Route of nature and heritage around the Rance starting from Pousthomy

Starting from the small village of Pousthomy, this walk alternates between sections through woodland and along the ridge, where the view opens up to 360°. In terms of heritage, the Monastery of Notre-Dame d’Orient at the start of the route, three menhir statues along the way and a visit to Combret at its remarkable site will delight lovers of beautiful stonework and provide an excellent addition to this nature walk.

Details

804294
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 18.60 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 7h 10 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 638 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 640 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 591 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 319 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park on the esplanade in front of Combret cemetery, which is located on the edge of the D33.

(S/E) Start the walk by turning left at the cemetery (wooden sign with a menhir statue) to see the small megalith by the path just after the first bend.

Return to the D33, cross with care and follow the tarmac road opposite until you reach the junction with the cul-de-sac leading to a few houses on the left.

PR®® Yellow markings

Turn right onto a wide grassy path that descends gently.

No markings

At the first junction, let thePR®® head left and continue straight on. At the second (not shown on the IGN map), turn left and continue to a road (D91) which you reach at a small high-voltage transformer.

YellowPR®® signposting

(1) Follow this road to the left for about 350m. Leave it and take a narrow path that starts on the left and crosses through dense undergrowth before joining a small tarmac road (picnic area opposite). Turn left towards the Monastery of Notre-Dame d’Orient and note, as you pass, the second menhir statue on the left.

No signposting

(2) Turn left to walk alongside the monastery (you can stop at the beautiful chapel, which is open to visitors). Continue along the road to the right, which descends towards the Rance and runs alongside it before crossing it via a concrete bridge that looks rather out of place in the landscape. At the junction (rubbish bins), ignore the road opposite leading to Les Lauzes and turn right.

(3) At the end of the first bend, leave the road and take a wide, grassy path on the left that climbs steeply. At the first fork (not shown on the IGN map), facing a meadow, turn left. Do the same at the next one, which is also not shown on the map. At the third, take a sharp right-hand bend and, after a sharp left-hand bend, reach a junction where two paths branch off to the right (elevation 416).

(4) Take the second path, which goes uphill, and arrive at a wide fork on the edge of the woods facing a large meadow.

PR®® Yellow markings

Turn left onto thePR®® and you will soon reach a crossroads with four paths.

No markings

Let thePR®® continue straight ahead and turn left onto a wide grassy path.

(5) Just as this path begins a sharp left-hand descent (the IGN map is incorrect here), leave it and follow a less obvious track to the right through a wood of oak, beech and conifers.

(6) Where the path turns sharply right at a 90° angle to begin a steep climb (the IGN map is incorrect here too), continue straight on along a path whose start is partially obscured by vegetation. After a particularly muddy section (as of September 2017), the path suddenly widens and leads to a clearing where several paths cross. Continue straight on and exit the woods onto a field, which you must follow before reaching a small tarmac road. Turn right until you reach the junction where the path meets thePR®® you left earlier.

PR®® Yellow markings

(7) Turn left onto the wide track, which follows the ridge for a long while, offering beautiful views to the south over the Rance valley.

No markings

(8) At the edge of a wooded area, turn right onto a wide grassy path which joins a tarmac road just by the menhir statue of Saint-Léonce.

YellowPR®® markings

(9) Turn right for a few metres, then turn left onto the signposted path that runs alongside the old Saint-Léonce Church, which is almost in ruins and now on private property. The path becomes stony (watch your ankles as the stones give way underfoot), turns right just after crossing a small bridge and leads to a wide, compacted track.

(10) Take a short detour to the right to enjoy a beautiful view of the village of Combret, which is now very close. Turn back, continue straight on to the road and follow it to the right. Turn left at the Fork in the road towards the castle ruins. At the top of the hill, turn left again and continue down the slope, walking alongside the cemetery, which is situated on the right, higher up.

Take the steps on the right leading to the forecourt of the Church of Saint John the Baptist (12th century), which was unfortunately closed when I visited (September 2017). Enjoy the lovely view over the village rooftops, return to the street and continue down the slope past a few stately homes to reach a small square with a fountain.

(11) Cross this square towards the statue of the Virgin Mary, then take a cobbled alleyway on the left. Once on Rue du Serre, turn left towards the covered market, then turn right downhill at the corner to come out onto Rue du Barry. Turn right towards the lower part of the village and the bridge over the Rance. Cross the bridge and follow the road for about 350 metres.

(12) Turn left onto a narrow, stony path that begins a steady climb through the woods.

(13) At the junction with a wide grassy path, take the narrow path straight ahead and slightly to the right, which descends gently to the road linking Combret to Saint-Maurice (D91).

