The two bell towers walk

Cépet and Gargas are small, quiet villages that have retained all their authenticity, beauty and rural character despite the demographic development of the area.
A visit to these villages will transport you to a peaceful atmosphere. A bucolic walk through the fields will also allow you to breathe in the fresh country air and enjoy the rural flora and fauna, which are sure to delight you.

PLEASE NOTE: Read the practical information

Details

445910
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 8.99 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 41 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 42 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 163 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 123 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ District: Cépet (31620)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 43.74972° / E 1.432065°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 2042E, 2142O
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Description of the walk

Departure from Cépet, Place Sainte-Foy.

(S/E) From the village square (Place Sainte-Foy), cross the D14 (Avenue de Villemur) to reach the street opposite, Rue du 19 mars 1962. Pass in front of the wash house, then turn right into Rue du 8 mai 1945 and continue towards the church.

(1) Just before the church, turn right onto Chemin du Pradet and, at the crossroads, continue straight ahead, crossing the D14 to join the path through the fields. Continue along this path, passing in front of the water treatment plant. Further on, leave the access to La Cahusière on your left and continue to the next intersection (elevation 127).

(2) Turn left to cross the bridge over the Girou, cross the D45 (take care) and continue straight on towards the village of Gargas.

(3) At the first houses, turn right onto Rue des Sports, then left in front of the stadium to reach the centre of the village and Place de l'Eglise. Go around this square by turning right, then left to walk along the central island and go up Rue des Donnes.

(4) At the end, turn left and then left again onto Grande Rue Cassebiau. Pass the church again and continue along Route de la Grande Borde until you reach the junction with Rue des Sports, which you took earlier.

(3) Continue for about 50 metres, then turn right onto the path leading to the cemetery.

(5) Walk along the left side of the cemetery, then continue straight ahead on the path that crosses the fields to Chemin Labelle. Turn left and continue to the intersection with Route de la Mouissagues (D45). Then turn right and walk along this road for about 300 metres.

(6) Turn left onto the path through the fields along Ruisseau d'En Touch. At the crossroads, turn right to join Avenue de Villemur (D14). Turn left towards the village of Cépet and continue straight ahead to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 128 m - Cépet, Place Sainte-Foy
  2. 1 : km 0.5 - alt. 123 m - Chemin du Pradet on the right
  3. 2 : km 2.73 - alt. 127 m - Crossroads, elevation 127, on the left. - Girou (rivière)
  4. 3 : km 4.1 - alt. 149 m - Rue des Sports, on the right
  5. 4 : km 4.81 - alt. 163 m - Rue des Donnes, on the left
  6. 5 : km 5.87 - alt. 142 m - Cemetery
  7. 6 : km 7.59 - alt. 127 m - D45, on the left
  8. S/E : km 8.99 - alt. 128 m - Cépet, Place Sainte-Foy

Notes

Caution.
Hikers report a risk area along the roads because, on the one hand, there are no proper verges and, on the other hand, vehicles drive at high speed.
Be careful when crossing the D45!

Worth a visit

Along the way: 17th-century castle porch at the start of Place Sainte-Foy, wash house, Sainte-Foy Church in Cépet, Place de l'Église in Gargas, private castles, remarkable landscapes that have retained their rural identity.

Nearby: Chemin Mourau (Cépet), fountain on the Way of St James, Saint-Sauveur town hall and its panoramic viewpoint.

Reviews and comments

4 / 5
Based on 10 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
2.7 / 5
Bernardd2016
Bernardd2016

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 22, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

A pleasant country route, including a loop around Gargas, with plenty of paths. There is a significant stretch of tarmac on routes with little traffic, except for 400–500 metres along the narrow RD 45, where traffic is heavy and there is little opportunity to get out of the way.
Well worth exploring nonetheless; perhaps an alternative to the RD 45 can be found.

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grandpirate
grandpirate

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 26, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Too much tarmac and, above all, long stretches on busy roads with no pedestrian safety measures.

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Neo09
Neo09

Overall rating : 2.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 10, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Very busy route : Yes

Hello,
Really disappointed with this walk, the road, the road and more road. A bland, monotonous and uninteresting route. Fortunately, there are two charming bell towers, but apart from that...
And the worst part is the return trip, which is on a busy, high-speed road with no pavement, nothing at all, just the road and a ditch on either side. EXTREMELY dangerous, I was terrified for my children.
In short, I've done it once and I'm not going back any time soon.

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grosselin
grosselin

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 20, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Well done on the route, it's interesting. However, be careful of traffic on certain busy sections of road (this walk is best done in small groups).

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henri57
henri57 ★

Hello,

Thank you for your feedback.

This information has been added to the description.

WARNING:

Hikers have reported a risk area along the roads because, on the one hand, there are no designated hard shoulders and, on the other hand, vehicles travel at high speeds.

See you soon!

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krisper
krisper

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 12, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing

The first part of the hike (the first 3 km) is quite pleasant, but the rest is really too much road with a high risk of being hit by cars because there are no facilities for pedestrians. In short, it's a real danger because there are quite a few vehicles on the paths and local roads along this hike, and I went on a Sunday morning, so I can't imagine what it's like during the week...

It would be good if the people responsible for setting up this kind of hike took road risks into account!
As an experienced hiker, I would never have created a route like this because it's really too dangerous, but hey...

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David31500
David31500

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 28, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average

Pleasant stretches through fields, but some sections on busy roads without sufficient hard shoulder. The small garden behind the church in Gargas is a lovely spot for a break halfway along the route.

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robert2904
robert2904

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 11, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A bit of tarmac, but a pleasant and very easy outing. It all depends on what you're looking for.

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GAGNAC RANDO
GAGNAC RANDO

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 08, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing

Hike without much interest. At point 129, walking along the D45 for 300 metres is very dangerous, as many cars drive at high speed. Route includes too many tarmac roads.

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christian425
christian425

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 28, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average

A bit too much tarmac and tricky sections on the D 45

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jerome.fabre4
jerome.fabre4

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 17, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing

A significant part of the route runs along roads, one of which is particularly busy with fast-moving cars. This is dangerous.

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