A story of stones and water in Murato

de fr

The village of Murato invites you to discover a trail called Histoire de pierres et d'eau (History of Stones and Water). It is a tourist circuit between village and nature where you can discover Murato Supranu (upper part of the village) and Murato Sottanu. You will pass through narrow streets, old houses, churches, chapels, fountains, pagliaghji (straw huts), wash houses and bread ovens.

This route is not intended to be a long hike, but it has the merit of allowing you to discover the past and can be enjoyed by the whole family.

Details

n°1542032
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 6.71 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 235 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 234 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 566 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 472 m
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Photos

Murato
murato
The Chapel of San Michele in Murato
The Saint Roch spring

Description of the walk

Park in the car park of the church of San Michele (San Michele di Muratu), or opposite the church near the spring under the trees near the information board showing the existing trails. There are two trails, one marked in yellow and the other in orange. Follow the signs (Panneau histoire de pierres et d'eau)

(S/E) At the sign opposite the cemetery, take the yellow-marked trail and follow the signs for San Giovanni (San Ghjuvanni), Pont Génois, A Nivera, then Lavoir. You can't go wrong. You will come to a Y-shaped fork where two paths meet.

(1) Take the right-hand path, continue along it and you will reach a fountain (La fontaine A Piazza Culletula di U Supranu).

(2) Continue towards the Chapel of San Giovanni (San Ghjuvanni). At the chapel, you will come to another crossroads.

(3) Head towards the Chapel of Saint Roch (Cappella San Roccu) by continuing to the right. Reach this chapel. A little before the chapel (5 metres) on your right, admire this beautiful Pagliaghju in the scrubland.

(4) Continue along the path, cross the D5 road and head towards the Croix aux Quatre Vents and the Pont Génois bridge over the Bevinco.

(5) Cross it and, at the sign, turn right towards the ice house (A Nivera) via the D5.

(6) Finish at this magnificent ice house (A Nivera). Return by the same route to the crossroads before the San Giovanni Chapel.

(3) At the signpost (Murato Sottanu), head towards the lower part of the village. At the crossroads with the cross, known as "Croix de Mission", take the path towards the wash house and, opposite you, you will see a sign with information about the history of stone and water, in addition to the yellow markings, placed high up on the façade of a house. Continue through the village via the narrow streets.

(7) At the wash house with its slate roof, turn right towards the D305, and at the crossroads of A Costa di A Curtalina, head towards the parish church of the Annunciation - A Nunziata in front of you (yellow markings). Cross the main street and turn immediately left, returning to the crossroads you passed on the way out, ignoring the roads on the right.

(1) Turn right and follow the same route as on the way out to return to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 473 m - Parking at the San Michele church or opposite
  2. 1 : km 0.69 - alt. 527 m - Crossroads of the circular
  3. 2 : km 1.3 - alt. 530 m - Fountain
  4. 3 : km 1.51 - alt. 535 m - San Giovanni Chapel
  5. 4 : km 1.86 - alt. 537 m - Chapel of Saint-Roch and Pagliaghju
  6. 5 : km 2.62 - alt. 519 m - Genoese Bridge - Bevinco (fleuve)
  7. 6 : km 3.18 - alt. 549 m - Magnificent ice house (A Nivera)
  8. 7 : km 5.46 - alt. 488 m - Wash house with its slate roof
  9. S/E : km 6.71 - alt. 472 m - Parking at the San Michele church or opposite

Notes

Drinking water is available throughout the route, with the first water point and source at the start.

Good hiking boots and walking sticks are recommended, as the path is rocky in places.

Also bring IGN maps: 4348OT, 4349OT

Track recorded in the field using a Twonav Sportiva 2 GPS

Worth a visit

Saint-Roch Chapel: Stop here for a moment to admire it and take the opportunity to take photos of the pagliaghji (the pagliaghjiu is built of dry stone using traditional methods, and there are two types of roof: the flat roof or the corbelled roof, also known as a "false vault" (Pailler). Don't hesitate to venture into the scrubland to see it.

The Chapel of San Michele in Murato: You can visit the interior (ask for the keys at the town hall)

Before arriving in the village of Murato, there are views of the Biguglia Lagoon, the Gulf of Saint-Florent, the Lancone Pass and Elba Island.

