Hillsides north of Rabastens

A pleasant route through the countryside north of Rabastens in the Tarn department. No major difficulties
The route crosses several other routes marked in yellow, so the different markings along the route should only be taken as a relative guide.
With the attached map, it is very easy to follow the route.

Details

1614132
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 18.33 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 55 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 238 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 247 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 231 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 114 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park near the church at the top of the Promenade des Lices

(S/E) Opposite, head north on the D18 Rue Gustave de Clausade, continue along Route de Saurs and reach the Chemin des Clarisses crossroads.

(1) Turn right, then quickly left onto Rue des Ormes. At the next crossroads, turn right onto the D988. Follow it to the left.

(2) Immediately after the Vignerons de Rabastens wine tasting cellar, take the road on the left towards Foncoussière. Continue along this road, passing Foncoussière and Méoux. You will reach a Y-shaped crossroads.

(3) Turn left towards La Bouriette and continue straight on until you reach the D20, cross it and climb up towards the Saint-Martin de Mours chapel.

(4) After the cemetery, at the corner of the vineyard, take the grassy path on the left and follow it to the end. Turn right and continue uphill until you reach a larger path, where you should turn left.
Continue to the next crossroads at a place called Les Perelles.

(5) Turn left until you reach the next crossroads leading to the houses of Naguer.

(6) Take the path to the right of the calvary and then right again (altitude 203m), then continue straight on until you reach the crossroads at the top of the hill, where you should turn right until you reach the road.

(7) Turn left, then quickly turn right onto the small path that cuts across the bend and descends to the road. Turn right.
Before the right-hand bend, take the path on the left that goes up to the water reservoir and follow it to a new road.

(8) First turn right then left and go straight ahead, leaving Les Cunacs on your right. At the house at the end of the road (altitude 213m), the path turns into a grassy track. Follow it to the road. Turn right, then right again to descend to the lake.

(9) Cross the dam and take the path that runs along the lake to the right of the campsite. Follow it to the end.

(10) At the edge of the woods, a path on the left climbs steeply to the road, where you should turn left to join the D12 after La Grave.

(11) Follow the D12 to the left and further on turn right (at the 199m altitude) towards Église de Guiddal.
After the houses, turn right again, continue to the church and, at the end of the S-bend that follows, turn left onto a very small path that leads down to another path that returns to the road.

(12) Cross it and take the path opposite. Continue straight on until you reach the D18.

(13) Cross and take Chemin des Laques opposite to reach the Chemin de la Briquetterie crossroads.

(14) Take it on the left, go down it, cross the D988 and continue along Rue de la Croix Saint-Jacques then Rue des Abreuvoirs. You will reach a roundabout. Take it on the right, making a first turn right then left.

(15) Go up to the left between Promenade des Lices and Quai des Escoucières until you reach the car park where you started (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 125 m - Promenade des Lices - Tarn (rivère)
  2. 1 : km 0.53 - alt. 128 m - Chemin des Clarisses
  3. 2 : km 1.23 - alt. 127 m - Rabastens Wine Cellar
  4. 3 : km 3.02 - alt. 129 m - Path to La Bouriette
  5. 4 : km 4.76 - alt. 196 m - Saint-Martin du Mours Chapel
  6. 5 : km 6.14 - alt. 211 m - Les Perelles
  7. 6 : km 6.89 - alt. 209 m - Calvaire de Naguer
  8. 7 : km 8.17 - alt. 210 m - Pretty little path
  9. 8 : km 9 - alt. 216 m - Left, right
  10. 9 : km 11.28 - alt. 170 m - Lake
  11. 10 : km 12.2 - alt. 169 m - End of the lake
  12. 11 : km 13.13 - alt. 201 m - D12 - La Grave
  13. 12 : km 14.66 - alt. 204 m - Cross opposite
  14. 13 : km 16.11 - alt. 154 m - Chemin des Laques
  15. 14 : km 17.05 - alt. 159 m - Chemin de la Briquetterie
  16. 15 : km 18.04 - alt. 122 m - Roundabout. Turn right, then left.
  17. S/E : km 18.33 - alt. 125 m - Promenade des Lices

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 17 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.4 / 5
Alanax
Alanax

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 26, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful, easy route with stunning views.
The sky varied between clouds and clear spells, so there were some beautiful colours, but the Pyrenees remained hidden beneath the clouds, which was a shame.
After reading the comments, I decided to follow the purple route from the start to point 4, which avoids a large section of tarmac as the route follows grassy paths between the vineyards (this shortens the circuit by about 1 km).
The paths are passable at this time of year and, in the end, there isn't that much tarmac, just a little at the start and on the way back (but you have to leave the town) and a little to get to the chapel (100 metres on a busy road, the rest on dead-end roads with little traffic).
Please note that there is no shade on the route and those allergic to rapeseed should refrain from cycling at this time of year.

