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Access: In Féline-Minervois, take the road to Carcassonne, then at the first crossroads, next to a wayside cross on your right, take the road to Brama and follow it to the hamlet, go past it (ruins on your left) and take the track for a few metres. Park at the cistern that marks the start of the DFCI track.(1
(S) From the starting point, the entire hike is marked in yellow.
You start from the DFCI cistern (1) in the hamlet of Brama (1). At the first crossroads, take the track on the left which continues to climb (the lower track will be the way back, see photo). At the second crossroads, take the track opposite you which climbs steeply. A yellow wooden sign indicates "Plateau de la Matte" (admire the scree of the marble quarry as you climb).
At the second hairpin bend, a wooden sign indicates P2. Take the opportunity to admire the view over the Minervois plain (see photo; this allows you to catch your breath after the steep climb).
At the crossroads, at the start of the plateau, turn right (the left-hand path takes you to Notre Dame du Cros, 3 km away). Continue along the track, which is also the access road to the quarry (2)
In a slight bend, after the ruins of a building (below on your right), take the path between two oak trees (still marked with yellow signs) and you will come to an old pasture enclosure where you will see a drystone shelter on your left, slightly hidden by vegetation (see photo).
Simply follow this path through the oak forests, where the rocky outcrops sometimes give the impression of being a pavement. After a slightly more deforested area, climb back up a few metres to find a dolmen on your right in a 45-degree bend to the left, evidence of human occupation of the site for thousands of years.
The descent to Ventajou then begins, and after a few metres you will be rewarded with a magnificent view. Continue along the path until you reach a signposted intersection, follow Ventajou and opposite you on this spur are the ruins of Ventajou Castle, which are not easy to see.
(3) At the foot of this ancient fort, don't hesitate to climb the scree to reach the Castellas platform, where the remains of the walls and a cistern will give you an idea of what this once-fortified place was like. The view from up there is exceptional. The descent is via the signposted path that runs alongside the old village of Ventajou, built on the hillside under the protection of the castle. An association is working to maintain this site and restore the paths and low walls along the route.
After the last steps, take the track on the left, which passes under the antennas. After a few hundred metres, the yellow and blue signposted track invites you to turn right, leaving the path that leads to the hamlet of Beau Soleil. After crossing a stream (often dry), turn right after the ruins of the building (where you will see the remains of a screw press) and follow the yellow markings.
(4) The track descends quite steeply. Note the superb drystone shelter (which looks like a pile of stones from above, see photo) in the second hairpin bend on your left.
(5) You will then come to a new DFCI track (1) opposite a new cistern. Turn right at the next junction (cistern) and continue straight ahead. The track winds its way up the hillside for the last few metres. You will then see the first cistern that you saw in the morning (not the one where you parked) and you will rejoin the track where you started this magnificent hike.
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