From Renneville to Gardouch, through the hills and along the canal

This hike offers beautiful views of the Pyrenees and Lauragais and allows you to enjoy the tranquillity of the canal while admiring its engineering structures, such as the small port of Gardouch, the Aqueduct des Voûtes which spans the River Hers, and the Renneville Lock.

Details

17956915
Creation:
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 10.52 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 20 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 112 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 116 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 256 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 171 m

Description of the walk

Park behind Renneville Church, Chemin de Lière, near the school.

(S/E) Go around the church and take Rue Pierre Paul Riquet, which starts opposite the porch. At the end of the street, turn left. Continue, ignoring the streets on the right and left, until you reach the D 72.

(1) Cross it and take Chemin du Moulin à Eau opposite, which descends steeply for about a hundred metres to the last houses. Continue opposite on the grassy path which climbs then descends to join a tarmac road, Chemin Bel Floret.

(2) Turn right until you reach the D 72. Turn left and continue to the Hers.

(3) Cross the bridge and arrive at the D 625. Cross it carefully and continue opposite on Chemin des Collines (D 72j).
In the left-hand bend at the top of the hill, turn right onto Chemin de Santet, signposted as a dead end, which continues to climb, offering a beautiful view at its highest point next to the property gate, with the Pyrenees on the left and the Lauragais on the right.

(4) Continue along the grassy ridge path, skirting the edge of a wood and passing the hamlet of Pech Olière to reach a tarmac road and the first houses of Gardouch in the hamlet of Cammas.

(5) Leave the road and turn right onto the wide grassy path downhill, marked in yellow, to reach the hamlet of Borde Basse. Cross the D 625 with caution, turn right for a few metres, then turn left onto the wide path lined with large plane trees to reach the Canal du Midi.

(6) Follow it on the left to the port and the Gardouch lock.

(7) Cross the bridge to the other side of the canal and follow the canal on the other bank to reach the Aqueduc des Voûtes, which is well worth a stop.

(8) Continue along the canal until you reach the Renneville lock.

(9) Cross the canal here and continue straight ahead to easily find the Chemin de Lière car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 218 m - School car park, Chemin de Lière
  2. 1 : km 0.36 - alt. 206 m - D72 crossroads
  3. 2 : km 1.03 - alt. 179 m - Bel Floret Path
  4. 3 : km 1.56 - alt. 179 m - Hers-Mort (rivière) - Affluent de la Garonne
  5. 4 : km 2.81 - alt. 256 m - Santet
  6. 5 : km 4.22 - alt. 210 m - Borde Basse Path
  7. 6 : km 5.05 - alt. 178 m - Canal du Midi
  8. 7 : km 5.95 - alt. 179 m - Écluse de Gardouch
  9. 8 : km 7.83 - alt. 171 m - Aqueduc des Voûtes
  10. 9 : km 10.09 - alt. 181 m - Écluse de Renneville
  11. S/E : km 10.52 - alt. 218 m - School car park, Chemin de Lière

Notes

Water points:
(S/E) Renneville.
(7) Gardouch.

Worth a visit

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 14 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.9 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.9 / 5
Route interest
4 / 5
User 21798799

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 17, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Top route that we completed at a brisk pace in 1 hour 50 minutes. No difficulty. Beautiful views of the Lauragais countryside and the Pyrenees, then the Canal du Midi with a short stretch near the motorway, but it doesn't last long.

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geneviève crokaert
geneviève crokaert

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Departure from the Gardouch lock, to Renneville via the canal. At the Santet junction point 4 - D72, we continued along the "Les collines du Lauragais à Gardouch" route. We then followed the well-marked PR trail, crossing Gardouch, climbing up to the church and returning via the Laval lock. Total 17 km.

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Krugg31
Krugg31

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 27, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant hike offering (on a clear day) beautiful views of the Pyrenees and allowing you to discover the Gardouch lock before returning along the canal. Unfortunately, there is quite a lot of tarmac on a large part of the route.

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hcrando
hcrando

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 13, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

An easy and pleasant hike, especially the ridge section, which offers beautiful views. The walk along the canal was very muddy and therefore not very pleasant, but the entire hike is on trails, which is nice.

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eve lac
eve lac

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 21, 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

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BARRABES
BARRABES

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 21, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant route to do in dry weather. You can start from the car park at Gardouch lock, which does not alter this beautiful walk in any way.

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Hhilarion
Hhilarion

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

Varied route between hillsides and the canal bank. Little tarmac.
Picnic area by the canal.
Best done in clear weather to see the Pyrenees.

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kiki2711
kiki2711

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 30, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A nice, varied short walk: up in the hills with beautiful views and along the canal. Only the last part is less interesting because the motorway running alongside the canal is very close. But this does little to detract from the pleasure of walking along the canal.

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christianeMT
christianeMT

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 12, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

a pleasant short walk with beautiful views, shade and even a lovely café restaurant right in the middle at the first lock; beautiful tables by the canal for picnics... great for warm mornings or winter walks!

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Ludi
Ludi

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 28, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

a beautiful hike offering views of the Pyrenees and the hills of Lauragais!
In the small village of Renneville, don't miss the war memorial with its old cannons dating from World War I and the old fountain!
On the banks of the canal, the newly renovated Aqueduct of the Vaults, which spans the Hers River, allows us to take a break by the water!
It's very windy, but we're in Lauragais, so that's nothing unusual!
this hike can be done with children!

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y.manine
y.manine

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 28, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant walk, culminating in a beautiful viewpoint over the Pyrenees and the valleys of Lauragais.
On the way back, there is a curiosity along the canal with the Voûtes aqueduct.
A very pleasant day!

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jp11
jp11

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 14, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Interesting and varied, especially if there is no wind

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Gefortin
Gefortin

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 06, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

I did the hike starting from the Gardouch lock in the morning. There are fewer cyclists on the trail and you can enjoy the canal in a different light. The Aqueduct of the Vaults is interesting and is currently being restored.

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En Pascot
En Pascot

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 24, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : Yes

The last 4 km between the Gardouch and Renneville locks are on the north bank of the Canal du Midi, which is paved and crowded with bicycles. It may be more enjoyable and "pedestrian-friendly" to stay on the south bank, along which there is a footpath. However, you have to make this choice in Gardouch, as the next bridge is in... Renneville.

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