Between the rose and the orchid in Villaudric

A walk through the woods and vineyards of the Fronton AOP. The hike passes two iconic châteaux of the appellation: Château Caze (with its 18th-century wine storehouse) and Château la Colombière.
Depending on the season, you may also see two protected flowers: the French rose (Rosa Gallica) and the rare Serapias Cordiagera orchid.

Details

435796
Creation:
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 10.37 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 05 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 51 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 60 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 159 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 121 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ District: Villaudric (31620)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 43.830545° / E 1.432567°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 2042E, 2142O
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Photos

Description of the walk

Starting point: Villaudric Town Hall car park.

(S/E) From the town hall, turn left towards the church, then take the hairpin bend to the right onto Route du Ruisseau. Cross the Villaudric stream and continue to the start of a path on the left.

(1) Follow the dirt track Chemin de la Bourdette on the left and turn left at the water treatment plant. Cross the ford and continue straight on to Rue de la Négrette.

(2) Turn right and after about 100 metres, cross (carefully) and turn left onto Chemin de la Garenne. Enter the woods and turn right at the crossroads. At the edge of the woods, turn left and walk alongside the Château Caze vineyards until you reach Route de la Busquette.

(3) Turn left to join Rue du 19 Mars 1962. At the end of this street, turn left onto Route de la Gare (D29G). Continue for 30 metres, then take the footpath on the right and join Chemin de la Plaine.

(4) Turn left, then left again onto Rue de l'Aucenelle (D29). Continue for about 50 metres and take the first path on the right, Chemin de Courdis. Follow this path downhill and continue straight ahead under the trees, following the fence to reach a small plain.

(5) Go around this plain on the left and walk along the trees on the right to reach a housing estate. Continue straight ahead and take the second street on the right to reach a footpath.

(6) At the end of this footpath, go around the barrier to descend onto Route de Gourdis (D63D). Turn left for about 50 metres to reach Route de Bordeneuve on the right.

(7) Turn right, pass the hamlet of Bordeneuve and, at the fork in the woods, follow the left-hand branch. Then continue straight ahead through the woods until you reach Chemin de la Boujague.

(8) At the intersection, turn left, cross the ford and continue to Route de Villaudric (D63). Turn left, follow this road for about 20 metres, then turn right onto Chemin de Leret.

(9) At the intersection, turn left onto Chemin d'Albanet, turn left again and pass in front of the hunters' hut. Before reaching the road, turn right to reach the village of Villaudric through the woods.

(10) At the crossroads, turn left then right to enter the woods. Walk downhill under the trees to the stream, cross the footbridge and continue on the left. Follow the stream until you reach the edge of the woods, which leads to a wasteland. Go around it on the left, following the woods until you reach the road below.

(11) Walk along the right-hand side of Route de Vacquiers until you reach the entrance to Château la Colombière. Then turn left onto this road. Cross the bridge and cut right across the grass, following the stadium, then join the Route de Bouloc (D63). Follow this road to the right, turn right onto Rue du 20 Août 1944, then left onto Route de la Gare to reach the town hall (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 141 m - Villaudric Town Hall
  2. 1 : km 0.45 - alt. 125 m - Chemin de la Bourdette, on the right
  3. 2 : km 1.32 - alt. 126 m - Rue de la Négrette, on the right
  4. 3 : km 2.47 - alt. 125 m - Rue du 19 mars 1962, on the left
  5. 4 : km 3.45 - alt. 150 m - Chemin de la Plaine, on the left
  6. 5 : km 3.77 - alt. 138 m - Turn left and cross a grassy area.
  7. 6 : km 4.25 - alt. 143 m - Turn right onto the footpath.
  8. 7 : km 4.54 - alt. 140 m - Route de Bordeneuve, on the right
  9. 8 : km 6.02 - alt. 141 m - Chemin de la Boujague, on the left
  10. 9 : km 7.29 - alt. 159 m - Chemin d'Albanet, on the left
  11. 10 : km 8.45 - alt. 150 m - Crossroads, on the right
  12. 11 : km 9.09 - alt. 132 m - Route de Vacquiers, round trip then opposite
  13. S/E : km 10.37 - alt. 141 m - Villaudric Town Hall

Notes

Yellow markings in accordance with the French Hiking Federation charter.

Worth a visit

Places to visit: Château Caze and Château la Colombière (AOP Fronton, wine sales and tasting), Château de Villaudric (VMF), Ruisseau de Villaudric.
Nearby: Château Joliet, Vignoble Gendre, Château Binest, Château Clos-Mignon

Reviews and comments

3.7 / 5
Based on 14 reviews

Reliability of the description
3.9 / 5
Ease of following the route
3.9 / 5
Route interest
3.4 / 5
Annk
Annk

Thank you for sending the hiking maps, which are very comprehensive and detailed.

