From Les Barralets to Les Guitardes

Between Saint-Chinian and Assignan, this route follows a GR® de Pays trail to explore woods and vineyards. On the way back, the Combelongue valley offers the chance to discover a "village" of drystone shelters and a plaster mill, now used for grain, which dates from 1854 and was originally used to grind gypsum.

Details

30941798
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 14.14 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 45 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 259 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 250 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 303 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 116 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Road access via the D612 between Saint-Pons-de-Thomières and Béziers. Saint-Chinian - Car park: Allées Gaubert.
Please note: it is difficult to park here on Sundays as it is market day.

GR® de Pays "Circular de Saint-Chinian" trail markings: Yellow-Red
Yellow PR® trail markers "Oeno Rando Notre-Dame de Nazareth.

(S/E) From the car park, take Avenue d'Assignan (D177) for 200 metres until you reach the crossroads.

(1) Take Rue des Jardins on the right. At the crossroads, continue straight ahead and turn left at the end. At the calvary just after, turn onto the road on the right. Cross the riverbed and continue along the tarmac path lined with the Platanettes vineyards. At the second crossroads, take the path on the left and cross the Vernazobre via a metal footbridge. Pass the old Rive mill and you will come out onto the D177E6.

(2) Turn left onto the road and cross the Touloubre stream via a bridge. Immediately take the small tarmac road on the right for 300 m.

(3) Go up to the left along the concrete track. Continue along a winding path until you reach a crossroads at the top of the hill.

Leave the PR® - Continue on theGRP®

(4) Turn right and head south-west towards the D177E11, which leads to the hamlet of Tudery. Turn left onto the road and continue for 100 metres.

(5) At the "Cabanon", take the ramp on the right and continue along the path. Ignore the start of a path in the bend and continue along the track that climbs above the hamlet, running alongside a vineyard. You will come to a crossroads.

Junction with thePR® les Barralets (blue line)

(6) Turn left onto theGRP® andPR® des Barralets. After a right-left turn, you will arrive at the Barralets crossroads.

(7) Cross the wide track to a more discreet path opposite. Approach the D177. At the Croix de la Femme Morte, avoid the road by going up the path on the right. Then turn left to reach the Assignan picnic area via a covered path.

(8) Enter the village of Assignan and arrive at the roundabout in front of the church. Turn left onto the D177 towards Saint-Jean-de-Minervois.

PR les Bousigues (blue line)

Turn left onto Chemin des Quatre Sous. After 500 m on the small road, you will come to a crossroads.

(9) Turn left, pass an EDF power station and turn right onto a concrete track. You will reach a three-way junction. Take the track on the left that runs between the Puits Neuf and Narys hills before joining the D178. Turn right until you reach the Cazo crossroads (DFCI water tank on the right).

(10). Turn left onto the small road towards Cazo and, at the start of the right-hand bend, turn left onto a vineyard path(mountain bike trail no. 11). Climb up into the Bois des Cayrels

(11) Before reaching a clearing, look for a path on the right that descends into the pine forest towards the Combelongue stream. Cross the valley towards the north-east and arrive at a bridge over the stream.

(12) Leave the mountain bike route by turning right. Cross the ditch via the bridge and climb slightly to reach the Rec de la Guitarde valley and its vineyards. Walk along the vineyards on the left, then along the adjacent wasteland. Then turn north-east to follow the edge of Rec de la Guitarde. Join a tarmac road that starts at the entrance to the property and passes between two vineyard huts.

(13) Make a detour to the left to see the first drystone shelter. Return to the road and follow it for a few metres before taking a straight path to the left. You will arrive at a crossroads and rejoin thePR® Notre-Dame de Nazareth (yellow markings). Turn right to discover other drystone shelters via a path overlooking the Vernazobre plain. To avoid the Rec d'Aiguecade ravine, return to the road and follow it to the left until you reach the Moulin du Rocher. Approach it to admire the restoration work.

(14) Then descend back to the road and come out onto the D20. Turn left, pass in front of the mill car park and negotiate the bend.

(15) After a guardrail, look for a path on the left that descends, the Chemin des Aires, which supports thePR® les Clapas. Follow the yellow markings to descend into the town. Before Avenue d'Assignan, an alleyway (Rue des Champs) bypasses the initial crossroads on the right. Follow it and return to the Allées Gaubert car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 123 m - St-Chinian - Car park: Rue de la Promenade (D77)
  2. 1 : km 0.18 - alt. 125 m - Rue des Jardins -St-Chinian
  3. 2 : km 1.84 - alt. 136 m - Crossroads - Route de St-Cels
  4. 3 : km 2.27 - alt. 143 m - Junction - Road on the right
  5. 4 : km 3.27 - alt. 247 m - Les Fourbidarias - Abandoned PR
  6. 5 : km 4.05 - alt. 233 m - La Mouleyre
  7. 6 : km 4.59 - alt. 278 m - Intersection - On the left
  8. 7 : km 5.38 - alt. 278 m - Carrefour des Barrelets
  9. 8 : km 6.42 - alt. 274 m - Assignan picnic area
  10. 9 : km 7.26 - alt. 254 m - Carrefour Grange des Quatre Sous
  11. 10 : km 8.62 - alt. 267 m - Carrefour de Cazo
  12. 11 : km 9.06 - alt. 276 m - Path on the right
  13. 12 : km 10.56 - alt. 181 m - Bridge over the Combelongue stream
  14. 13 : km 11.9 - alt. 224 m - Access to the drystone shelter
  15. 14 : km 13.2 - alt. 210 m - Moulin du Rocher
  16. 15 : km 13.58 - alt. 187 m - D 20 - Trail junction on the left
  17. S/E : km 14.14 - alt. 123 m - St-Chinian - Car park: Rue de la Promenade (D77)

Notes

Avoid undertaking this hike in summer as there are not many shaded sections along the route.

