Route of the steles of the Vaysse maquis

A lovely walk that combines the pleasure of walking with a sense of remembrance. You will follow in the footsteps of those very young resistance fighters who stood up to the Nazi occupation and gave their lives for our freedom.
Thank you to: Mario, Charles, Athos, Edouard, Raymond, Léon, André, Jacques, Jean, Marcel, Guy Jules, Gaston.....
Lest we forget.

Details

1030311
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.17 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 45 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 382 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 388 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 369 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 187 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Car park at the church in Orgnac-sur-Vézère.

(S/E) Walk past the church and take the street on the left, then immediately left again to join the D148.

(1) Turn right until you reach the Chemin de Rouffignac.

(2) Leave the road and continue along the path on the right until the next junction.

(3) Turn left, then at the next junction, turn right onto the track that will take you to the village of Rouffignac.

(4) Turn right and cross the farm between the cattle sheds, where you can see a fine herd of Limousin cattle. Continue straight on to the end of the buildings and take the path that crosses a meadow before entering a wood and begins the descent to the maquis trail.

(5) Turn left, then a little further on, left again to explore the remains of the maquis camp known as Les Coutilles.

(6) Retrace your steps.

(5) Turn left to head down to the Loyre stream.

(7) Cross the Loyre via the metal bridge and turn right to follow the stream upstream. Then, keep the Loyre on your right as you begin the winding climb towards the Stèle de Mario.

(8) Turn right for a short detour of about ten metres, then continue the climb to reach a clearing (viewpoint over the Puy d’Yssandon). Take the path on the right and continue straight on to pass through the hamlet of Bois de Pény, then that of Renardin, and carry on straight until you reach the Garédie stele.

(9) Retrace your steps towards Le Renardin and take the first path on the left. Walk down to the old bridge spanning the Pont Sauvé stream, ignoring a path on the right and then another on the left as the path curves; cross the bridge and join the D9E2, which you follow to the right. Cross the bridge over the Loyre and admire the beautifully restored Moulin de la Peyrade.

(10) Follow the path climbing up to your left until you reach the road, cross it and take the path opposite, slightly to the left, which will take you back to the village of Orgnac-sur-Vézère at the Place de l’Église (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 303 m - Church Square
  2. 1 : km 0.26 - alt. 292 m - Junction with the D148
  3. 2 : km 0.43 - alt. 304 m - Rouffignac Path
  4. 3 : km 0.83 - alt. 315 m - Turn left at the junction
  5. 4 : km 1.82 - alt. 369 m - The village of Rouffignac
  6. 5 : km 3.02 - alt. 235 m - Maquis trail
  7. 6 : km 3.48 - alt. 236 m - Les Coutilles
  8. 7 : km 4.16 - alt. 190 m - Crossing the Loyre
  9. 8 : km 5.33 - alt. 295 m - Mario’s memorial stone
  10. 9 : km 6.72 - alt. 346 m - La Garédie Stele
  11. 10 : km 8.33 - alt. 227 m - La Peyrade Mill
  12. S/E : km 9.17 - alt. 303 m - Church Square

Worth a visit

Coutilles Maquis Camp.
Mario’s memorial stone.
La Garédie memorial.
The Sauvé Bridge.
La Peyrade Mill.
Saint Martial Church (15th century) 17th-century murals. Stained-glass windows by Father Kim En Joong.

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 4 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.5 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
viking79
viking79

Overall rating : 4 / 5

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

Perhaps it gets busy in the summer?
The only downside is that the circular pattern intersects with two others, which can be confusing.

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JF Gourseyrol
JF Gourseyrol

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 27, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant, shaded route, well signposted, except at point 5 where we couldn’t find the remains of the Maquis camp.

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Celineetfrederic
Celineetfrederic

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 05, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A fantastic hike combining beautiful scenery, local history and a good workout (some steep hills). We highly recommend it!
We did this walk on a weekday and only came across two other walkers. On the downside, the quarry was in operation (a bit noisy).
The path leading to the maquis is a bit steep.

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balou17
balou17

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 31, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A really lovely hike. Well worth a go if you’re in the area. Don’t follow the yellow markings; stick to the spot-on guide instead.
The path is clear of tree trunks, but they’ve been replaced by motorbikes, quads and even 4x4s. Avoid the weekend if you want to make it back in one piece!!!

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