The Ségala in the Tarn, the Candour and the Viaur

In Laguépie, you can park on the Place du Foirail, possibly under the market hall. Access is also possible by train (Laguépie station).

(S/E) Head to the bridge over the Viaur and follow the signs for “Sentier 6” and the^GRP® des Gorges du Viaur markings (yellow and red).

(1) Turn left onto the D9 towards Saint-Christophe and follow it for 500 m. Pass the church and then the cemetery until you reach a three-way junction.

(2) Continue for about fifty metres along the D9, then leave it and turn right onto a path leading up the Ruisseau de Bonnaval: signposts mark the start of this path. Further up, cross the stream and climb to a four-way junction (the IGN map is incorrect here).

(3) The path continues straight on, signposted ‘Sentier 6’, and leads to Saint-Pierre.

(4) First turn right then left, following the^GRP® and the yellow and red markers. Note the little church of Saint-Pierre-de-Mercens as you pass. Follow the road to the left of the old school and, 200 m further on, turn left onto a dirt track that descends gently towards the Ruisseau de Ourie.

(5) Just after the stream, turn right onto the path that climbs back up towards the road. Cross the road and continue straight ahead to reach the hamlet of La Sirgarié.

(6) At the far end of the hamlet, take the path on the right which descends through meadows and then woods, before making a hairpin bend to the right.

(7) At the junction of three paths, signposts indicate the direction to follow: the^GRP® and “Sentier 6”. Continue to the left, heading down towards the Candour.

(8) After crossing the Candour via the footbridge known as the “postman’s bridge” or by fording if the water level allows, leave the^GRP® and turn left onto a wide path (signposted “Sentier 6”). Follow it, first on level ground then slightly uphill, until you reach a three-way junction.

(9) Take the path that veers slightly to the left as it descends. Cross the bridge over the Candour and arrive at the D9.

(10) Follow the D9 to the left with care and arrive at the house known as “Les Prades”.

(11) Turn right to head down to the house and follow the path to the left, which runs between the D9 and the Viaur for about 900 m.

(12) Turn left onto the path through the ferns, which climbs 20 m back up to the D9: do not take the slightly descending path on the right that goes round the Saint-Eugène peninsula on the left bank of the Viaur. Once you reach the road, head right for 100 m, then turn right onto the small path heading due north, which climbs gently up Saint-Eugène Hill (60 m elevation gain) before descending back towards the Viaur. Near the summit, look out for a dovecote and the base of a wayside cross.

(13) When you reach the banks of the Viaur, continue to the left. You’ll see a collapsed road and a second one with an old mill, Le Colombier (a narrow passageway beneath a house).

(14) Carry on to the right and rejoin the three-way junction from the start.

(2) Turn right and follow the outward route in the opposite direction to the Place du Foirail (S/E).

This walk is briefly described in an old leaflet from the Laguépie Tourist Office: “Trail No. 6 – Along the Viaur” and was marked in yellow in 2016.

In Laguépie, you’ll find all the necessary amenities. See the town hall’s website or the Tourist Office.

A very pleasant walk in summer as it is very shaded.

The ascent from point (3) to point (4) involves a 160 m climb. Please bear this in mind.

(3) A signpost indicates the start of ‘Trail 5’ on the left, which takes you back to Laguépie in about 5 km via La Pradinié, if you wish to shorten the walk.

(11) Alternative route: you can follow the D9 to the start of the path on the right after the point (12).

The villages of Laguépie (82) and Saint-Martin-Laguépie (81), separated by the Viaur, lie just upstream of the confluence of the Viaur and the Aveyron.
The bridge over the Viaur is nearly 1,000 years old. It once provided a crossing between the Albigeois and the Rouergue.
A visit to Laguépie is well worth it (see the Laguépie town hall website), particularly:
- the railway line, on the right bank of the Aveyron, was opened in 1858, the same year the bridge over the Aveyron was built,
- the section of the D9 leading towards Riols (81) is built on a long series of arches, beneath the castle and alongside the Viaur, to the left of the bridge.
- upstream (road and disused mill) and downstream of the bridge over the Viaur, on the Laguépie side, there are areas for swimming (supervised in July and August) and picnicking.