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).
