The Marcaissonne Valley starting from Auzielle

This walk in the Marcaissonne valley allows you to discover or rediscover a landscape typical of the Lauragais region's extensive farming. On either side of the stream, the path lined with hedges and large oak trees offers walkers a peaceful route through this wide, flat valley bordered by sloping hillsides. This site is home to the historic Via Tolosa route.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 8.41 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 58 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 51 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 226 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 156 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ District: Auzielle (31650)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 43.541974° / E 1.565972°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 2144O
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Photos

Description of the walk

Car park near the church and town hall in Auzielle.

(S/E) At the crossroads, take the road on the left (view of Lauzerville church). Turn right and continue straight ahead along a path until you reach a crossroads (Sainte Germaine fountain 50 m up the D 94 road).

(1) Turn left, go through a roundabout and atthe second crossroads, turn right towards Lauzerville. Cross the bridge over the Marcaissonne and take the road on the right. Leave it and continue straight ahead on the track parallel to the Marcaissonne stream.

(2) Continue straight ahead (view of the "bordes" on the left). After 2 km, the track turns into a road. Continue straight ahead until you reach a junction with the road (D 54a). Turn right towards Odars church, cross the bridge over the Marcaissonne and pass in front of the large house known as "La Borie" (view of La Borie drystone shelter opposite).

(3) At the intersection, turn right onto the path called Chemin Toulousain and follow it to the bottom of the valley. Pass the farm on the hillside on your left and continue to the next intersection.

(4) Turn left onto the gravel path between the two fields. Follow it for about 800 metres until you come to a dirt track on the left.

(5) Take the grassy track on the left. At the crossroads, go up to the right alongside the house. After a bend, the path turns into a road. At the intersection, continue straight ahead for about 150 metres.

(6) Take a sunken path lined with hedges on the right. Follow it for 600 m until you reach the road. Turn left to reach the church, passing the Parc du Pigeonnier (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 199 m - Town hall car park - Église Saint-Pierre (Auzielle)
  2. 1 : km 0.59 - alt. 159 m - Crossing
  3. 2 : km 2.11 - alt. 157 m - Track
  4. 3 : km 4.66 - alt. 164 m - La Borie intersection
  5. 4 : km 5.96 - alt. 161 m - Intersection of paths
  6. 5 : km 6.64 - alt. 203 m - Intersection with grassy path
  7. 6 : km 7.58 - alt. 210 m - Fork in the sunken path
  8. S/E : km 8.41 - alt. 199 m - Town hall car park - Église Saint-Pierre (Auzielle)

Notes

Yellow markings.

Observations:
- Few shaded areas
- Little elevation change
- Water source in front of the town hall
- Take care at road crossings
- Recommended equipment: footwear suitable for walking in all seasons
- Possible connections with other circular loops

Worth a visit

Landscapes:
- Marcaissonne Valley, typical Lauragais landscape
- View of Lauzerville Church
- View of Odars Church
- Via Tolosa (Chemin Toulousain), an ancient road that linked Toulouse to Baziège, crossing the Marcaissonne Valley. It is thought to have been an "alternative route" for the empire's horsemen, who thus avoided traffic jams on the Roman road linking Narbonne to Toulouse

Heritage:

Saint-Pierre Church: This east-facing church with a polygonal chevet was undoubtedly built on the walls of the medieval fort, as evidenced by its location, the thickness of its walls and its porch, which is that of the former fortified dwelling. To the west is the rectangular bell tower, built in the mid-16th century. It differs from the bell towers of other churches built at the same time in the Lauragais region. It is therefore a prestigious structure that testifies to the importance of Auzielle at that time. The four chapels house secondary altars donated by parishioners. The lords of Auzielle attended services from one of the chapels. In the 20th century, the lime plaster covering the bricks was removed, highlighting the local character of this building.

