To the foot of the Château de Quéribus from Cucugnan

de fr

From the village, a climb to the foot of the Château de Quéribus on well-marked paths.
See: practical information.
The descent is quite steep, after waypoint (5).
It's quite possible to do this circuit the other way round, and climb from waypoint (6) to (5).

Details

n°2795895
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 8.49 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 392 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 396 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 625 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 261 m
Downloads
Open in the mobile app
Download GPX GPX
Download PDF PDF

Photos

To the foot of the Château de Quéribus from Cucugnan
To the foot of the Château de Quéribus from Cucugnan
To the foot of the Château de Quéribus from Cucugnan
To the foot of the Château de Quéribus from Cucugnan

Description of the walk

Start: From Perpignan, head for the airport and then Foix on the D117. Pass Estagel and, in Maury, turn right on the D19 towards Cucugnan. This beautiful road takes you over the Grau de Maury pass. From the pass, descend to Cucugnan on the D123. Park on the right at the entrance to the village, opposite the Tourist Office on the D14.

Red and white GR®367__ signposting (old blue and yellow signposting also present).

(S/E) With your back to the car park, go uphill to the right of the Tourist Office and find the GR®367 markings. Continue due East through the village, then right down the Chemin de la Chapelle to reach the D14 (Route de Padern).
Cross it with caution. Continue for 100m. Leave the GR®367 which goes off to the right and arrive at the oratory on your left.

Old yellow markings__.

(1) Continue straight ahead on this road (Chemin du Bourdicou). Ignore the minor road on your left. 100 m further on, at the fork in the road, turn left, South-East. Again, ignore the adjacent paths and tracks. At 279 on the map, turn right at right-angles, climbing a little steeper. Continue on the main track, which meanders before heading North-East.

(2) At this junction, ignore the flat track and head due east on the right, climbing more steeply into the forest.

(3) At this point (marker 508), ignore the track to the left and continue, following the signs, to enjoy the scenery. Rejoin the GR®367.

Balisage Rouge et Blanc du GR® 367 (red and white markings)

(4) Turn right at right-angles onto a good track, following the signs. Reach the parking area at the foot of the Château de Quéribus.
Access to and visit of the castle are subject to an entrance fee.

Red and white GR®367__ signposting

(5) Head uphill on a wide track used as a parking area during peak periods. The path leads first North and then West, offering a beautiful view over the valley.
Take care, however, on the steep descent with its wooden steps. The area is very gullied. Please use these steps. Thank you for future hikers. Join a small road and turn left for 100m.

(6) Leave the GR®367. Continue left along a small road towards the village.
At the D14, turn left with caution to reach the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 297 m - Cucugnan Tourist Office
  2. 1 : km 0.84 - alt. 265 m - Oratory. Opposite. Abandonment of the GR367
  3. 2 : km 2.56 - alt. 428 m - To the right as you go up
  4. 3 : km 3.19 - alt. 511 m - Straight on to the runway
  5. 4 : km 3.9 - alt. 577 m - Rating 508. Right-hand side.
  6. 5 : km 5.48 - alt. 605 m - Castle car park. Picnic tables.
  7. 6 : km 7.63 - alt. 275 m - On the left, abandonment of the GR367
  8. S/E : km 8.49 - alt. 297 m - Cucugnan Tourist Office

Notes

Driving to start & parking: From Perpignan, head for the airport and then Foix on the D117. Pass Estagel and, in Maury, turn right on the D19 towards Cucugnan. This beautiful road takes you over the Grau de Maury pass. From the pass, descend to Cucugnan on the D123. Park on the right at the entrance to the village, opposite the Tourist Office on the D14.

Note: There is an entrance fee to visit the Château. Ticket office.

Waymarkers : The GR® 367, marked in red and white, replaces the former Sentier Cathare, marked in blue and yellow.

Facilities : Toilets at the Tourist Office at the start of the hike.
Picnic tables, drinks and toilets in the château car park.

Gears: This is a mid-mountain area. So you'll need: protective rainwear and an anorak, water, snack, GPX trail, description, map, GPS or Visorando app, camera, good walking shoes and walking sticks.

