Snail trails starting from Rocamadour

The magnificent Vallée des Moulins. A 19 km route presenting no major difficulties. Spectacular landscapes, natural curiosities and, everywhere amidst the arid, barren countryside, evidence of man’s struggle to survive there.
GPS essential

Details

24885
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.97 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 6h 30 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 1,175 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 1,175 ft

  • ▲
    Highest point: 906 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 341 ft
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ City: Rocamadour (46500)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 44.805246° / E 1.626418°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 2136ET, 2137E, 2137O
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Description of the walk

Park in the village of L’Hospitalet, north-east of Rocamadour.
Note: The first part of the walk descends through the dry Alzou valley (be careful, as it does occasionally carry water)

(S/E) Follow theGR®®6(red and white markings). The tarmac path turns into a limestone-gravel track, then, after a small bridge, becomes tarmac again and climbs the left-hand side of the valley to reach the Croix du Crouzol or Col de Magès, the boundary between the Ouysse and Alzou valleys.

(1) Continue along theGR®®, heading for the left bank of the Ouysse. A path branching off to the right at a ‘no entry’ sign provides a shortcut to the hamlet of La Fage.
From the Col de Magès, head down towards the Cabouy resurgence along the tarmac road. From Cabouy, keeping to the right bank of the Ouysse, climb a little higher to rejoin theGR®®6. This route follows the river as it climbs, then becomes a path that descends to the Caoulet mill, which you must cross. The path becomes tarmacked and, at the road leading to the Peyre mill on the opposite bank, crosses the Alzou (a stream from Rocamadour).

(2) Before crossing this bridge, you can visit the reconstructed ‘loge’ sheltered by the cliff. You then pass under a half-timbered dovecote, the remains – along with a few walls – of a former farm. This tarmac path leads onto a road, the D673. Turn left for about 300 metres, then turn right at the next junction. Follow the Ouysse valley along its right bank to reach the .
Walk past the mill and you’ll soon come to a crossroads of footpaths.

(3) Leave theGR®®6, which heads towards the Moulin de la Treille, and follow the small tarmac road that climbs to the right.
At the end of a wide bend, take the path on the right which climbs up onto the plateau. Follow this path until you reach a wider track, level with a restored house (well worth a look).
Turn left. When you reach a road, continue left again towards the Vitalie farm.

(4) Leave it on your right. A little further on, in a large, open grassy clearing, look for the path on the right that descends into a wooded valley; continue to the bottom of the descent.

(5) Turn 180° to the right and follow the valley floor. At the road further on, turn right onto a path that climbs back up to the plateau (the slope is steep). Turn left and you’ll reach the hamlet of La Gardelle.

(6) At the tarmac road, turn right, then left at the next junction, and then left again to find a path lined with dry stone walls that winds its way down. Pass through a farm, with a house on the right and a barn and stable on the left.
Halfway up the slope of a barren valley, a small spring converted into a wash house blocks the path: Font Capel.
Head back up the opposite side, but turn right to discover the beautiful, well-restored fountain at Font Basse. Join the path again by heading up to the left of the fountain. You’ll reach a junction marked by a carved boundary stone. A few steps to the left is the Font Haute spring, which is less well-maintained than the other two.

(7) Turn right and walk uphill to a cross-path which, on the right, leads to the hamlet of La Fage. Turn left, walk past a stopover lodge and arrive at a crossroads; continue to the left. Cross over and take the wide path on the right. You’ll come out onto the D673.

(8) Cross the road and follow a well-marked path between two walls (look out for the snail).
When you reach Marcayou, turn right. You’ll arrive above Rocamadour, with the castle and the Rocher des Aigles on your right.

(9) Turn left onto the Route du Château (also the D20) and head towards the junction with Rue de la Barthe Flouquet. Turn right onto this street; you’ll soon come to Rue de la Balme just before the post office.

(10) Turn left onto this street, then turn right onto Rue de l’Hospitalet to return to the car park where you started (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 846 ft - Car park in the village of L’Hospitalet
  2. 1 : mi 2.72 - alt. 535 ft - Col de Magès or - Croix du Crouzol (Rocamadour)
  3. 2 : mi 4.57 - alt. 348 ft - Moulin de la Peyre - Alzou (rivière)
  4. 3 : mi 5.91 - alt. 354 ft - Crossroads after the fortified mill at Cougnaguet - Ouysse (rivière)
  5. 4 : mi 7.12 - alt. 853 ft - Ferme de la Vitalie
  6. 5 : mi 7.77 - alt. 814 ft - 180° turn
  7. 6 : mi 8.84 - alt. 827 ft - La Gardelle
  8. 7 : mi 9.52 - alt. 584 ft - Font Haute Spring
  9. 8 : mi 10.57 - alt. 866 ft - D673
  10. 9 : mi 11.25 - alt. 869 ft - Rocher des Aigles
  11. 10 : mi 11.66 - alt. 860 ft - Crossroads before the Post Office - Grotte des Merveilles (Rocamadour)
  12. S/E : mi 11.97 - alt. 843 ft - Car park in the village of L’Hospitalet

Notes

Allow 5 hours for the walk, wearing sturdy footwear.
Best avoided during periods of extreme heat.

