From La Cabanasse to Planès

de fr

A beautiful getaway around two villages in Haut Conflent with a good chance of seeing the Yellow Train (Industrial Heritage of the Pyrénées Orientales) and the option of taking it from La Cabanasse or Planès.

Details

n°3164223
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 8.42 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 25 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 348 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 350 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,534 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,298 m
Downloads
Open in the mobile app
Download GPX GPX
Download PDF PDF

Photos

Footbridge over the Têt
Yellow Train on the Gisclard Bridge

Description of the walk

Park at the Yellow Train station in Mont-Louis La Cabanasse

(S/E) From the Mont-Louis La Cabanasse Yellow Train station, join the D10a road and turn right.
Pass the cemetery and rejoin theGR®10at the intersection of Avenue Lax and Avenue Gisclard.
Take theGR® on the left and leave it when it turns right.

(1) Continue straight ahead. Leave the path that branches off to the left and continue straight ahead until you reach an intersection before the water treatment plant.

(2) Take the yellow-marked path opposite towards La Cassagne.
Stay on the main path, ignoring other routes. Cross the Têt river to enter the hamlet of La Cassanya.

(3) Cross the hamlet and continue to an intersection.
Turn right towards Planès.

(4) Cross the Têt river and ignore the path that branches off to the left, following the Planès path to the right.
You will arrive at an intersection where the Planès Yellow Train Station is on the left.

(5) Continue straight ahead and cross the bridge. Keep following the yellow marked path to reach Planès.
Turn right at the intersection to reach the D32 road.

(6) Turn right and stay on the D32. You will see the red and white markings forthe GR®10andGR®36just before crossing the Planès River.
Follow theGR® trails, staying on the road, and leave theGR®36trail, which branches off to the left after the hamlet of El Castell.

(7) Continue along the road for a few metres before leaving it and staying on theGR®10, turning right at the junction.
Stay on theGR®10until you reach the intersection where you started.

(1) All you have to do now is turn left to retrace your steps and finish your hike (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,511 m - Departure from the Yellow Train station - Mont-Louis - La Cabanasse
  2. 1 : km 0.75 - alt. 1,472 m - Crossroads of the circular - Mont-Louis - La Cabanasse
  3. 2 : km 1.02 - alt. 1,468 m - Trail intersection
  4. 3 : km 2.84 - alt. 1,394 m - La Cassagne
  5. 4 : km 3.4 - alt. 1,298 m - Footbridge over the Têt
  6. 5 : km 3.86 - alt. 1,364 m - Intersection with the Yellow Train station
  7. 6 : km 4.94 - alt. 1,504 m - Planès Route D32
  8. 7 : km 5.55 - alt. 1,526 m - Hamlet of El Castell
  9. S/E : km 8.42 - alt. 1,511 m - Arrival at the Yellow Train station - Mont-Louis - La Cabanasse

Notes

A video preview of this hike is available at the following link : https://youtu.be/5nTXp4SHRnQ

Stopover lodge in Planès (you are on theGR®10between Planès and La Cabanasse)

You can combine hiking with a ride on the Yellow Train by taking the train from La Cabanasse to Planès or from Planès to La Cabanasse.

Worth a visit

The village of Saint-Pierre Dels Forcats
The Citadel of Mont-Louis (the highest fortified town in France)
Yellow Train

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.

Downloads
Open in the mobile app
Download GPX GPX
Download PDF PDF

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 13 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.9 / 5
Route interest
4.6 / 5
Vejapi
Vejapi

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

A lovely walk through the woods along the Têt river, discovering the hamlet of La Cassagne and views of the Gisclard bridge.

Machine-translated

User 8421082

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 23, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very satisfied with the description of this hike

Machine-translated

Thierry31700
Thierry31700

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

We combined this hike with hike 1619122 (trees of Haut-Conflent) to extend it and do it in one day (short, but with beautiful views). We arrived from the other hike at point 4, went to point 1 and then to point 6, the starting point of the other hike. This combination allows you to see the Gisclard bridge from several angles. However, the ferruginous spring is of limited interest as it was flowing very little.

Machine-translated

gigi66
gigi66

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 31, 2024
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant route with an ascent to Planes in the shade. Two options: pass under the Gisclard bridge by turning left after crossing the Têt river, then right to rejoin the route after Planes station. This adds a little to the length of the walk but is well worth it. Then take a detour to see the iron-rich spring just before you reach La Cabanasse (signpost indicates the path to the right)

Machine-translated

bernard coulomb
bernard coulomb

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 12, 2024
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant circular, especially in its first half, which follows an ancient Roman road descending into a gorge and lined with flowers where you can look out for new species: beautiful eupatorium, winged broom, but also creeping thyme, chickweed and knauts...
The rest of the walk takes place either in the forest or across meadows
No difficulty with GPS and easy paths to follow.

Machine-translated

nicolara
nicolara

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 08, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant walk along both banks of the Têt river. There is shade, coolness and beautiful scenery (views of Mont Louis). Pass under the little yellow train line. Be careful in Planes: we turned too early in the village before the bridge over the stream. You really need to continue on to Castells on its promontory at the exit of Planes. In the village of Planes, if you have time, go up to see the small circular church, it's worth the detour. Otherwise, it took us much less time than advertised.