Worth a visit

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.

Downloads
Open in the mobile app
Download GPX GPX
Download PDF PDF

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 33 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.9 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
User 18530772

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 30, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful restoration of the castle

Machine-translated

Yves LAGAFFE
Yves LAGAFFE

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 14, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

done in October on a club outing based on Visorando map
Easy climb. More difficult descent, slightly wetter, overcast weather.
Not much of a view at the castle

Machine-translated

lemarcheur65
lemarcheur65 ★

Hello Manogros
You wrote :

Tarmac all the way, no shade.

I didn't know that the Aude department had macadamised all the tracks and paths!

(It's funny for a hike that's marked on the map as going through the forest).

Yes, it's the Aude, so the trees are small and often sparse!
There's no mention of any shade.
Fortunately there was no mud, because whose fault was that!

Machine-translated

Manogros
Manogros
• Edited:

Tarmac all the way, no shade (funny for a walk marked on the map as going through the forest) and an upside-down climb.

On a bike, it could be very interesting, but on foot, it's pretty uninteresting.

Machine-translated

PHALIP
PHALIP

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 05, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Tour done in reverse because of steep and slippery descent

Machine-translated

Vejapi
Vejapi

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 17, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very pretty walk from the village of Cucugnan with its mill, its authentic bakery and its bread baked in a wood-fired oven, past the church of Saint-Julien and its pregnant Virgin Mary.
A visit to the Château de Quéribus is a must, with its magnificent views over the plain and the village of Cucugnan.

Machine-translated

Philval
Philval

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

It's a lovely walk, and of course a visit to the castle is a must, as the view is magnificent (7.50 euros....). On the way back, it's worth strolling through the streets of Cucugnan, visiting the church and the mill further up.

Machine-translated

Joël Bars
Joël Bars

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

Walk carried out as indicated on the map. GPS tracking loaded with .gpx file. No problems at all!

Machine-translated

joelbis
joelbis

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

A very interesting walk because of the crest overlooking the Château de Queribus. Magnificent view of the castle and the Canigou in good weather.

Machine-translated

Jubilat66
Jubilat66

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 28, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We hiked with a group of 15 people, including several octogenarians. No such luck that day, with thick fog!
Most of the participants would have preferred to make the most of the effort on the steep slope in the morning, which was quite difficult on the descent for the oldest members of our group.

Machine-translated

Givze
Givze

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 26, 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.
Don't hesitate to visit the Château de Quéribus, which offers magnificent views over the whole region.
There is an entrance fee (around €8) but it would be a shame to miss the panorama.
We followed the direction of the topo, which is much more gradual than the reverse: the climb from Cucugnan is direct and steep, so the choice is a matter of physical fitness and a taste for effort.

Machine-translated

mimcaf
mimcaf
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 16, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We didn't meet any hikers. We did the route in the direction of the topo, in strong winds! But I think it's more interesting to do the route the other way round, as the descent is steep...

Machine-translated

Patrice09
Patrice09

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 09, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Lovely walk in fine weather. We set off from Cucugnan and did it in the opposite direction, as indicated in the comments (we think it's much better too). Beautiful views, a visit to the Château de Queribus, lunch at the paraglider departure area between 5 and 4, with a magnificent view of the valley, Cucugnan, Peyrepertuse and Bugarach. We wish you all a pleasant outing.

Machine-translated

PAT le lion
PAT le lion

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 12, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : Yes

A lot of big tracks and roads, not very interesting except for the castle of Quéribus and a beautiful view and the descent to Cucugnan;
What's more, the bakery is closed until 20 February, which is a shame;

Machine-translated

Vie Cardonne Sabine
Vie Cardonne Sabine
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 14, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Departure from the Tourist Office through the village of Cucugnan.
From Cucugnan to the foot of the Château de Quérigus
Red & White GR 367 signposting
A strenuous climb, with paths lined with rock, woodland, arbutus, box and oak trees, and breaks to admire the magical panorama.
A panorama from the sea to the Pyrenees in fine weather: 17°C, all in the heart of this Citadel "known as one of the others of the Cathar country of Vertigo. Massive yet elegant architecture.
Visit to the Château at an additional cost.
Return as described.
Thank you, our souls, minds and bodies were in unison for this day.