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jppuech
jppuech

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 17, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very beautiful views of the hills of Rabastens. Very easy hike

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kryss667
kryss667
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 15, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A pleasant hike that crosses several trails, including the chapel trail, with lovely views of Notre Dame du Bourg at the start, then the valleys and vineyards of Gaillac. Keep your eyes peeled and you will see a mill after Lac des Auzerals. As keen hikers, we enjoyed it and are grateful to all those who organised the hike. Thank you, Denis

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JMZAHN
JMZAHN

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 02, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Since the sun was shining, depending on the area, there were quite a few people, especially around the lake, where we were able to enjoy a table with benches.
It's a shame that the website only allows "Yes" or "No" answers to the question "Was this trail very busy?"
On a long loop like this, there are inevitably many sections where you are alone and others that are busier, particularly around the "points of interest".
If this "assessment" has to be filled in, it would seem more appropriate to broaden the question to something more open-ended, such as:
- "Generally not very busy"
- "Generally moderately busy"
- "Well frequented"
- "Very busy"
- "Frequented to varying degrees, depending on the section of the route".
A suggestion to the site "administrators", but they don't seem to want to change their stance on this issue...
Jean-Marie - JMZ.

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Farce
Farce

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 20, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very beautiful hike with many viewpoints

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morlockbob
morlockbob
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 12, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Similar to previous reviews. Magnificent views, dam lake (no swimming) ideal for picnics. It took us 4½ hours without pushing ourselves.

Despite a few pretty houses, the route from points 1 to 4 is along a road with little traffic, but an hour's walk on tarmac is a bit dull. It's better to take the purple route from the school to point 4.
There is little shade along the route, so be prepared.

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christarn
christarn

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 22, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

As this route sometimes follows three marked trails, the only difficulty is persuading hikers not to follow the markings systematically. The views are magnificent, the lake is a pleasant place to take a break, and the route is relatively easy overall. Perhaps there is a little too much tarmac, but when you have views of the Pyrenees, the Tarn valley and the vine-covered hills, it would be a shame to complain too much.

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Shrando31410
Shrando31410

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 27, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

No physical difficulty, gradual incline. Some tarmac on small roads. Nice campsite refreshment bar at Lac des Auzerals. Picnic tables.
At point 11, the dirt track is at the end of the s.
The IGN map allows you to vary this route, with the purple highlighting.
Most of the circuit has little shade
Pleasant hike.

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LENADILE
LENADILE

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 06, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely, easy hike with beautiful views. Unfortunately, there was a bit too much tarmac, but little traffic. However, it was a beautiful sunny day and the group really enjoyed the hike.

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Kleb
Kleb

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 18, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hello, beautiful distant landscapes that you have time to admire because there is no shade, and unfortunately a lot of tarmac. Not recommended in summer. Thank you for the route

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VincentLafon
VincentLafon

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 11, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful hike, very well marked (congratulations to the trail marker); 99% uncovered, a few paved paths with no vehicle traffic, beautiful nature, lovely rustic homes

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Vendinielle
Vendinielle

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 30, 2022
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The weather today didn't allow me to enjoy the views... I'll have to come back!
For my part, I preferred to split the circuit. The section up to point (4) seems rather pointless to me, as there is a much more interesting route (Boucle de Saint Martin, FFRP itinerary) starting from the Maurole school, which takes 2 hours to complete.
So I opted for the western side and turned off at point (1) to rejoin the original route in the bend just before point (7), passing La Maurole and hills 176 and 207. I completed my circuit in 3 hours.
Lake Auzerals is pleasant and seems to be well known to walkers.
At this time of year, it's best to wear sturdy footwear as the paths are often muddy.
For foodies who finish the route at the right time, I recommend stopping off at the Mauduit patisserie ! (1 avenue de Toulouse).

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chlarnard
chlarnard

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 15, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

First of all, thank you and well done for the clear information about the route. This is the first time I haven't had to use GPS tracking to check my choices.

As for the rest, it can be summed up in one word: magnificent!

I think it was the right time for this trip because:
1- the weather was ideal (a mix of blue skies and white clouds) and the temperatures were moderate. In very hot weather, it would have been more difficult because there is virtually no shade (so bring sunscreen and water in that case).
2- the sunflowers were in bloom and the contrast between the bright yellow of the sunflowers, the wooded areas (dark green), the cornfields and vineyards (light green), the harvested fields (straw yellow), the blue sky and white clouds was fabulous.

You spend your time going from valley to valley, with no obstructed views of the horizon... just splendid.

No difficulty for those who are prepared to walk about 20 kilometres.
At point 14 (if you feel like it), I recommend a 3 km detour (there and back) to reach the Puycheval chapel overlooking Rabastens.

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VIATGE Alain
VIATGE Alain

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 08, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Slightly overcast and cool in the morning, but a very pleasant, easy and refreshing hike.

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NanoudeBalma
NanoudeBalma

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 17, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average

A beautiful hike that took 4½ hours without stopping. Lovely views. Lots of mud because it had rained recently, but the paths were passable. Best done in winter when there is plenty of snow in the Pyrenees... The little village of Rabastens is a gem for those who love old buildings.

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