No signposting

(14) Follow this road to the left, taking the usual precautions. Over long stretches, it is possible to use the well-mown verge on the right (as of September 2017) to avoid the tarmac. Pass through Saint-Maurice and continue along the road, which takes a sharp bend to the right.

(15) About 400m further on, at the start of a right-hand bend, leave the road and take a narrow, very inconspicuous path on the left (not shown on the IGN map). This path climbs through the undergrowth to reach the road leading to the hamlet of Ségézy.

(16) Turn right and follow this road to the junction with the D91. Turn right.

(1) Turn left onto the wide grassy path from the start and head back to the village (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 463 m - Esplanade of Pousthomy Cemetery
  2. 1 : km 1.28 - alt. 454 m - D91, turn right
  3. 2 : km 2.25 - alt. 348 m - Notre-Dame d'Orient. Towards the - Rance (rivière) - Affluant du Tarn
  4. 3 : km 3.52 - alt. 341 m - Grassy path on the left
  5. 4 : km 4.24 - alt. 417 m - Crossroads, second path on the right
  6. 5 : km 5.07 - alt. 465 m - Path on the right
  7. 6 : km 5.36 - alt. 490 m - Junction, straight ahead
  8. 7 : km 6.12 - alt. 547 m - Road/path junction, left
  9. 8 : km 7.35 - alt. 588 m - Grassy path on the right
  10. 9 : km 8.21 - alt. 534 m - Menhir statue of Sainte-Léonce
  11. 10 : km 9.48 - alt. 401 m - Vehicle-accessible track
  12. 11 : km 10.84 - alt. 385 m - Square with a fountain
  13. 12 : km 11.41 - alt. 374 m - Path on the left
  14. 13 : km 12.48 - alt. 480 m - Crossroads, opposite
  15. 14 : km 13.55 - alt. 365 m - D91, left
  16. 15 : km 16.46 - alt. 363 m - Path on the left
  17. 16 : km 16.96 - alt. 481 m - Road, to the right
  18. S/E : km 18.6 - alt. 464 m - Esplanade of Pousthomy Cemetery

Notes

Hikers wishing to complete this circular route should be aware that it includes sections on tarmac roads.

The walk often overlaps with thePR®® Combret circular route, provided by the village tourist office. This may confuse some walkers and requires careful attention. This is particularly true for the following unmarked sections.

Between (3) and (4), there are two junctions not shown on the IGN map.
(5) Do not miss the narrow but very well-marked path on the right just as the path you have been following so far veers left.
(6) Approximate WPT location due to poor GPS reception, but it is difficult to miss the steep slope on the right. Watch out for the path to follow opposite, which is partially hidden by vegetation.

The path between (9) and (10) is steep, narrow and stony. The same applies to the first few hundred metres after (12) and (15). This is why it is strongly recommended to wear high-top hiking boots that provide good ankle support. Walking poles will also be useful.

You will temporarily leave the yellowPR®® markings whilst visiting Combret. As this section is very short, it is not mentioned in the route description.

A shortcut is possible in low water conditions after (2): where the route runs alongside the Rance, you can avoid crossing the bridge by taking the embankment on the right before rejoining the road on the other side of the river.

Worth a visit

Menhir statues: three are featured on this walk. The first is in Pousthomy, at the start, the second just before the Monastery of Notre-Dame d’Orient, and the third in Saint-Léonce. For those who would like to find out more about these monuments, follow this link: menhir statues

Combret

Notre-Dame d'Orient Monastery

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 / 5
Based on 3 reviews

Reliability of the description
3.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
3.7 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
jab31
jab31

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 18, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello,

I have re-done this route in a beautiful region, taking the shorter version: crossing the Rance opposite Le Ran via the footbridge and climbing up to the ridge from Le Grès towards Lébès.
From the Notre Dame d’Orient chapel towards Saint Maurice, it is easier to follow a lovely path along the riverbank.

I’ll describe this alternative route soon.

Thanks for the original route!

Jab31

Machine-translated

jab31
jab31

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 01, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello,

A walk offering magnificent views over the Rance Valley and southern Aveyron. Passes through the pretty village of Combret.

One issue on the route: after point 4, at the first junction, the path leading left into the woods is no longer permitted: between points 6 and 6, a chain blocks the path with a sign reading ‘private property – no trespassing’.
At the junction, stay on the stony path between the fields to reach Layrolle, where you’ll rejoin the route!
At point 14, you can avoid about 400m of tarmac road by continuing along the path that descends towards the Rance, without reaching it, and turning left to rejoin the D 91.

A very lovely walk, then, though a bit too much tarmac at the end!

Thanks for this route!

Jab31

Machine-translated

bisonrouge
bisonrouge

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 25, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

At certain points, it’s hard to find your way, especially off the beaten track.
The return journey on the road wasn’t pleasant.
Beautiful, undulating countryside

Machine-translated

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