From La Fabrègue to Estaing, between the Lot Valley and the vineyards

Easy access and parking at the foot of the hamlet of La Fabrègue (D920 on the Route d’Espalion). Park on the old road to the right by the recycling bins along the old departmental road.

(S/E) Walk up and through La Fabrègue (an old 17th-century manor house, now a guesthouse and lodge) and continue towards La Viguerie then towards La Frayssinnette (formerly a producer of local IGP wine).

(1) To the left of the farm, take the old Way of the Cross which leads to Vinnac cemetery. If the path is overgrown with grass and not cleared, continue along the road and turn left at the junction; here you will see old plots of century-old vines on dry stone walls often called ‘banquilloux’.

(2) Continue along the road (D655) and pass through the village of Vinnac (with its old Romanesque church and traditional houses), but keep to the right rather than heading towards the chapel on the left (that’s the way back!).

(3) Leave the road to your left – which will be the return route – and enjoy the view; you may wish to make use of the shaded picnic area. After the right-hand circular bend that closes the village, and 50 m to the left after leaving the hamlet, take the small path on the left that climbs just in front of the kennels.

(4) Head straight up the path lined with dry stone walls, which climbs to the right just before the last house (beautiful view). Directly beneath the power lines, turn left and follow the path which first passes at the foot of the Puech farm (note the hillside preserved with old vines to the left of the path) and continue to the plateau.

The path gradually widens into a pebble track until it reaches a crossroads known as ‘la Parfaiterie’, marked by a wayside cross.

(5) Turn left and head downhill. At the top, it’s the perfect spot for a picnic, and the commanding view allows you to take in the surrounding mountains. The country lane descends gently towards Estaing (behind the cemetery), after a few bends through the chestnut forest. Join the D22 road.

(6) Follow it to the left and descend gently until you reach a small lane on the right leading to an old wash house bridge over the Coussane; enter the village and head towards the forecourt of St Fleuret Church and the entrance to the castle. Visit the village, then head towards the Quai du Lot on the left; after the Pont de la Vierge (on the Coussane, a tributary of the Lot), turn left onto the Route de Laguiole (D22).

(7) Walk up the street to the right and pass the cemetery; just after that, take the small path on the right. If you miss it, take the next one (La Blanquerie district) and walk up the hill following a pretty grassy path overlooking the village.

(8) Continue along the forest track, marked by a stone slab (Chemin de Mansorgue). Cross the forest following a shaded path between the old stone walls of vineyards abandoned after the phylloxera epidemic.

(9) At Montplaisir, rejoin the tarmac road, pass Monrepos/Monplaisir and take the scenic route. Continue to Vinnac to rejoin the path taken on the way there at the church.

(3) Pass the cemetery and head down the road to the right, following the opposite direction to the outward journey.

(2) Pass the Way of the Cross on your right (the route taken on the way out) and head towards the crossroads opposite at a place called Le Brouyssas to admire the finest vineyards of the Estaing AOP.
Turn right towards La Frayssinette until you reach the original fork in the road.

(1) Pass the junction with the Way of the Cross and continue straight on, in the opposite direction to the outward journey, to return to your vehicle (S/E).

Easy parking in front of the recycling bins just before the old (private) garage at the junction with the D920.
Picnic area in front of Vinnac church with magnificent views.

Tips:

(1) If you cannot take the Way of the Cross (too much grass or too muddy), continue 100 m to the junction and turn left in front of the vineyards.

(4) If you miss the path on the left at the exit of the Vinnac bend, continue to La Ponsarderie and turn left onto the tarmac road towards Le Puech (note the fighter jet in the field!).

This walk can easily be combined with the ‘Path of the Two Churches’ of Coubisou and Vinnac for a long, challenging day’s hike.

• La Frayssinnette: former local wine production at the Domaine de la Frayssinnette IGP.
• The Maison de la Vigne et des Paysages (the Olt AOP winegrowers).
• The 12th-century Church of Saint-Blaise-de-Vinnac (nave, corbels, portal, modillions and bas-reliefs).
• The view from Le Puech.
• The village of Estaing and its castle.
• The old vineyard walls and terraces on the schist hillsides.
• The view of Hauterive Castle (private) from the forest (meander of the Lot).
• The Manoir de la Fabrègue, a former 17th-century wine estate (lodge and guest rooms).
• The old latrines shaped like a dovecote in the centre of the hamlet of La Fabrègue.
• Nearby: The Way of St James (^GR®65) in Estaing.
• In summer, swimming is possible in the Lot opposite the manor house (dam).