Worth a visit

(3) Cougnaguet Mill: This mill is still in working order and can be visited during the warmer months. With a bit of luck, you might be treated to a demonstration.
It was built inthe 14th century by the Cistercian monks of Alix Abbey, near Rocamadour. Isolated at the bottom of the valley, it was vulnerable to attacks by raiders. It features arrow slits on the façade and a hydraulic defence system.
A very popular tourist region, with plenty of campsites and hotels to choose from.
Rocamadour

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

4.1 / 5
Based on 28 reviews

Reliability of the description
4 / 5
Ease of following the route
3.8 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
pascal6208
pascal6208

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 11, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk, well signposted with snail-shaped signposts

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lotois
lotois

Lotois would like to thank you.
At my advanced age, I can no longer do it.
To avoid any problems, download the route in GPX format and load it onto a GPS device.
Over time, the carved snails have become less visible.
lotois from https://randonnees-lotoises.net

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Lolotte 46
Lolotte 46

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 08, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A wonderful hike

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FIRST235QR
FIRST235QR

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 10, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

a very beautiful hike along the Azlou and Ouisse rivers. The return trip to the plateau is less interesting, with a difficult passage and paths that are not easy to find.

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Celineetfrederic
Celineetfrederic

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 11, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful walk in arid terrain. We even saw fields of lavender.
Not to be done in the heat of the day; we set off at 8 o'clock in the morning and I still got sunburnt.
Also not to be attempted without a GPS. The route has changed since the post was written.
From L'Hospitalet, follow the GR 6, which descends via the holy path to a gate/entrance to Rocamadour. Continue down the metal stairs that lead to the lower car park. After the two flights of steps, continue right on the GR6 to the cross at the Col de Magès, then follow the road. At a fork, continue on the path. Keep following the GR6 and, after the Caoulet mill, follow the road to the left, then to the right towards "Moulin de Cougnaguet"
After this mill, leave the GR6 and take the road on the right.
first difficulty: the path "at the end of a large bend" indicated by the GPS no longer exists. Continue along the road, then take a path on the right, which climbs up to the right and rejoins the original route.
After the Vitalie farm, the path on the right (marked in yellow) will take you directly to point 6. The path indicated by the GPS no longer exists, so follow the yellow markings.
At the Font Capel spring, there is no longer a path leading straight ahead. Ignore the GPS and continue to follow the yellow markings. Turn left at the first carved marker and right at the second marker.
The yellow markings, GPS and map will take you back to your car

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jo1703
jo1703

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 05, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

My husband and I have been hiking in the Rocamadour area for many years. We really enjoy this route, and we change the starting points so that it doesn't become routine, but we stick to the main route. At point 3, it doesn't seem logical to us to climb through fields of dry grass, ticks, on an unlikely path that leads to the wide marked path that you can take on the right a little further on.
From point 4 to point 6, we searched in vain for the route on several occasions, always having to retrace our steps as it was impossible to follow this circuit with the proposed route, yet we persisted. We would be grateful to anyone who can provide us with information. Through sheer perseverance, we finally reached point 5, but then nothing matched up, so we turned back.
Knowing the area, we arrived at Lagardelle by turning only 90° and then continuing to the end of this path, which turns to the right. The route becomes steep from the start.
Apart from these few inconveniences, this hike with its many elevation changes is very pleasant.

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cecileetflo
cecileetflo

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 12, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful route. We started from the Cougnagnet mill. There were a few nice climbs and descents before arriving in Rocamadour, where we chose to go down the Way of the Cross to visit the sanctuary, then passed through the main street. The route took us through L'Hospitalet and down the road; it's a shame not to go through the village.
The rest of the route is pleasant, especially when overlooking the Ouysse.

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la strada
la strada

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 10, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

We parked at the side of the road below the town. Free parking. This saves us having to make a return trip to the hospitable. Overall, we still have to walk quite a bit on tarmac. Not great. What's more, today it's hot, 30 degrees. Unlike the Alzou, which is dry, the Ouysse is well fed by the Cabouy and St Sauveur springs. The only downside is that the banks are inaccessible due to private property, particularly after the Caoulet mill. We are treated to the charming songs of frogs. Fields of lavender and poppies between points 3 and 4 on the Causse. We had a picnic between points 6 and 7 at Font de Capel. A charming little fountain by the side of the path. You can't miss it. Here too, frogs and slow worms accompany you: excellent. In fact, as we encountered more frogs than snails, we decided to name the route: the frog circuit. In any case, thank you to our scout.

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sourdine
sourdine

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 04, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

very busy in the first part up to the mills

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marcgilles82
marcgilles82

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 27, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

very beautiful hike, beautiful scenery, serious lack of signage, very unpredictable variations, the federation should redo the signage. And indeed, you do end up walking along quite a few roads, without much traffic, but it's still tarmac... An IGN map or GPS is essential. Enjoy your walk, everyone... Rocamadour is magnificent...

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Randonnéepartage
Randonnéepartage

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 22, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

There is a problem with the signage on the ground; the snails engraved in the granite need to be refreshed. I plan to visit the local tourist office to share this information. Thank you very much for this magnificent hike in the heart of the Lot region

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gael19
gael19

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 18, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

not as easy a hike as it seems.

Many paths are steep and quite technical at times.

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quebec31
quebec31

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 28, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Hiking in a very beautiful area. But it's a shame that a large part of it is on tarmac. There are also some sections of the route that remain very mysterious.

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jab31
jab31

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 10, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Hello

A very beautiful hike with lovely scenery and beautiful rural buildings!

However, when the route deviates from the marked trail, it becomes impassable: between 4, 5 and 6! And between 3 and 4, it is quite difficult: it is better to follow the PR route!

You can save at least 1 km by starting from the Château car park!

In fact, it's better to follow the PR: the Moulin de Cougnaguet on the FDRP map!

Thanks anyway!

jab31

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Phasme91
Phasme91

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 05, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

It's a really nice hike, along the river in the first part and then through a valley. However, at point 6, at the carved marker, it's not clear, we took a wrong turn, you have to turn left and not right

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