The rural hills of Génissac

90% of the route is on quiet roads with verges, allowing you to avoid the tarmac...
This can be very useful during periods of heavy rain.
There are some good hills through meadows with herds of cows and farms, not to mention vineyards, of course!

Details

398407
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 10.28 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 20 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 136 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 135 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 64 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 6 m

Photos

Description of the walk

(S/E) From the school car park, take the Route de Saint-Quentin opposite, then turn right onto Rue de la Coopérative.

(1) At the crossroads, turn left onto Rue de l'Église, pass in front of the church and continue to Route de Saint-Quentin, then turn right and follow the road for a few metres (watch out for traffic!).

(2) Cross to the left at the Y-junction and follow Chemin de Mamine. At the T-junction, keep right until you reach Miot. At the X-junction, turn right onto Route des Faures.

(3) At a place called Le Bayle, turn left onto Chemin du Moulin du Sud. At a place called Combes, continue straight ahead on the road, passing Moulin du Sud and then the stream. Continue up the hill, passing a place aptly named "l'Escalade" (the climb). Climb up.

(4) When you reach the T-junction at the top, turn left towards the hamlet of Bourbon, then Maison Seule.

(5) At the Y-junction after Maison Seule, turn left before the high-voltage power line towards Les Doumens and cross the hamlet.

(6) Turn left towards Taillade, cross the stream and follow the path after Moulin de Taillade. Continue climbing the road, ignoring the paths.

(7) At Le Brana, leave the road and take the path. You will be able to admire the Château de Génissac on your left, then continue to the road.

(8) Cross the road and take the hairpin bend path through the vineyards on the left until you reach the road. Follow it to the left for 150 metres.

(9) Turn right towards the road, then right towards Miots at the Y junction towards the Le Burg and Durand housing estate.

(10) To avoid the busy D 18, turn left to cross the housing estate on the right, then left and finally straight ahead, then follow Chemin de Mongeat downhill. At the bottom, at no. 187, turn right onto Chemin de Leyguette, then right onto Route de Saint-Quentin to go down to the school car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 10 m - School car park
  2. 1 : km 0.43 - alt. 11 m - On the left Rue de l'Église
  3. 2 : km 1.08 - alt. 34 m - On the left, the Mamine path towards Miot
  4. 3 : km 1.89 - alt. 63 m - At a place called Le Bayle on the left
  5. 4 : km 4.32 - alt. 57 m - Left towards Bourbon
  6. 5 : km 5.39 - alt. 27 m - After Maison Seule, turn left towards Doumens.
  7. 6 : km 6.16 - alt. 9 m - Y-junction on the left towards Taillade
  8. 7 : km 6.88 - alt. 36 m - Le Brana, path on the left
  9. 8 : km 7.31 - alt. 41 m - Crossing roads
  10. 9 : km 8.11 - alt. 55 m - T-junction on the right towards Miot
  11. 10 : km 9.15 - alt. 41 m - On the left, housing estate
  12. S/E : km 10.28 - alt. 10 m - School car park

Notes

Important:
Unless otherwise specified, do not follow any markings you may come across.
We strongly recommend that you either purchase a map of the area (see below) or use the app on your smartphone, which will also allow you to be geolocated at all times so you can track your movements accurately.
Using walking sticks can be very useful and reassuring. In addition to providing stability, they help distribute your weight more evenly.
Please respect the "Visorando Charter"; we often pass through private areas, and this is the only way to continue hiking freely.

Worth a visit

The Old Castle of Génissac is a bastide or ancient fortress built according to a classic design. It consists of a quadrangle surrounded by moats and reinforced on three corners by round towers and on the fourth by a square keep.
The towers were connected to each other and then to the keep by high walls topped with parapet walks.
One of the walls, near the keep, has a gate equipped with a drawbridge that allowed access across the dry moat.
In the centre of the building is a central courtyard with an 18-metre-deep well, a vaulted underground room that was probably used to store grain, and an underground escape route in case of siege.
The entire complex was surrounded by dry moats, which provided an additional barrier inland, with the north and east sides protected by a natural slope.
The keep is a large square tower crowned with a crenellated parapet walk on machicolations, each supported by three superimposed corbels.

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 12 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.5 / 5
Route interest
4.4 / 5
mahistre.patrice
mahistre.patrice
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 01, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Nothing to add, the route is very varied and the explanations are perfect. Route taken on Friday, 28 November 2025 by a group of 11 people.