Machine-translated

Other walks in the area

Walking The ridge of the Serre du Grau de Maury

Visorando member
La crête de la Serre du Grau de Maury
↔17.40 km ↗+724 m ↘-734 m ◔7h 00 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Cucugnan (Aude)
An exceptional hike, but: - the 6 km ridge walk from Grau de Maury to La Quille. - the route passes close to steep cliffs and includes a section of rock climbing, so it is strongly advised against for people who are prone to vertigo. Only experienced hikers in good physical condition and accustomed to rocky terrain can complete this hike safely. GPX track essential. Be prepared to turn back if necessary.

Walking Loop via Peyrepertuse, Rouffiac and the Moulin de Ribaute

Visorando member
↔14.54 km ↗+583 m ↘-583 m ◔5h 50 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Duilhac-sous-Peyrepertuse (Aude)
A 16 km loop that passes under the walls of Peyrepertuse Castle, with views of Quéribus Castle and the Quille Massif. Most of the hike is in the woods. Finally, the Verdouble Gorges with their pools and waterfalls offer a refreshing and relaxing break.

Walking Circular of the Last Cathar stronghold in Maury

Visorando member
↔12.37 km ↗+293 m ↘-293 m ◔4h 20 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Maury (Pyrénées-Orientales)
Hike through the Maury vineyards with panoramic views of the valley and unusual views of the Château de Quéribus.

Walking Pas de la Serre - Roc de la Capéliane - les Crabiés - Pas de la Goutine

Visorando member
Pas de la Serre - Roc de la Capéliane - les Crabiés - Pas de la Goutine
↔15.61 km ↗+665 m ↘-661 m ◔6h 20 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Padern (Aude)
From Padern, climb up to the castle, cross the Pas de Massac and the Pas de la Serre.Then there is a superb passage along the ridge to reach the Roc de la Capéliane. Next, follow the tracks, with beautiful scenery, to descend to a discreet path that climbs back up along the Ruisseau de Grazels. Back at the crossroads of the two loops, cross the Pas de la Goutine to return to the village.This circuit may be considered quite difficult by some people.The GPX track is necessary at various points to confirm your position, particularly at (12) and (13).It is possible to do only part of this circuit. *

Walking Sarrat de Germa and the old Montgaillard Mines

Visorando member
Sarrat de Germa et les anciennes Mines de Montgaillard
↔9.58 km ↗+291 m ↘-293 m ◔3h 35 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Montgaillard (Aude) (Aude)
A hike in the heights of the Corbières, in a rather rugged natural environment where the hand of man is still visible. Beautiful views along the way, mining heritage, and a still-thriving wine industry.

Walking Around the Galamus Gorges

Visorando member
Autour des Gorges de Galamus
↔11.59 km ↗+728 m ↘-731 m ◔5h 25 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Saint-Paul-de-Fenouillet (Pyrénées-Orientales)
Rocky landscapes, forest trails, views of the Canigou and Bugarach.A GPS is useful on certain sections.This hike is not recommended if you are prone to vertigo.

Walking The Pla de Brézou

Visorando member
Le Pla de Brézou
↔13.21 km ↗+575 m ↘-572 m ◔5h 25 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Saint-Paul-de-Fenouillet (Pyrénées-Orientales)
Very nice circuit that will take you over grazing areas that are still used. The last part of the circuit overhangs the gorges of Galamus.

Walking Le Pla de Brézou and Pech d'Auroux

Visorando member
Le Pla de Brézou et le Pech d'Auroux
↔10.67 km ↗+694 m ↘-696 m ◔5h 00 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Saint-Paul-de-Fenouillet (Pyrénées-Orientales)
A very pretty route that takes you through areas still used for grazing and to Pech Auroux, offering a 360° view of the Corbières to the north, the Fenouillèdes to the south and Bugarach to the west. The last part of the route overlooks the Gorges de Galamus. Hike closer to 750 m elevation gain. A less challenging version is available: Le Pla de Brézou

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.