The Puechs tour

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Through the heath and pine forest, a lovely tour of the village to discover different viewpoints.

Details

n°958250
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 5.13 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 1h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 79 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 72 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 138 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 66 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ City: Congénies (30111)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 43.773816° / E 4.158972°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 2842OT
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Photos

View of the village of Congénie
Pretty little drystone shelter
drystone shelter
The Quaker House

Description of the walk

Depart from Congénie near the cooperative winery, in the greenway car park. Follow the yellow markings.

(S/E) Cross the roundabout towards Avenue de la Gare and continue to the end, then turn left onto Avenue de la Fontaine towards Puech du Pendu. After 400 metres, turn left.

(1) Go around the Fontvielle property and take the "Grimpé du Pic". At the top of the hill, first turn right then left, go up a hundred metres and then take the DFCI C38 dirt road to go up into a pine forest (following the yellow markings). Follow the departmental road on your right for a few hundred metres (with a housing estate on the other side of the road), then you will re-enter the pine forest. Continue straight ahead, ignoring the paths on your right and left.

(2) At the fork marked Puech du Pendu 108m, turn right onto a small path, following the signs for "Playcine 0.4km". Follow the path, which will take you across the tarmac road, and take the path opposite.

(3) Climb 400m, then turn left at the three-way junction (yellow markings). 100m further on, turn left towards "Chemin d'Alès (via Fourque) 1.6km". Follow the winding descent and 100m further on, follow the signs indicating a right turn. Go around a hill planted with pine trees on your right and climb a few hundred metres through the heath (passing a pretty drystone shelter on your right), then pass a larch plantation on your right and continue climbing. When you reach a crossroads, turn left (but not before admiring the splendid drystone shelter just opposite the crossroads).

(4) You will arrive at a plateau with a pretty picnic area with benches and tables, which will tempt you to take a break. An information panel discusses biodiversity issues.

(5) Pass in front of the Lebrun farmhouse (on your right, where you can admire interesting zoomorphic stone sculptures), then continue straight ahead, ignoring the paths on the right and left. Climb a few hundred metres into the woods, then the path descends to the housing estate, where you turn left (Chemin de Montadou). Continue downhill to Place de l'Église Sainte-Anne.

(6) Take Rue de la Fontaine on the left and walk back down to your starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 66 m - Greenway car park
  2. 1 : km 0.55 - alt. 76 m - Fontvieille Estate
  3. 2 : km 1.52 - alt. 98 m - Turn right towards Playcine
  4. 3 : km 1.71 - alt. 97 m - Cross the tarmac road
  5. 4 : km 3.32 - alt. 123 m - The drystone shelter
  6. 5 : km 3.54 - alt. 127 m - The Lebrun farmhouse
  7. 6 : km 4.69 - alt. 70 m - Notre-Dame Church
  8. S/E : km 5.13 - alt. 66 m - Return to the greenway car park

Worth a visit

Must-see:
- The 19th-century fountain
- The 14th-century Church of Notre-Dame de Congénie
- The drystone shelters in the heath, dry stone huts
- The 19th-century temple, evidence of the strong Protestant presence in the region.
- The late 18th-century Quaker meeting house
- The view of the Cévennes, Pic Saint-Loup and Hortus from the puechs.
- The Lebrun mazet and its garden dedicated to animals sculpted in heath stone.
- The portalade, the arched entrance to an old courtyard
- At the "4 chemins d'Alès" crossroads, you will find an information panel addressing issues of biodiversity, fire risk and local heritage

Good to know
- The hills around the village, called "puechs", are covered with pine forest and heath vegetation characteristic of Mediterranean regions. Aleppo pine, stone pine, kermes oak, whose roots reach down to a depth of 10 metres for water, holm oak, boxwood, laurel, arbutus, juniper, cade, rockrose, broom, thyme... all these species contribute to the richness of this environment.
- You can also purchase a map guide of all the trails in the VIdourle Valley / Pays de Sommières. It is on sale at the Sommières Tourist Office for €5

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 20 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.9 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.8 / 5
Route interest
4.2 / 5
les2g
les2g

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 06, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A short walk through the pine forest, very well explained and easy to follow. Thank you.

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Sango30
Sango30

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 08, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Partially shaded hike. Signage is fine. However, there are many uncomfortable stony paths.

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Coutris
Coutris

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 24, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The walk around the village of Congénie is very pleasant, with 90% of the route through forest.
We didn't meet anyone.
Two drystone shelters, known as "drystone shelters", are in good condition
One is large and beautiful
The view over the Vaunage is superb in the late afternoon light

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Mireille Majac
Mireille Majac

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 31, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very pleasant wooded circuit. Short, shaded walk along pretty paths, with few viewpoints, however

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REVIENDREZ
REVIENDREZ

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

In 2014, I discovered Mr. LE BRUN's maset, and I was delighted to see that it had been expanded with new sculptures and was in perfect condition. The route is hilly without being too challenging, the directions are clear, and the "off-route" alert was not used. A pleasant walk to get some fresh air and stretch your legs.___

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athmos.oner
athmos.oner

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 09, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

On its own, it's a bit dull, but combined with "Moulin de Carrière and Chapelle Saint-Nazaire between Villetelle and Aubais", it's much better.
A pleasant and very easy short walk.

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Randeur
Randeur

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 19, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant, peaceful route. A few large stones along the way. Little surprises to discover. Takes just under two hours to complete with a child.

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linoulun
linoulun
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 15, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

I rated "ease of following the route" as "good", but in fact I got lost twice
At (2), I didn't see the detour; the Puech du Pendu sign was located on a slope on the right and wasn't very visible. I continued on, realised my mistake, and found the sign by turning back.
Between (3) and (4), it says: 100 m further on, turn right. I turned too early, one road before the right one. As a result, I missed the drystone shelters because I didn't go all the way around the hill. Nevertheless, I managed to find the path that leads very close to the point (5) (stone sculptures).
There, if you want, you can go down to the village by turning right after the Mas (instead of going straight on, as indicated on the map). That's what the local hunters told me, and that's what I did - but apparently it's better to enjoy the forest a little longer.

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sylviane30
sylviane30

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 03, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

easy circuit, in the woods, so quite shady.
the paths are stony in places, but that's normal in heath!
however, in the second part, it is impossible to leave the path, especially towards the square drystone shelter, which we only saw from a distance. There is a fence along a good length of the route. What a shame!!!!

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VIKING_30
VIKING_30

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 21, 2021
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 is fairly easy to do in spring or autumn

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eric76
eric76

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 15, 2021
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

hello
thank you for sharing
nice little walk

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Julien Prieur
Julien Prieur

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 20, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A route suitable for families. Fairly easy.
Nice for a day out. Pretty scenery.

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Ln1166
Ln1166

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 23, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very pretty

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Burnichon30
Burnichon30

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 01, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

an easy and enjoyable walk for everyone. No difficulty

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Tortuglia
Tortuglia

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 30, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Fairly easy hike, well marked on the ground (yellow markings). Accessible to all.

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