Le Knoll de Chapteuil from Saint-Julien-Chapteuil

A walk that’s completely straightforward, yet offers beautiful views over the Saint-Julien basin as well as a visit to the ruins of the Château du Seigneur de Chapteuil. The sections on minor roads are minimal. Well worth doing if you have friends who aren’t used to walking; they’ll come back delighted!

Details

859920
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 4.04 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 791 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 801 ft

  • ▲
    Highest point: 3,337 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 2,684 ft

Photos

Description of the walk

Park opposite the town hall, in front of the Tourist Office.
(S/E) Walk up the village’s main street, past the private school, then turn left up the “Côte Gelée”, a stony lane leading to the church.

(1) Go round the church on the right and head back down a marked grassy path. When you reach the stream, do not cross it but follow it on the right, eventually reaching the D15 road which runs through the village. Cross this road to find a few steps opposite, which you descend. Continue straight on along the wide path that continues to follow the stream; this path is also part of theGR®® route. Cross a small bridge, climb slightly and reach a junction.

(2) Ignore Trail No. 1, which branches off to the right, and carry on along the path – which is tarmac for a few dozen metres – as it climbs quite steeply. You will then reach a junction of wide paths marked by a cross.

(3) Take the path on the left, signpostedGR®®, which climbs slightly before descending and then climbing again. Opposite some livestock buildings, you’ll reach a junction with a path on the left.

(4) Take this path on the left (you’re still following theGR®® and Trail No. 1). Descend to the stream and climb back up on the opposite side to reach the D15. Cross this road and head straight on to reach the hamlet of Les Couderts via a small road.

(5) Pass the first house on the left and, immediately after the three-way junction, take the path climbing up to the left, still marked by Trail No. 1 and theGR®®, which you’ll leave at the first junction. Follow the Trail No. 1 markings to climb up to just below the summit of the knoll, at the foot of splendid basalt cliffs. You’ll reach a plateau, then descend on the other side down a vast scree slope. Pass through the Bacelles gate, turn right and follow the Trail No. 1 markings carefully to reach the hamlet of Bacelles.

(6) Once on the road, turn right and then, almost immediately, take the path that starts on the left. Follow this lovely path through meadows until you reach a road.

(7) Take this road to the left, continue straight on at the junction, pass the care home and arrive at a stream. Turn right, then cross the first bridge on the left. Follow the road which runs alongside the stream and then climbs to the left; this will take you to the high street of Saint-Julien. A few metres to the right will then lead you to the finish (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 2,694 ft - Saint-Julien Town Hall
  2. 1 : mi 0.18 - alt. 2,789 ft - Church
  3. 2 : mi 1.04 - alt. 2,822 ft - End of Trail No. 1
  4. 3 : mi 1.28 - alt. 2,959 ft - Crossroads with a cross; turn left onto the GR
  5. 4 : mi 1.75 - alt. 3,035 ft - Trail junction no. 1, take the path on the left
  6. 5 : mi 2.18 - alt. 3,051 ft - Les Couderts, path on the left
  7. 6 : mi 2.97 - alt. 3,041 ft - Bacelles
  8. 7 : mi 3.61 - alt. 2,812 ft - Finish on the road, turn left
  9. S/E : mi 4.04 - alt. 2,694 ft - Saint-Julien Town Hall

Notes

Information: The route follows the markings for Trail No. 1 inthe Meygal Trail Area between (S) and (2), then between (4) and (E). It also follows theGR®® 65 between (2) and (5) (more precisely, just before (2) and just after (5)!).
Make sure you wear sturdy shoes for the section between (5) and (6) as there are plenty of stones.

Worth a visit

Be sure to visitthe listedRomanesque church of Saint-Julien-Chapteuil at (1).
When crossing the stream between (4) and (5), pop into the mill and admire its stone vaulted ceiling.
(5) Information about the organ
Between (5) and (6), take the opportunity to read the many information boards about the castle or the volcano on which it stands.
In the hamlet of Bacelles (6), take a look at the bread oven restored by the Meygalit association.

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.

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 21 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
User 30073631

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 20, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

You should already have some hiking experience, including map-reading and following route descriptions.
It’s still a challenging route with a stony path and a significant elevation gain for someone who isn’t a regular hiker.

A magnificent reward awaits at the end: the view.
The volcanic landscape, with its columnar basalt formations and extensive scree slopes.
The history of the Lord of St Julien, the troubadour, and the remains of his castle.

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Ptibusy
Ptibusy

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

Very nice hike! Some beautiful views!

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patricklanglois
patricklanglois

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 09, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful, well-shaded route with stunning views, particularly of the village of Saint Julien from the knoll.

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Mag-38
Mag-38

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 10, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

An easy walk with very few people.
Some sections run alongside fields offering pleasant views.

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Jackopat
Jackopat

Overall rating : 4 / 5

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

A lovely, pleasant walk with beautiful views and interesting information boards.
The only time we had trouble finding our way was in description (1), where it took us a while to find the "few steps" because there was a private gate and you have to get close to see the steps. You do indeed have to cross the road straight ahead and go straight across. No other problems.
Also, my GPS stopped working for a while, so I decided that next time I would download and print out the description and the map.

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loutor
loutor

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 20, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

great walk. With a beautiful view

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Maya01
Maya01

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 20, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Superb walk, description matched my expectations, thanks to the author

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AMTournon
AMTournon

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 20, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike that is interesting from a geological, historical and heritage perspective. Magnificent landscapes.

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gilbonson
gilbonson

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 23, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A wonderful discovery of the surroundings of St Julien and its castle.

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divielau
divielau

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 12, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

great description of the route. You never feel lost, even if you don't know the area at all. I think in summer it's best to do it in the morning.
thanks to the team.

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CUNCHON
CUNCHON

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

A magnificent walk without any major difficulties. Superb landscapes with unobstructed views.
We followed this route using GPS, so I can't comment on the description.
Thank you for this route, which is definitely worth the detour

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mielouri
mielouri

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 26, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very pleasant tour, covering the history of the mills and Chapteuil Castle. Ideal for families

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RitonRandonneur
RitonRandonneur

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 11, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We had a lovely little walk in the afternoon. The weather was fine and I mapped out the route using GPS
All the previous comments are absolutely right: it's a beautiful region and I'll be coming back to Saint Julien

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Vincentamja
Vincentamja

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 13, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very varied hike with a superb view of the knoll as the highlight.

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catsermatis
catsermatis

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 09, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike with a climb up to knoll des Couderts, where you can enjoy magnificent views of the valley and see the ruins of a medieval castle.
At the time of writing (09.07.20), the church is undergoing renovation work, so you cannot go around it on the right, but at point 1 you can go directly down to the left at the top of the "Côte Gelée". However, you can then go back up the small path after the houses to admire the view from behind the church.
The description is good, except towards the end of the route (point 5) where we had to ask for directions.

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