The Gramat plateau from Carennac

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Discover the natural beauty of the Gramat plateau, around the charming medieval village of Carennac. If you love nature and old buildings, this hike is for you.

Details

n°30855491
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.63 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 25 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 231 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 226 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 301 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 125 m
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Photos

View of the cliff over the Dordogne.
Causse de Gramat
Typical street in Carennac
Carennac Castle, seen from the bridge

Description of the walk

Start from the car park at the southern end of the village on the D20.

(S/E) Take the road towards the village and follow the D43 to the right, following the signs for "Château de Carennac".

(1) At the fork near the post office, continue straight ahead and pass by the foot of the castle.

(2) Turn right and cross the bridge. Go straight ahead into the cul-de-sac and continue along the path that extends from it.

(3) Turn right at the junction with the small gravel road. Follow this path across the limestone plateau.

(4) The path curves sharply to the left. Stay on the path. At the end, turn left and pass in front of an old stone farmhouse.

(5) At the intersection after the curves, go straight ahead and pass by the isolated house. Go straight into the forest. Leave the part that branches off to the right and go straight ahead. At the next crossroads, continue straight ahead.

(6) At the end of the path, turn left, then continue straight ahead through the trees. Join a road before Boris Farm.

(7) Pass the farm and continue on the left.

(8) At the triangular intersection, turn right. Follow the winding road down to the village.

(9) At the bend, leave the street on your left and go straight ahead onto the small Roman road. This will take you to the village.

(10) At the end of the street, facing the wall, turn left to explore the village.

(1) Take the D43 back to the car park.

(S/E) Car park at the village exit.

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 137 m - Cardennac Car Park P1 (D20)
  2. 1 : km 0.23 - alt. 135 m - Fourche
  3. 2 : km 0.37 - alt. 133 m - Bridge - Dordogne (fleuve)
  4. 3 : km 1.58 - alt. 217 m - Intersection in the middle of the Causse
  5. 4 : km 4.23 - alt. 266 m - Circular to the left
  6. 5 : km 4.89 - alt. 298 m - Intersection
  7. 6 : km 5.52 - alt. 291 m - Intersection in the forest
  8. 7 : km 6.96 - alt. 289 m - Large farm
  9. 8 : km 7.35 - alt. 287 m - Triangular intersection
  10. 9 : km 8.66 - alt. 193 m - Roman road
  11. 10 : km 9.23 - alt. 143 m - Arrival in the village from above
  12. S/E : km 9.63 - alt. 137 m - Cardennac Car Park P1 (D20)

Notes

The route starts from the small car park at the edge of the village. There are other car parks indicated if needed, including one that can also accommodate motorhomes. Please note that the car park at the foot of the castle is reserved for village residents.

It is strongly recommended (even essential) to follow the GPS track on the app. In this unspoilt natural environment, there are few landmarks.

The route starts with a slight descent, followed by a long climb. The final stretch is downhill on a small road.

Wear good shoes and take breaks to rehydrate in hot weather.

Worth a visit

At the end of the route, take a stroll through the village's narrow streets.
Sights to see:
The 11th-century Saint-Pierre Church and its sculpted tympanum.
The half-Romanesque, half-flamboyant Gothic cloister.
The chapter house with a 15th-century Deposition.
The Château des Doyens.

Point (1) (the post office), you can take the small street downhill to admire the Dordogne.

Reviews and comments

4.9 / 5
Based on 8 reviews
Reliability of the description
5 / 5
Ease of following the route
5 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
Mamina50
Mamina50

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A magnificent, varied and relatively short hike. A few dangerous spots to be aware of for young children.

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verrat.michel
verrat.michel

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 15, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The route is superb and easy to follow without GPS.

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Christi19
Christi19

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 17, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful, easy hike with views of the Dordogne along part of the route. It's a shame about the road section at the end, but it's downhill and the road is quiet, at least outside the summer season. Don't hesitate to add a visit to Carennac.

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Wampas
Wampas

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 26, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike that takes you through the charming village of Carennac.
There are some lovely climbs, tracks, forests and a little bit of tarmac on quiet roads, so it's very varied.
At point 4, continue towards the view of the Dordogne, taking care to avoid the cliff.
(Park before point 9 to avoid overcrowding the village car park and to split the journey on the road, a little at the start and then at the end...)

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Moiphilippe35@gmail
Moiphilippe35@gmail

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 05, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Great 👍🏻 easy hike to follow, the difficulties are at the beginning because it's quite steep 😝 then it's great, it's lovely to be in the woods.

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kehan
kehan

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 14, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful route for hiking, but demanding on the legs and breath during the first part. There is a beautiful view of the Dordogne River if you veer slightly to your right at point 4 when leaving the route, but be careful as you will find yourself at the top of the cliff with no safety barriers. On the downside, there is too much tarmac on the second part.
Along the way, if it's the right season, you can pick some wild garlic to eat in a vinaigrette!
Enjoy your walk in the Lot.

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MJE46
MJE46

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 11, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk on the limestone plateau with beautiful views and, of course, the charming village of Carennac.

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Ldc
Ldc

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 25, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk starting from the beautiful village of Carennac.

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