Fontaine Sainte-Germaine: Topped by a small wooden and metal wheel, this fountain consists of three basins that follow the slope of the ground and are connected to each other by openings in the masonry. The two lower basins are identical and shaped like drinking troughs. The third, smaller basin is protected by a kind of tower with two openings. The lower one provides access to the water. In the upper part, a niche houses a stone statue of Sainte-Germaine. The young shepherdess, born in Pibrac and canonised in 1854, watches over the village's water supply. Her statue in the niche above the fountain mysteriously disappeared in 1978, and the parish community decided to replace it. On 11 June 1994, a large crowd gathered around the fountain to witness the blessing of the new terracotta statue.

Former presbytery - Town hall: Housed in a building on the site of the former feudal motte, next to the church, the town hall was originally a presbytery. By the end of the 19th century, there was no longer a resident priest in Auzielle, and in 1880 the parish decided to use the presbytery to house a school. Teaching was naturally provided by religious figures, on the eve of the laws on public and secular education. This building is the work of Toulouse architect Jacques-Jean Esquié.

Pigeonnier of the Drystone Shelter: Integrated into the remains of a dwelling, probably a manor house, this square tower-shaped dovecote is characteristic of the region, even if its roof is more Gascon than Toulouse in style. Its size indicates that it was part of a fairly large property. Only the upper floor was reserved for birds. On the exterior walls are the cords, cornice and belt of tiles designed to protect the pigeons from crawling or climbing predators. In the 19th century, the construction of dovecotes became widespread.

Reviews and comments

4.2 / 5
Based on 8 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.3 / 5
Route interest
3.8 / 5
User 10784791

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 29, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

A Sunday stroll without any particular difficulty or interest.
Just the pleasure of getting some fresh air.
That’s nice too. 😊

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Marie1960
Marie1960

Overall rating : 4 / 5

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

A pleasant 8 km loop mainly on trails. Starting from Auzielle, the descent takes us into the Marcaissonne valley, with some lovely views. There are no difficulties as the long section between the fields and the stream is completely flat, but there is no shade. A magnificent manor house with a dovecote and grounds is located halfway along the route. The trail finally climbs back up the hill, the only difficult part of this loop. There are also several options for returning to Auzielle if you want to extend the route by making a detour via Odars, for example. Follow the Sicoval signs, which clearly indicate the paths.
I have done this walk several times in all seasons, and it is always peaceful and a breath of fresh air!

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grandpirate
grandpirate

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 13, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

An unoriginal but pleasant and relaxing hike, very rural. View of a beautiful dovecote.
The start of the route is tedious, but after that there is little tarmac. To avoid missing the turn-off at point 6, look for the small wayside cross on the right. I was happy to have done this walk in beautiful spring sunshine. Exceptionally, I think it was very busy that day (the return of good weather!).
I have fond memories of this hike.

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Stephane 31
Stephane 31

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 30, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The start of the route is a bit monotonous, with a long straight stretch, but the second part is more varied. There is a lovely dovecote halfway along the route.

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lachtite31
lachtite31

Overall rating : 4 / 5

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

An easy and enjoyable hike with friends on a beautiful autumn afternoon.
It allowed us to discover parts of trails we didn't know about, just a stone's throw from our homes. Thank you for suggesting it to us 😊

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Rando31400
Rando31400

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 24, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A very pleasant walk with few paved roads
Best avoided in midsummer as there is very little shade

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Ramonville
Ramonville

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 07, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant walk, after a steep descent it is very flat and a little monotonous along the Marcaissonne stream, then more varied and hilly as it climbs back up to the starting point. The section that branches off to the left of the stream (between 1 and 2) is not particularly interesting unless you want to add a little extra length to your walk, as it follows the road to a roundabout, crosses the stream and then returns along the stream in the opposite direction. To avoid this section of road, it is more pleasant to cross the stream directly opposite 1 via the small bridge (marked "Passage à gué") to reach 2 and continue on the right. Not very busy during the week, it is likely to be much busier at the weekend. There is no shade at all along the stream between 1 and 3.

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DELBES
DELBES

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 25, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely little circular route, best done on a Sunday afternoon when the weather is pleasant, despite the Autan wind blowing through the Lauragais region.
Not too much tarmac, beautiful trails and pleasant paths, which are best enjoyed outside of the rainy season if you want to avoid muddy patches in places.

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