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Gegegadjo
Gegegadjo

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

Route completed today.
Perfect description. No way to get lost using the app.
As mentioned in other reviews, there is a lot of tarmac but very little traffic.
There is a slight incline, but you don't notice it because it is spread out over the entire route.
A rolling route taking 2 to 2½ hours depending on your pace. Some interesting sections near the church in Génissac, close to the vineyards and a mill (Moulin de la Taillade between points 6 and 7), not far from a château.
I recommend it.

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isèrevercors
isèrevercors

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 01, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Hello, I had already done this route some time ago. It is still as rural as ever, despite the many tarmac roads
but little traffic.

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etoileliott
etoileliott

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 13, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very beautiful route
Thank you for the route 😊🥾

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labatut33
labatut33

Overall rating : 4 / 5

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

Route followed without any problems.

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bx86
bx86

As the Bordeaux region was very busy with traffic this weekend, with many people leaving for their holidays, it was important not to go too far... or in the wrong direction.
So we redid this route, which I described a little further down, on 7 April 2019.
Nothing more to add, a lovely 10.5 km ride, not recommended for those allergic to tarmac as we often take small roads (which must have been gravel tracks 20 years ago).
No problems with navigation.
Thank you to those who take the time to give us the opportunity to enjoy these walks.

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User 12890634

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 26, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

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Bruno33500
Bruno33500

This route deliberately takes quite a few small roads with very little traffic, which is very useful to me when it's muddy!
Bruno 33500

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sir ro
sir ro

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 20, 2020
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Very good, hilly route, very pretty (obviously, since I live there).
My only slight regret is that the route is mostly on roads, but it is possible to shorten it or take detours through the vineyards.

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Jean CESTER
Jean CESTER

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 12, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

I have slightly modified the route to allow for a tasting at Château Belle Grade.

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bx86
bx86

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 07, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Sorry, I don't know how to correct my comment... below

Checking the route at point 9, I see that I made the mistake of not following the road book that takes us back to Miot. So the information I gave about Peyrouley is null and void.
My apologies.

Hervé

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bx86
bx86

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 07, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A lovely little hike on Sunday, and well timed after Saturday's rain. Best avoided in very hot weather as there is little shade.

Small roads (very small, in fact) with no traffic and pleasant rolling hills. Beautiful vineyard landscapes. Superb herd of around fifty Bazas cattle at point 4 (Le Tros). Unfortunately, they may not always be there! Very beautiful mill restored by the English in Taillade. Château de Génissac is worth noting.

The anti-clockwise route is the best as it avoids the steep climb up to Moulin Du Sud (a bed and breakfast). To avoid this fairly steep climb, the slopes are longer in the proposed direction, and therefore gentler.

It is true that some hamlets (consisting of... one house!) are not marked on the road, even though they are shown on the 1:25,000 map. Always carry a map... it can be useful.

There is a small "problem" at Peyrouley (9). The passage, if there is one, is located along the wall of the house facing the arrival path. On one side, this wall is on the left, on the other side, on the right, is the unfenced property of the castle. I don't know if we're trespassing on private property... No one said anything to us... but it's strange.

At the end, at 10, crossing the very new and therefore unmapped housing estates is a bit of a guess. In my opinion, the best thing to do is to go to the Mongear path by taking the D18 for a few dozen metres and then following that path. It's easier than the zigzag routes, which are difficult to interpret in these residential areas. There is always a risk of ending up in a cul-de-sac.

Enjoy your walk, and thank you to those who take the time and care to prepare these routes.

Hervé

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Bruno33500
Bruno33500

Thank you for the comments and your humour...
It's true, it's not my favourite hike during this heatwave!
But there isn't much undergrowth in the area...
Enjoy your hikes.
Bruno 33500

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vinorando
vinorando

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 23, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Hello,
A lovely walk on 12/7/2018 in the sunshine. I hadn't read (before my return) that it was almost entirely on roads. So it's best to do it in wet weather! Unless, of course, you prefer tarmac to trails... (he he...)

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Bruno33500
Bruno33500

The names that appear in the description are those on the IGN maps, but over time, signs can unfortunately disappear or be a little further away than where you passed them...
That is why you should only rely on the essential documents: the map and the description.
Bruno 33500

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