Villecun route via the Col de la Défriché and Lavalette

Park in the hikers’ car park at Villecun.

(S/E) Head north, following the road that climbs up to the Col de la Défriche.

(1) Turn left onto the^GR® and follow it until you reach a hairpin bend.

(2) Ignore a path on the right and take the bend to the left to continue along the^GR® until you reach a fork in the path.

(3) Carry on straight ahead, following the^GR® for a few kilometres until you reach another fork in the path after passing under an EDF power line three times.

(4) Ignore two paths on the right and continue along the^GR® which veers sharply left beneath the EDF power line. Reach the junction of the^GR® 653 and^{GR® 7}: Poteau Puech Garde.

(5) Continue straight ahead on the^GR®7, letting the^GR® 653 branch off completely to the right.

(6) At the bottom of the slope, ignore the path on the right marked with a cross (^GR®) and carry on straight ahead until you reach another junction.

(7) Turn left and begin the gradual descent, which is clearly marked in places, until you reach the junction with a tarmac road. Turn left onto this road for a few metres to join the D157E4 departmental road.

(8) Follow this road to the right as it winds down to the pretty village of Lavalette.

(8) On leaving the village, continue along the road to the bridge.

(10) Take the dirt track opposite the bridge, heading uphill. Continue along the shaded track through the holm oak woods, staying on the main path and ignoring any crossroads.

(11) Halfway along, on your left, you’ll come to a small cave chapel carved into a block of sandstone (Notre-Dame de Falgaret). Above the chapel, look out for an old beehive hollowed out of a tree trunk.

Continue on to Villecun to return to the car park (S/E).

Do not venture onto the cross-country paths, as they may lead to the numerous electrified horse paddocks.

Notre-Dame de Falgaret Chapel (Lavalette hamlet)
A small rock-hewn chapel carved out of a block of stone in 1860 by the last parish priest of Villecun (out of devotion or boredom? Probably both).
It is said that the abundant ferns in the surrounding area gave it the name Falgaret (which is the name of the hill on which it stands).
Source: http://www.randodoc.fr/?page_id=22213.