in 3 hours by taking the right route (6).
Be careful when arriving at the castle and along the ridge. Stay well back from the edge of the cliffs.
Except for the first and last parts, the entire hike takes place in the forest, sheltered from the sun.

There are 12 hiking trails in the area. These trails are numbered along their entire length. Here is the link to their description: The 12 marked trails. A booklet is also available for purchase at the Roquefixade stopover lodge and at the tourist offices in Lavelanet, Foix and Mirepoix. However, it is not really necessary to have this booklet. Follow the description and, if in doubt, the GPS track is sufficient.

Worth a visit

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 12 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
JM58
JM58

Thank you for your comment.
I'm glad you enjoyed the walk.

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Michel-F1TFX
Michel-F1TFX

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 27, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : Not used / Not applicable
Very busy route : Yes

The remarkable undergrowth, in this winter season, has few or no leaves, but the moss-covered trunks are very beautiful. Be careful, however, as the entire northern section is particularly wet and there are many slippery spots. I note in the comments: not very busy. This was not the case yesterday, 26 January, when there were more hikers than on the greenways (Vernajoul > Labouiche, for example).

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JM58
JM58

Thank you for your comment.
I'm glad you enjoyed the walk.

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BERNARDDECARBONNE
BERNARDDECARBONNE

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 29, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful place filled with the energy of the forest and stones.

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JM58
JM58

Thank you for your comment.
I'm glad you enjoyed the hike.

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Bouconne VTT
Bouconne VTT

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 04, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The hike offers magnificent views of the Ariège Pyrenees at the start and end of the route. The rest of the trail is shaded, which is ideal for hot summer days. The direction of the hike is well chosen as the descents are gentle (it is advisable to avoid the reverse route). The castle is worth a visit, provided that the goats do not block access.

As for the route, I neglected to consult the comments before setting off from point 6 to point 8, a rather epic section marked by a loss of bearings after the clearing (where the fence is located). You have to hang on tight to reach the GRP. To top it all off, a tree fell just after point 6. In addition, the IGN maps are confusing in terms of GRP markings. In short, it is best to ignore point 7.

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JM58
JM58

Ailesdange31,
Thank you for the additional photos.

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JM58
JM58

Thank you for your comment.
I'm glad you enjoyed the hike.

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Ailesdange31
Ailesdange31

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 29, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very quiet route (I only passed two couples coming in the opposite direction). It was my first hike with elevation gain and I don't regret doing it! I discovered some magnificent scenery in the middle of summer. I made the mistake of not cutting directly from stage 6 to 8. The result: I got lost in the forest... But I managed to find the trail again, not without difficulty. When the terrain was suitable, I was able to jog a little, which was very pleasant (at the third and fourth kilometres). Thank you for this hiking idea, I really enjoyed it.

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JM58
JM58

Thank you for your comment.
This is exactly what is described in the information sheet under "Caution" in point 7. The GR is not up to date.

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FRAMBOISE4
FRAMBOISE4
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 10, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Hello
It is sometimes necessary and even essential not to add to an already precarious situation. At the point (7), there is no need to complicate matters by crossing fences or unmarked paths. Simply follow path No. 6 of the municipality's signposting. It returns without difficulty or possible interpretation to Roquefixade. Bearing in mind that the path initially described does not offer anything interesting to see and, above all, takes you through undergrowth that is conducive to ticks, which are prevalent in the region. So be careful when going off-trail.

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JM58
JM58

Thank you for your comment.
I'm glad you enjoyed the walk.

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bolies
bolies

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 24, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

a very well-marked route that intersects with other routes...
easy ridge line with superb views of the Olmes mountains. The forest route is very well maintained

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JM58
JM58

Indeed, that's a very good idea!

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landozarzi
landozarzi

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 16, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We have combined this route with the following to complete ithttps://www.visorando.com/randonnee-les-
This addition makes it a very comprehensive route.
At this point, we recommend following the return route of the waterfall route by following the path between 8 and 9, the large circular route corresponding to the GR de Pays d'Olmes.

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The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.