Two castles on the heights of the Tarn in Compeyre

Park at the bottom of the village of Compeyre, in the visitor car park (mandatory for coaches).

(S/E) Continue to follow the winding road towards the village. When you reach an intersection with a cross, take the street to the left of the cross. Shortly afterwards, climb up a paved slanting street on the left to reach a higher street and follow it to the right.

Keep left to follow the paved slanting street, Sentier des Giroflées, which joins Rue de la Peirière. Keep right. Further on, you will arrive at Place de la Fontaine. Keep left. The concrete paved slanting streets give way to the tarmac road.

Pass Place du Plô du Gal and continue left along the road. Pass a cross and ignore the paved slanting street that branches off to the right.

(1) Continue along Route de Salacroup. Further on, you will see an old well with a cross on the left-hand side of the road. You will also see the Monsieur Clapassou signposts, which you will encounter several times along this route, either in the form of a signpost supporting a small triangular man, or in the form of the same silhouette pointed at a post or wall.

(2) At a fork in the road, follow Monsieur Clapassou and the yellow markings to the left. Further on, turn left with Monsieur Clapassou onto a grassy path.

A hundred metres further on, the yellow markings and Monsieur Clapassou turn onto a path on the left. Leave them behind and continue straight ahead, with a huge quarry in sight on the other side of the valley.

(3) Further down, you will come to a road with a sign for La Rouquette. Follow it to the right. You are now back on the Monsieur Clapassou trail. You will see markings on a post and then on a stone hut as you continue along this road.

Further on, you will see another Monsieur Clapassou signpost on a very grassy path leading to the Garde dovecote. We did not take this detour. Further along the road, you will have a beautiful view of this dovecote below.

(4) Continuing along the small road, marked with yellow markings and Monsieur Clapassou signs, leave the hamlet of La Garde on your right and shortly afterwards you will come to a crossroads with a Monsieur Clapassou sign and wooden signs.

Follow the path straight ahead towards Cabrières and, further on, at another Monsieur Clapassou signpost indicating a variant (towards the Château de Cabrières on the right), continue to the left.

(5) Walk along a pond and continue on the path. Further on, ignore a path on the right and follow Monsieur Clapassou around a left-hand bend. The path crosses the Ravin de Doumergal (dry stream).

(6) A hundred metres further on, at a fork in the path, leave Monsieur Clapassou, whose signpost points to the right towards Quiers, and continue to the left, with the ravine on your right.

The path crosses the Ravin des Aldiguiès. Continue with the ravine on your left. Further on, you will arrive at Cabrières, with its castle on your left.

(7) You will come to a small road. Follow it to the right, leaving the castle behind you. Further on, still on this small road, pass the large Aldiguiès farm on your right.

(8) At the end of the buildings (old yellow cross on a post opposite), turn right onto the stony path. Go around the farm buildings, keeping to the left at the intersections with other paths. Continue until you reach the railway line.

(9) Turn right onto the path that runs alongside the railway line on your left. It moves away from the line as you approach Lugagnac Castle. Continue, leaving the castle on your left.

(10) Ignore a private road on your right and continue straight ahead into a wood. Further on, at a fork in the road, you will see a Monsieur Clapassou sign on your left. Do not follow him as he turns left, but continue straight ahead.

The path leaves the woods. Continue through rolling farmland towards the hamlet of Salacroup.

(11) You will come to a fork in the road at the entrance to the hamlet. Take the left-hand road down towards the hamlet. At the intersection with a cross, take the road on the right, leaving Salacroup behind you.

Further on, at a cross on the right-hand side of the road, you will find Monsieur Clapassou and an old information board about cherry trees.

(12) About 400 m further on, look out for a yellow and green marker and a Monsieur Clapassou marker on the left. Leave the road and follow this path downhill. At the garden, continue straight ahead on a grassy path (Monsieur Clapassou sign). Continue, ignoring a path that descends to the left, until you reach a street in Compeyre.

(13) You can continue exploring this pretty medieval village at your leisure. Here is the route I took:

Follow this street to the left. You will come to a lime tree with a Monsieur Clapassou sign inviting you to turn left. Ignore this and continue straight ahead, passing to the right of a tower. This is Rue de l'Arquinel, which offers views of the valley. Continue straight ahead along Rue du Château.

Ignore the Sentier de l'Église Saint-Vincent on your left. At a fork, go left to descend via the Sentier de l'École. Take the steps on the left, continue down a narrow paved slanting street, then another set of steps.

You will come out onto a street facing a viewpoint over the valley and, on the left, grain measures. Continue right on Rue des Sempettes. Turn left onto Rue de la Bergerie to reach the road below. Follow it to the right and, further on, take a staircase down to the car park (S/E). Information panels on the Côtes de Millau.

Difficulty: Moderate to easy. Standard hiking equipment.

No difficulty, as this route is mainly on paths and small roads.
Do not attempt in hot weather.

Caution: the trails may be used by vehicles, including lorries during the week. See notices.

Discover more hikes in this area with a description or the Visorando app here

Photo album here

The pretty medieval village of Compeyre.
Cabrières Castle (not open to visitors).

Other hikes along the Tarn here