Machine-translated

AqualiJu
AqualiJu

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 14, 2022
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Delighted with this hike on the first day of my holiday in this area.
There was a short, rather uninteresting section between (5) and (6), but it was unavoidable. Otherwise, the paths were varied, passing through pastureland or, conversely, through woodland (with very fresh air near the Têt river)

Machine-translated

danielfr40
danielfr40

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 04, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant walk, partly in the shade
Beautiful view of the valley, the bridge and the mountains in the distance. The only thing missing was the yellow train, but we left too early and slept in until 10 a.m
We climbed back up under cover but along the stream and finally came out into the open onto the fields and village
Very beautiful
Thank you for this route

Machine-translated

vincent lb
vincent lb

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 02, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant and easy walk. The first part is magnificent, with the hamlet of La Cassagne, crossing the Têt river, the Gisclard viaduct, etc. The second part, after Planès, is more ordinary.

Machine-translated

CyrilRando34
CyrilRando34

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 13, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful walk that takes you to the small, secluded village of Planès, offering varied landscapes (undergrowth, hills, rural valleys, etc.) and a few welcome surprises (view of the Gisclard bridge, crossing the Têt river, etc.).
At the end of the walk, you can prolong the pleasure with a visit to Saint Pierre dels Forcats.

Machine-translated

mcgouaze
mcgouaze

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 21, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

An easy, pleasant and very shaded hike, which is appreciated in summer, the Gisclard Bridge is a remarkable structure where the yellow train passes every 20 minutes.

Machine-translated

Berpin
Berpin

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

An easy and pleasant walk, especially if you add the circular route to the Gisclard bridge!

Machine-translated

Jean-Bernard
Jean-Bernard

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 29, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We missed the start and went under the railway bridge (we should have just read the guidebook!), so we came up with another, longer hike that we will post online, called "From La Cabanasse to Planes via the Balcons de la Têt". It's a great hike with cep mushrooms to boot!

Machine-translated

Other walks in the area

Walking The Balcons de la Têt and the Yellow Train

Visorando member
Les balcons de la Têt et le Train Jaune
↔10.61 km ↗+266 m ↘-731 m ◔3h 45 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from La Cabanasse (Pyrénées-Orientales)
A climb with the Yellow Train from Fontpedrouse to La Cabanasse and a beautiful tree-lined descent along the Têt. A very beautiful hike, partly in the forest, this is a different variation of La Cabanasse to Planès offered by PO Express, with the possibility of finding some ceps depending on the season, and passing under the Gisclard Bridge, a true work of art for its time.

Walking Pla de Barrès

Visorando member
Le Pla de Barrès
↔7.50 km ↗+39 m ↘-39 m ◔2h 15 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Bolquère (Pyrénées-Orientales)
This hike to Pla de Barrès, known as Little Canada, is a lovely circular loop along the La Têt river in the municipality of Bolquère.

Walking The trees of Haut Conflent

Visorando member
Les arbres du haut Conflent
↔7.60 km ↗+325 m ↘-322 m ◔3h 05 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Pyrénées-Orientales
This is a pleasant, easy hike, mostly through the woods. The trail is dotted with signs identifying the tree species commonly found in Conflent.

Walking La Llagonne State Forest

Visorando member
↔9.15 km ↗+171 m ↘-163 m ◔3h 05 ▲Easy
⚑Departure from La Llagonne (Pyrénées-Orientales)
A beautiful, bucolic walk in the Haut Conflent region of the Pyrénées Orientales that will delight young and old alike.

Walking Le Cambre d'Aze

Visorando member
↔9.09 km ↗+979 m ↘-976 m ◔5h 25 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Eyne (Pyrénées-Orientales)
A challenging climb leading to one of the most beautiful panoramas in the Cerdagne region of the Eastern Pyrenees.Please note: the hike is not signposted but the path is well marked (you should still have a basic sense of direction).

Walking Circular in the Cambre d'Aze woods

Visorando member
Boucle dans les bois du Cambre d'Aze
↔4.00 km ↗+177 m ↘-178 m ◔1h 40 ▲Easy
⚑Departure from Eyne (Pyrénées-Orientales)
On the northern slopes of Cambre d'Aze, you can enjoy views of Eyne, Font Romeu and Carlit in the background. Even more enjoyable when it has snowed and the slopes are closed.

Walking Pic d'Eyne via the Eyne Valley

Visorando member
Pic d'Eyne par la vallée d'Eyne
↔18.33 km ↗+1,183 m ↘-1,183 m ◔8h 35 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Eyne (Pyrénées-Orientales)
Hike in the Eyne Valley, classified as a national nature reserve. There are many species of flowers (the best time to do this hike is in June when they are in full bloom), as well as animals typical of our mountains such as marmots and chamois. Access to the Eyne Valley is restricted, and there is an information sign at the start of the hike. Dogs are not allowed.

Walking The Orri Valley by Planès

Visorando member
La Vallée de l'Orri par Planès
↔16.89 km ↗+907 m ↘-903 m ◔7h 25 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Fontpédrouse (Pyrénées-Orientales)
This is a magnificent hike in the hills above Fontpédrouse (66) and more specifically in Prats-Balaguer (a hamlet of the latter) where you will find a haven of peace from start to finish. You will discover one of the most beautiful valleys in the Pyrénées-Orientales, namely the beautiful Vallée de l'Orri.

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.