Église Sainte-Marie (Douch) walks

The Caroux is a mountain range with steep slopes and significant elevation changes. The plateau is dotted with purple heather and peat bogs. It overlooks the Orb valley and the Colombières, Héric and Bardou gorges. The 360° panorama stretches from the Montagne de l'Espinouse to the Pyrenees with the Gulf of Lion in the background. This is the most beautiful stage of this itinerary due to its location in the Haut-Languedoc Regional Nature Park.

Hike starting from Douch, via the Roc du Caroux, Font Salesse, the Sentier des Gardes, the Piste des Biterrois and back via the Rocher de Sarrazine.

A pleasant circular route starting from Saint-Gervais-sur-Mare, passing through the Col de l'Ourtigas, Douch and the Caroux plateau, with its heather stretching as far as the eye can see, offering exceptional panoramic views of the valley and the Pyrenees on a clear day. Gravel paths, the remains of shepherds’ huts, old dwellings and the impressive Roquandouire Gate with its unobstructed view of the Mare Valley. This hike is classified as very difficult due to its length and elevation gain… in reality, the climb is very gradual, in distinct sections and without any sudden changes in gradient. As for the duration, quite frankly, the landscape is so magnificent and varied that with a bit of training, you won’t even notice the time passing…

A circular bucolic route through the hills surrounding Douch: La Tourelle, La Combe d'Estrets, La Rousselle, and above all Roc Laurès, offering a view of the surrounding mountains from a height of over 1,000 metres. Be careful, however, as there are no markings, so you have to follow the directions and the GPX track, which gives this route a bit of a fun/orienteering feel, without any major risk of getting lost for too long.

A snowshoe hike on the Caroux plateau, which is not often possible. Of course, you need to have your own snowshoes, as it is almost impossible to hire them on the way there. But it was very pleasant to be able to walk with snowshoes on that day. The slight incline allows people who are not used to this activity to discover the pleasure of hiking in the snow in areas that are, in part, untouched. GPX track required in some places.