The Balcons de la Têt and the Yellow Train

A climb on the Train Jaune from Fontpédrouse to La Cabanasse, followed by a beautiful, tree-lined descent along the River Têt.
A lovely walk, partly through the forest; this is a different route from La Cabanasse to Planès suggested by PO Express, with the chance to find a few porcini mushrooms depending on the season, and to pass under the Gisclard Bridge, a true engineering marvel for its time.

Details

n°3492778

Creation:
29 Jun 2020

Last update:
07 Jul 2026

Last review:
29 Jun 2026

Activity: Walking
Distance: 6.59 mi
Average duration: 3h 45
Difficulty: Moderate
Back to start: No
Ascent: + 873 ft
Descent: - 2,398 ft
Highest point: 4,984 ft
Lowest point: 3,356 ft

Country: France
Areas: Pyrenees, Cerdagne
City: La Cabanasse (66210)
Start: N 42.502413° / E 2.113236°
End: N 42.513514° / E 2.188646°
IGN map(s): Ref. 2249ET, 2249ETR, 2250ET, 2250ETR
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Description of the walk

Park at the station (Stop) in Fontpédrouse. The village is accessible by bus for €2.
Take the Train Jaune to La Cabanasse station.

(S) From the Train Jaune station at La Cabanasse, set off along the^{PR®® path}, passing under the railway line. Join the^GR®®10and follow it to the left, heading due east. The^GR®®10then turns south-east onto a path on the right, just after crossing a small stream

(1) Leave this path by turning left and heading down a^PR®® towards the railway line.
(2) Pass under the railway bridge and follow the railway line on your right. The path then moves away from it, crossing the Rec del Molli and heading north-east.

(3) Cross the small wooden bridge over the Ribera de Planès, and a little further on, turn left.
Follow the railway line on your right-hand side once more.
Pass under the magnificent Gisclard Bridge and move away from the railway line.
(4) At the junction, carry on straight ahead and pass the marker. Pass under the power line.

(5) At the fork in the road, turn right; at the next fork in the road, turn left onto the Chemin des Balcons de la Têt.

(6) At the fork in the road, turn right again to head down towards the Saint-Thomas baths, which will soon come into view.

(7) Cross the baths, head downhill, and take the concrete steps on the right which lead uphill, before the car park. Stay on the Chemin des Balcons de la Têt.

(8) Turn right and stay on this path, which then descends due north. Cross a small road and head straight on.

(9) Join the road and follow it across the bridge over the Têt. Continue along the road to the junction (car park) and turn right (north-east) to pass through the village of Fontpédrouse. Pass the town hall.

(10) Take the road opposite, Rue de Saint-Thomas, and head uphill through the typical village of the valley.

(11) Reach the main road; cross it – take care as there is heavy traffic – and take the second small road on the left, which leads back to the station (E).

Waypoints

S : mi 0 - alt. 4,957 ft - When getting off the train, take the PR - Mont-Louis - La Cabanasse
1 : mi 0.81 - alt. 4,984 ft - Turn left as you leave the GR10
2 : mi 1.38 - alt. 4,724 ft - Pass under the railway bridge
3 : mi 2.22 - alt. 4,442 ft - Cross the little bridge
4 : mi 2.96 - alt. 4,406 ft - Go straight ahead at the junction and pass the marker
5 : mi 3.85 - alt. 4,383 ft - On the right
6 : mi 4.55 - alt. 3,980 ft - On the right
7 : mi 4.74 - alt. 3,793 ft - Take the steps on the right
8 : mi 4.94 - alt. 3,891 ft - On the right
9 : mi 5.59 - alt. 3,442 ft - Take the D28, turning right. Cross the bridge over the - Têt (fleuve)
10 : mi 5.99 - alt. 3,356 ft - Walk up the street opposite
11 : mi 6.33 - alt. 3,409 ft - Turn right onto the N116. Take care
E : mi 6.59 - alt. 3,438 ft - Arrival - Gare de Fontpédrouse-St-Thomas

Notes

No drinking water, but plenty of running water!
Take the Train Jaune from Fontpédrouse to Mont-Louis – La Cabanasse

‘Stop’ (at Fontpédrouse) means you must signal to the train driver to make it stop.
Station (La Cabanasse): the train must stop here.
To board the train, signal to the driver and buy your ticket directly on board; to get off, let the ticket inspector know!

Worth a visit

Visit Mont-Louis, Vauban’s citadel.
The Yellow Train, of course, and the Gisclard Bridge railway viaduct.

Reviews and comments

4.2 / 5

Based on 14 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.2 / 5

Ease of following the route
4.1 / 5

Route interest
4.2 / 5

mariefrancoise34

29 Jun 2026 at 10:49 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 07, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very lovely walk, a pleasant day out combined with the Yellow Train. A long stretch under the canopy of trees. Nice for summer, but the scenery leaves a bit to be desired. Fortunately, the end is superb and leaves you with a lovely impression.
If you follow the route on your GPS, there are no problems with direction. Otherwise, it’s a bit tricky as there are several yellow ‘Pr’ trails that criss-cross each other.