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Cat82
Cat82

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 02, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Hello,
The route is relatively easy to follow, except perhaps on two occasions where I got a little confused, but in the end everything went well.

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Farce
Farce

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 04, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very nice hike

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CdeMills
CdeMills

Overall rating : 3.5 / 5

Date of your route : May 08, 2023
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

I did this hike with my dog, who was on a "dog walking" lead, which means you have less control over where she goes. There are several places with narrow verges, or no verge at all. (Before returning to Villaudric, for example). Along roads with traffic, it's not very safe. Every time a car passes, you have to anticipate, stop the dog and keep it still. These parts of the route should be reworked.

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PINKTOWN
PINKTOWN

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 21, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very pleasant hike. Picnic area available at the end of the trail next to the stadium (table and games). Passes through the forest, alongside pleasant streams.

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vsteller
vsteller

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 24, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

A hike done in early January, the start of the route towards the stream was muddy... we did the circular in 2 hours and 15 minutes without rushing... a time of 3 hours and 5 minutes was a bit overestimated! We had no trouble following the map and the yellow signs on the ground... a hike to stay in shape.

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Regard
Regard

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 15, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : Yes

Whether it was a distraction or poor signposting, we strayed off the path and ended up doing part of the route backwards.
We'll have to do it again in the spring, or better yet, in the summer when the flowers are in bloom.

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CCFrando
CCFrando

Hello,

We are very sorry to read this comment. Regarding the signposting, our teams check the signs two to three times a year and we generally receive very good feedback on this, but we will check this route.

As for the rest, the building sites, construction work and dogs running loose are not our responsibility. This route is five years old and the village is alive and kicking.

Thank you to Jab31 for their feedback. We are indeed in a rural-urban area, so housing developments and main roads are common.

If you want more vineyards and tranquillity, our walk "among the vineyards: the serapias in the heart" in the commune of Vacquiers should satisfy you. But it is still in the heart of a village .

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jab31
jab31

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 23, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Hello,

I did this hike with a group of walkers a while ago. I find the latest comments excessive!

A hike near Toulouse often involves crossing housing estates! And there are no more dogs than anywhere else!

We also walk through wooded areas far from residential areas.

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henri57
henri57 ★

Hello,

Visorando does not mark trails. Visorando provides a description and a 1:25,000 IGN map. The description and the map can be separated.

If marking is essential for you, Visorando provides, in addition to the description and the 1:25,000 IGN map, virtual marking: a GPS application.

This tool, offered free of charge by Visorando, allows you to validate waypoints and thus remove any doubts you may have about your direction.

See you soon!

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goeland111151
goeland111151

Overall rating : 1.3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 22, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Route interest : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Very busy route : No

The route is very poorly signposted, to the point that it was impossible to complete the walk.
This walk is of no interest whatsoever.
It is located in the village and surrounding housing estates, with very unpleasant sections in the middle of all kinds of buildings and construction sites, and barking dogs everywhere!
To be avoided
Jean-Jo

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jeanphidrums
jeanphidrums

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 14, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very enjoyable hike, and quite local as I live in Fronton;
Thank you.

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bermar
bermar

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 16, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Yesterday, we went on a hike
Between the Rose and the Orchid
It was a very enjoyable experience, despite one negative point, namely
(5) we were unable to find the footpath at the exit of the housing estate to reach the Route de Gourdis.
So we went around and joined the Route de Gourbis at its end
We will definitely return to the site to choose new routes.
Kind regards.
Bermar

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gazok54
gazok54 ★

Thank you, pele3182
I can understand your disappointment with everything you encountered along the way. I have the same issues with dogs around my home. Despite everything, I don't think these issues call into question the reliability of the description. Unless you had problems with orientation.

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pele3182
pele3182

Overall rating : 2 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 13, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing

A concentration of everything you wouldn't want to encounter on a hike:
Much of the route takes you through the soulless housing estates of Villaudric, a commuter suburb of Toulouse. And to top it all off, there are barking dogs behind fences that we hope are secure.
We would have liked to pass by the châteaux and walk through the vineyards that make Fronton wines famous. Instead, we discover the old sewage treatment plant and, as a bonus, an idiot who lets his dogs run wild, their fur bristling as they eye our calves.
A little further on, a raving madman shouts insults and throws pebbles at his neighbours and at us, the walkers. Luckily, a police patrol reassures us and we continue on our way. Finally, a pretty wood, at the end of which we hope to find a sunny spot for a picnic. No such luck, what we find is a dump of rubble and rubbish. Further on, there is now a kennel with a pack of dogs that loudly make it clear that they would like to jump the fence and greet us. Finally, we cross the magnificent football stadium of St Cri Cri les Oies Blanches, undoubtedly the pride of the municipality. In short, 0.1 for this outing, the decimal point because the weather was beautiful that day.

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