The Cruou Valley

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At the gateway to the Marcillac vineyards, on the Causse Comtal plateau, a notch in the Vallée du Cruou splits this hub of civilisation where châteaux and manor houses dot the landscape among the devèzes, woods and streams.

Details

n°4464996
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.42 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 05 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 284 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 284 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 591 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 337 m
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Photos

Colombier Castle
Colombier Castle
Chemin de la Vallée du Cruou
The Cruou Valley

Description of the walk

Park on the Place de l'Église, in the heart of Mondalazac. There is aPR® signpost in the car park.

(S/E) Head west and follow Chemin des Royes. This is the road that turns into a path after the cemetery. As you approach Billorgues, turn left.

(1) At the crossroads, continue straight ahead and go around the farm buildings on the left. Then follow the path. This gives way to tarmac as you approach Solsac.

(2) Turn left at the intersection. Then turn right at the cross and follow theGR®62along Rue du Général Tarayre. Shortly after the drinking troughs, leave theGR®62on your left and continue straight ahead.

(3) Take thePR® on your right, which will lead you to a forest path strewn with stones.
This is where the descent to the Vallée du Cruou begins. Continue on thePR® which goes straight through the forest; there is no confusion possible as there is only one path.

(4) Cross the D227 road and continue straight ahead on the path leading to Le Grand Mas. The climb is steep, so keep heading north-north-west and then north.

(5) At the top of the hill (wash house), turn right and climb towards the village, passing two intersections on your left. Keep heading south-east.

(6) At the intersection, turn left and drive along Les Dévèzes (viewpoint). At the crossroads, turn left again and continue along the road.

(7) At the next crossroads, turn right. About 50 metres further on, at a fork, turn right towards Mondalazac. From there, simply follow the track eastwards, ignoring all the paths on either side at each intersection.

(8) When you reach the road, turn right twice to follow the track rather than the tarmac road.

(9) Turn right onto the track. Pass the hamlet of Cruonet and descend to the D227 road.

(10) Cross the road and continue straight ahead on a somewhat grassy path that climbs diagonally to the right. About 400 m further on, at the intersection of two paths, continue straight ahead.

(11) Cross the road and continue along the path opposite. Continue along the tarmac road and enter Mondalazac. Pass two intersections before reaching Rue des Mines. Then turn right. Pass two intersections on your right, then turn right. This will take you back to the church and the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 540 m - Place de l' - Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste (Mondalazac)
  2. 1 : km 0.98 - alt. 541 m - Billorgues
  3. 2 : km 2.19 - alt. 506 m - Solsac
  4. 3 : km 2.56 - alt. 472 m - Chemin du Cruou
  5. 4 : km 3.61 - alt. 337 m - Chemin du Grand Mas
  6. 5 : km 4.75 - alt. 509 m - Le Grand Mas - Lavoir
  7. 6 : km 5.02 - alt. 528 m - Route des Dévèzes - Intersection
  8. 7 : km 5.39 - alt. 543 m - Mondalazac Trail
  9. 8 : km 8.09 - alt. 591 m - Crossroads Track
  10. 9 : km 8.97 - alt. 548 m - Chemin du Cruounet
  11. 10 : km 9.92 - alt. 505 m - PR - D227 crossroads
  12. 11 : km 10.77 - alt. 544 m - Mondalazac
  13. S/E : km 11.42 - alt. 540 m - Place de l' - Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste (Mondalazac)

Notes

This hike is not difficult overall. Only the climb to Grand Mas is quite steep.
Some sections are muddy, so it is advisable to wear good walking shoes.
Bring water, especially in summer when the northern part of the hike is south-facing and has few trees.

Worth a visit

Near the (S/E) is the Château du Colombier, its garden and its animal park (under construction).
Not far from Solsac (2), if you leave the trail and follow theGR®62, you will find the Grotte de Bouche Roland.
There is a beautiful view of the Dévèzes in (6). These were once plots of land belonging to the village and distributed fairly among the inhabitants for cultivation or grazing sheep. They still are today.

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

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Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 7 reviews
Reliability of the description
5 / 5
Ease of following the route
5 / 5
Route interest
4.4 / 5
katia.madier
katia.madier

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 12, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful, well-marked hike with magnificent scenery, especially in autumn with the beautiful colours of the trees, and a superb view of the castle at the end of the trail. Very few people on the trail.

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jymdu63
jymdu63

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 18, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful hike! Done in the morning because of the heat
the route was easy to follow thanks to good signposting
One difficult climb up to Grand Mas
The second part of the hike is a bit more monotonous
Beautiful view of the Château du Colombier

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Danielle Robert
Danielle Robert

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 23, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike, exclusively on lovely paths. The landscapes are varied, and the view of Colombier Castle is superb. The climb to Grand Mas is a bit steep but quickly conquered. This is the only difficulty, and the hike as a whole is highly recommended.

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Maggy02
Maggy02

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 26, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

This superb, well-marked hike takes place at the end of June and mainly follows paths. There is virtually no tarmac.
Although there are a few (rocky) climbs and descents that are a bit physically demanding, particularly the one up from the Cruou valley, as the description indicates, this hike remains largely accessible (we are 72 and 75 years old respectively and are not seasoned hikers).
It really is a beautiful hike where you won't get bored and where the landscapes are varied.
Thanks to the poster.

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JacquesMartinez
JacquesMartinez
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 14, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hello
We did this hike on one of the last warm days of September.
The first part, up to the village of Grand Mas, offers a variety of landscapes, attractions, elevation changes and shade.
The second part, from Grand Mas to the starting point (mostly on the Causse Comtal plateau), is also pleasant but more monotonous and more exposed to the sun. Le Cruou was completely dry during this hike.
Overall, it was a pleasant walk, with no difficulties apart from the fairly steep climb up to Grand Mas.

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danielle12
danielle12

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 10, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant short hike with a beautiful view of Colombier Castle at the end.

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cadars simone
cadars simone

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 29, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

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