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philippedenimes30

18 May 2026 at 12:05 7200

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 18, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk

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zenitude66

29 Sep 2025 at 16:47 7200

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 29, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello,
The hike is very beautiful, but there is a lack of precision before reaching point 3:
Before reaching the small wooden bridge, there is a yellow cross marking the prohibition or the wrong path in yellow markings; however, you have to go through there.
I think this should be clarified on the route map, otherwise it could be confusing.
Excellent route.
Thank you for sharing this hike.
Kind regards.

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Jean-Bernard

03 Aug 2025 at 13:27 7200

Thank you for your kind comments

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sim4814

03 Aug 2025 at 10:48 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 03, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

the hike is easy if you follow the app carefully, although there are some variations with slightly tricky sections. The route through the forest is magnificent and offers an exceptional view of the Gisclard bridge, where you can admire the engineering genius of its builders.
The descent to St Thomas is tough on the knees and in direct sunlight. Reaching the station is easy. The total time indicated is for experienced walkers. It took me longer, but I am 77 years old and my knees are wobbly...

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cavokdan

16 Jul 2025 at 10:50 7200 • Edited: 16 Jul 2025 at 11:02 7200

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 13, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Most of the hike takes place in the undergrowth, which can be pleasant in hot weather.
It does not present any major difficulties and the signposting is generally good
Combine with a return trip on the Train Jaune to Fontpédrouse station.

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Parazoom

19 Aug 2024 at 14:07 7200

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

Enjoy your hike!

Like everyone else, we missed point 3 and turned back, but as we had read the comments carefully, it didn't add much to our journey.

There's nothing in Fontpedrouse, so if you have to wait for the train, which doesn't run very often, make sure you bring something to drink. We were hoping to find a bar to have an ice cream and a drink, but no, there was nothing...

The views from the Gisclard bridge aren't great, too much vegetation.

Suitable for families with no worries.

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danielfr40

03 Aug 2024 at 14:01 7200

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 03, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

The hike is mainly through forest, which is great for shade during a heatwave, but means limited visibility except for the lovely views when you arrive in Fontpédrouse.

The slopes are gentle, a little steeper on the descent to Fontpédrouse but nothing too difficult.

Some junctions are missing from the otherwise very detailed description.
In particular, at the hairpin bend before point 3 and its wooden bridge, you leave the yellow markings that go left towards Farga la Cassanya and can join between 3 and 4 to take the shorter path on your right with a yellow cross.

On the return trip, I chose to come back via Planès, along a balcony path that branches off from yours halfway, then back via the GR.
It is a little more exposed, but the distance and elevation gain are not significantly different.

Thank you for this route and the descriptions.

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Core In

10 Jan 2024 at 16:09 3600 • Edited: 10 Jan 2024 at 16:12 3600

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 02, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

An easy hike with very few people. I didn't take the train; I was dropped off at La Cabanasse and picked up at Fontpédrouse. The route is well marked, except for the small wooden bridge, which is marked with a yellow cross, leading us to continue in the other direction, where there is also a path marked in yellow but without crossing the bridge...
Thanks to Fresneda's comment, I was able to find the cross by retracing my steps, but only after walking quite a bit before realising that I had to cross the stream (the GPX was a bit lost too!) and follow the yellow cross to find the bridge...
Otherwise, the so-called "steep" descent... honestly, nothing too difficult. Hike done in winter, but without humidity as the ground was very dry even in January...
Nice passage under the Vauban bridge, and nice to see it and walk around it from all angles...after that, it's mostly a hike in the woods...

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Jean-Bernard

02 Oct 2023 at 22:41 7200

Hello, and thank you for your comments, which will be useful to future hikers.

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Fresneda

02 Oct 2023 at 19:12 7200

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 02, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hike completed this weekend in fairly warm weather. The yellow train is great and the walk through the forest is pleasant. The Gisclard bridge leaves you in awe of human capabilities at the time of its construction.
However, the path through the forest is quite narrow and slippery (pine needles, etc.). The small stream that you have to cross (in three places) on logs is not visible. You have to take a small path on the right where there is a yellow cross, which is misleading because you shouldn't take it! (Luckily, we had GPS).
As for the descent to the St Thomas baths, the path is very steep and sloping, so be careful with your knees and the risk of falling! According to my GPS, we covered 12.4 km and a total elevation gain of 540 m.

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marie fanjeaux

15 Aug 2023 at 07:05 7200

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 18, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful hike, well-marked route. Very nice descent through the forest and magnificent views of the Gisclard bridge. However, I would point out that the return journey between the Saint Thomas baths and Fontpedrouse station is quite long and tiring in the heat. Bring water. It may be a good idea to leave your cars at the bottom of the station if you can.

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oratio

31 Jul 2023 at 10:41 7200

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 27, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

It's interesting to combine walking and the Yellow Train so you don't have to take a return ticket. You can push on to the next station.

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gerard stk

19 Sep 2021 at 18:36 7200

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 19, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful route made up of pleasant little paths.
Please note that the bridge crossing may be difficult for some walkers. The bridge is in poor condition, with broken crossboards and slippery logs.

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Jean-Bernard

21 Sep 2020 at 18:48 7200

As we are limited in the number of waypoints, I wrote down to cross the bridge and turn left a little further on. It's true that there are many paths in the area.

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