In the village, the 18th-century parish church of the Annunciation - A Nunziata - is attached to the convent (Le Palais de la Monnaie Corse) built in 1615 by Franciscan Recollects.

The Palace of the Corsican Mint
It was in this vast building made of stone and slate - built in 1437 by the Morati family - that Pascal Paoli chose to establish the Palais de la Monnaie Corse.

Reviews and comments

4.2 / 5
Based on 21 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.1 / 5
Route interest
4.2 / 5
User 21826432

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 04, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The trail was not always consistent with the possible paths

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Sebcheuss
Sebcheuss

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 28, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A rather pleasant hike without much difficulty
Not always well marked, the app and GPS came in handy several times
The section after the Génois bridge isn't very interesting. If I do it again, I'll turn back at this point

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Frederico
Frederico
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 22, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

very pleasant hike, starting at the foot of an unusually beautiful church, with a stunning Genoese bridge and bread ovens along the way. If you are unsure about the route, follow your GPS

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Marc Vandevelde
Marc Vandevelde

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 20, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

Easy walk. Except for the church of San Michele, which is definitely worth a visit, not very interesting.

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Patrick 42
Patrick 42

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 25, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The signs announced were scarce, e.g. no sign at the cemetery, then impossible to get to the bridge.

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Auluse
Auluse

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 15, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hello,
Pleasant hike. Lack of signage in some places, but no problem with the app. Interesting viewpoints and a typical Corsican village.

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Amanbo
Amanbo

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 02, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely family walk through stone villages and forests. A few minor issues with signage, but luckily there's GPS tracking on the app.

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LAFAY
LAFAY

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 03, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Lovely walk. Some places are not very well signposted (lack of signs) but thanks to your explanations we found our way
Very beautiful Genoese bridge, very well restored.
At the beginning of January, we didn't see a soul! Not even in the village!
Not for those who don't like old buildings!

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Scapi
Scapi

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 23, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Great walk through the village and forest, but two hours wasn't enough time to complete the entire marked trail, especially as there are quite a few climbs.
The last part was inaccessible because it was closed off by a barrier and barbed wire, so we couldn't get to the Genoese bridge or the snowfield...
Otherwise, the markings are a bit tricky and hidden, so we sometimes had to play a game of spot the signs to find them! but it was fun!
The village is very cute, the narrow streets are full of surprises and the view of the church is magnificent

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Claude perez
Claude perez

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 27, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A superb, easy, shaded walk.
Discover Corsica's magnificent heritage.

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Jpdvaldu
Jpdvaldu

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 29, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

This hike should be combined with the "Romanesque chapels" hike (same starting and finishing point, 11 km, 350 m elevation gain, shared return route for both circuits), which makes for a very interesting circuit

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Jojotis
Jojotis

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 06, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike, especially in autumn. The colours of the landscapes and paths are very charming.
It's true that there are some concrete sections at the beginning, but after that you'll find yourself on lovely paths. There's a beautifully preserved Genoese bridge. Lots of oak and chestnut trees line the paths. There's an ice house and a church. You'll also pass through a few streets in the village.
For a short 2-hour walk, it's really pleasant, at least at this time of year.
The church at the start offers a 360º view, an exceptional viewpoint with the sea in the distance.
Several water points, no need to bring your own.

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Incantesimu
Incantesimu

Hello,
There is indeed tarmac! But that said, on an IGN map you can clearly see the roads, so in this case it's better not to do the hike rather than put it on the hiking circuit: disappointing. Let other hikers marvel at what the past was like.

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François du 44
François du 44

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 10, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

Sorry, but I was very disappointed with this hike... especially since it's an official village trail! Far too much tarmac for my liking. Yes, there are beautiful churches (at the start and along the way) and a magnificent Genoese bridge, but nothing else! Even the scenery is nothing special, except for the 360° view at the start.
thank you nonetheless for suggesting it to the community
François

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patrick87
patrick87

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 18, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

the first part of the circuit is really uninteresting (apart from the church, of course). From the Genoese bridge onwards, it feels like a real stroll, and the return trip through the village is very interesting.

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