Route of the Five Churches from Esquièze-Sère

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On this route, there are five 11th- and 12th-century churches to see:
- The 12th-century Church of Saint-Julien in Sazos.
- The churches of Saint John the Baptist and Saint Nicholas in Esquièze-Sère: listed historic monuments from the 11th century. One is in the basilica style, whilst the other houses ancient chapels. Visits in July/August, 4pm–6pm.
- The 12th-century Saint-Michel Church in Vizos.
- The Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Saligos, dating from the 12th century.

Details

n°23322315
Creation:
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 8.40 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 416 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 407 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 840 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 632 m
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Description of the walk

Departure from the Résidence le Clos Saint-Michel, Esquièze - Sère.

(S/E) Head north then turn right towards the church in Esquièze. Go down the steps to Place de l’Arole. Walk past Esquièze Town Hall.

(1) Cross the Pont de Luz and continue along Rue du Cotillon until you reach a fork.

(2) Head to the Templar Church by turning left. Return to the fork.

(2) Turn left into Rue de la Poste. Then take Rue de la Forge and then Rue de la Lanne towards the Cévéo holiday village. At the end of the dead-end road, take the footbridge on your right. Turn right onto the grassy path to the playground and you’ll reach the car park at Sassis Church.

(3) With your back to the church, take the D12 on your right for 50 metres. Go up the street on the left. Cross the canal and continue on the tarmac. Cross the stream via the bridge and climb the old path to the Calvary, Croix Saint-Vincent. Follow the road on the right for 120 metres. Reach the village of Sazos.

(4) At the town hall, turn right and leave the church on your right. Walk through the village to take the road to Aybas at the bottom of the village.

(5) A sign for Saligos marks the start of the path. After 200 m you will come to some barns. You will soon see the village of Saligos; continue between the stone walls until you reach the D921.

(6) Cross the road and then cross the river via a footbridge. Head back up to the village of Saligos. Once in the town hall square, head towards the church on the right.

(7) Continue along the road for 80 m. Leave it to take a path that climbs to the left. Cross the stream and continue along the winding path to a small road at the entrance to the hamlet of Vizos.

(8) Then turn right and walk past the fountain. Admire the brass head of a harvest goddess. At the bottom of the village, take the path. You’ll pass a second fountain: the path winds through a wood to the Plateau de la Couture.

(9) Turn left onto the road leading to the church at Sère. After 200 m, continue straight on along the road that climbs back up to the Résidence le Clos Saint-Michel (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 692 m - Car park - Le Clos Saint-Michel residence
  2. 1 : km 0.83 - alt. 709 m - Bastan (cours d'eau) - Affluent du Gave de Gavarnie
  3. 2 : km 1.05 - alt. 713 m - Access to the - Église Saint-André (Luz-Saint-Sauveur)
  4. 3 : km 2.7 - alt. 662 m - Église Notre-Dame de l'Assomption (Sassis)
  5. 4 : km 3.82 - alt. 834 m - Église Saint-Julien (Sazos)
  6. 5 : km 4.23 - alt. 787 m - Turn-off towards Saligos
  7. 6 : km 4.89 - alt. 638 m - Crossing the D921 - Gave de Pau
  8. 7 : km 5.54 - alt. 675 m - Église Saint-Pierre et Saint-Paul (Saligos)
  9. 8 : km 6.22 - alt. 808 m - Access to the - Église Saint-Michel (Vizos)
  10. 9 : km 6.88 - alt. 714 m - Road - Junction
  11. 10 : km 8.09 - alt. 711 m - Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste (Sère)
  12. S/E : km 8.4 - alt. 692 m - Car park - Le Clos Saint-Michel residence

Notes

Moderator’s note: See alternative suggestion in rickrox33’s review dated 15/07/2022

Worth a visit

Along the way... don’t miss:
- The 12th-century Saint-Julien Church in Sazos.
- The churches of Saint-Jean Baptiste and Saint-Nicolas in Esquièze-Sère: listed historic monuments from the 11th century. One is in the basilica style, whilst the other houses ancient chapels. Visits in July/August, 4pm–6pm.
- the 12th-century Saint-Michel Church in Vizos.
- The Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Saligos, dating from the 12th century.

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 6 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.8 / 5
Route interest
3.7 / 5
User 20232843

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 04, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Too bad, only one in five churches is open.

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Le Taurupt
Le Taurupt

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 06, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Of the seven churches on the circuit (see rickrox33's list), six of which are Romanesque, only one is completely open (Luz, Saint André Church), and the interior of the one in Vizos can be seen through a grille. The others are closed, right in the middle of tourist season!
It's very disappointing, especially since recent signs detail all the beautiful things you could see if it were open...

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lucile.mercadal
lucile.mercadal

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 14, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Short walk to discover the surrounding villages

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TOISJ
TOISJ

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 25, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful walk, shame that three out of five churches were closed.

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DESMARIE
DESMARIE

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 12, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

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landozarzi
landozarzi

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 19, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

This route is highly recommended and particularly interesting from a cultural perspective, with churches open in summer, some from 4pm to 6.30pm thanks to volunteers, others permanently. Sassis Church is closed.
Magnificent altarpieces by cabinetmakers and sculptors Soustre, Ferrere, Claverie and Brunello: the cream of Pyrenean artists who have enhanced these charming little churches with their talent.
Most of the villages also boast architectural highlights (wash houses, pretty houses, mills, etc.).

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grandin
grandin ★

rickrox33

Thank you for suggesting these alternatives.

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rickrox33
rickrox33

Hello,
Regarding this very accurate and reliable guide, I have just one comment and one suggestion.
The comment: the title is "five churches route...", when in fact it passes by SEVEN churches (Esquièze, Luz, Sassis, Sazos, Saligos, Vizos and Sère).
Suggestion: if you have an extra couple of hours, you can see three other churches.
From the church known as "des Templiers", do not take Rue de la Poste, but instead, opposite the square, take Rue Era Pachero and then Rue Sainte-Barbe, where you will find the small chapel of the same name.
After the Pont de l'Egalité bridge (over the Yse), turn right to the Solferino chapel (a great viewpoint over Luz, the Bastan valley and the Pic du Midi).
From there, go around the chapel and take the path on the left below, which joins the Gavarnie road (be careful when driving!). Follow it to the Pont Napoléon bridge, cross it and head for the spa town of Saint-Sauveur, passing in front of the Saint-Joseph church.
Cross Saint-Sauveur and, at the roundabout, head towards Sassis, passing alongside the "castle" (hydroelectric plant), to reach point 2 on the map.
Enjoy your walk.

Best regards.
Erick

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