(8) Three picnic tables have been set up near the D177 at the entrance to Assignan (but not in the shade). For a lunch break, the location is only 6.5 km from the start point in the direction described here. Reversing the route places it a little further on.

Another parking option: Route d'Assignan

Worth a visit

The Guitardes plateau
Along a cliff lined with dry stone walls, you will find old shepherds' huts called "drystone shelters". These are dry stone huts that the Richesses du Saint-Chinianais association has been restoring for a long time to "keep alive the memory of the farmers of yesteryear". The oldest are 200 years old. All were once used as shelters, particularly by shepherds, and therefore bear witness to past agricultural and, above all, pastoral activity.

A strange windmill

Continuing along the cliff where this veritable village of drystone shelters and countless stone walls zigzagging through the dry grass is located, we come across a windmill. It has been perfectly renovated since 2000. We can already imagine it smelling of wheat flour in the past. Wrong! "After years of neglect, it was restored in the 2000s. That's when it was converted into a wheat mill. But originally, it was a plaster mill," says Gérard Sonzogni, who is looking after the place today. We are speechless! We must admit, we didn't know that plaster mills existed!

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

4.6 / 5
Based on 17 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
Peter410
Peter410
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 28, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A magnificent hike, to which we added the climb to the cross at a viewpoint at the start of the route. The trails are varied, as are the colours... there is a picnic spot at the entrance to Assignan. The trail of the 21 drystone shelters is very nice... the mill at the end of the route is a must-see.
I recommend this hike.

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loulou52
loulou52

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 29, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful route, easy to follow, passing through interesting villages and offering plenty of decorative interest, with a series of well-reconstructed drystone shelters (capitelles) and exceptional panoramic views. I never lost track of the GPS and made good progress without any difficulty. Thank you to everyone who contributed

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User 3404742

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 20, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Perfect weather on Sunday, 19 October for this very pleasant hike. No difficulties except for a tricky descent between points 11 and 12. Beautiful discoveries of drystone shelters at the end of the trail, as well as the mill.
Thanks to the author.
Miko.

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berbrical
berbrical

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 21, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful hike. Lovely view

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Fernandez Benjamin
Fernandez Benjamin

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 28, 2025
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Thank you for this suggestion. Perfect for a sunny winter's day. Varied, heritage, beautiful landscapes.
Easy and adaptable as needed.

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bardenas
bardenas

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 05, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

lovely views of the Caroux, visit to the drystone shelters (capitelles) is a must.

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Dardé Jean Paul
Dardé Jean Paul

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 15, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful hike. The markings change several times, but with the Visorando app, there's no problem.
The descent between 11 and 12 is a bit tricky
At the end, the group of drystone shelters is remarkable.
Beautiful view at the end, magnificent view of the windmill

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bernard coulomb
bernard coulomb

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 12, 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 beautiful hike that allows you to discover various aspects of the region.
Don't miss the tiny village of Assignan and its magical main square...
And, of course, the magnificent collection of 16 reconstructed drystone shelters arranged in pseudo-fortified villages, reminiscent of the Neolithic villages of Sardinia. The site has the appearance of a very ancient settlement, but one that has been completely remodelled over time.
No problem following the route on GPS.

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odnar81
odnar81

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 02, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike through vineyards and heath, but also through woodland.
Avoid periods of hot weather

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daniel dit stephane
daniel dit stephane

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 22, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The participants in this hike were delighted, with beautiful views and, above all, remarkable dry stone heritage
The village of ASSIGNAN is well showcased, with good quality accommodation and restaurants for a small village. There is a lovely picnic area in ASSIGNAN.

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tronc
tronc

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 12, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hike done in good weather.
Not particularly difficult, it offers beautiful views both on the way there and back. The village of Assignan is worth a visit (we visited when the restaurants were closed!)
A hike not to be missed!

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francoise caussat
francoise caussat

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 11, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A great walk and very well explained, unlike some routes where you can easily get lost. In my opinion, it's best not to do it in hot weather. One small downside is that perhaps the chapel at La Croix should have been mentioned. I missed it, which was a shame.

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lesvegas
lesvegas

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 25, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike with varied trails and stunning panoramic views.
Next time, we will set off from Assignan (car park at the northern exit of the village) to take advantage of the picnic areas on the outskirts of Saint-Chinian.
Note to the editor: Why not make the trail go directly through the village of drystone shelters?
It's not any longer, and the path is marked in yellow.
Thank you.

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chantalzen
chantalzen

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 05, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk in the hills above St Chinian with beautiful views. The section along the Sentier des Capitales trail is very pleasant.

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ivanou34
ivanou34

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 30, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The first half is good, the second half is not so good and a bit tedious, despite the large number of drystone shelters at the end of the route.
I started from the car park next to the mill.

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