The Collines du Vent from Fendeille to Laurac

Blue and yellow signposting as far as the Pierre Levée in Laurac, then the red and yellow signposting for the Tour du Lauragais.

(S) At the entrance to the village of Fendeille, set off from the public weighbridge and cross the Route de Castelnaudary (RD6) at the pedestrian crossing (take care) to take the street called Chemin de l’Épicier.

(1) At the junction with the stream, turn left onto the Chemin du Moulin Cros. At the next junction, keep right, still on the Chemin du Moulin Cros. After the last houses, continue straight ahead along the path as it winds down into the countryside.

(2) After the Galines farm, take the small road on the right. At the stream, continue straight on along the path which climbs towards the village of Mireval-Lauragais. At the top of the path, in front of the war memorial, enter the village via the Grande Rue, walk past the church and carry on straight ahead.

(3) Once past the medieval gateway, keep left, and, after 20 m, take the path to the right and then to the left. At the end of the path, turn onto the small road to the right.

(4) After 400 m, take the path straight ahead. On the plain, keep to the right, then, after 200 m, head down to the left to cross the stream. On the other side, take the small road on the right and follow it to the village of Laurabuc.

(5) At the junction in front of Laurabuc church, follow Rue de l’Arcade, which runs alongside the church on the right, then head down Rue de l’Église. At the bottom of this street, take Rue Centrale (with a gutter down the middle) to the left. At the wayside cross in Place de la Liberté, turn right onto Rue Neuve.

(6) Walk past the grocery shop and continue straight on down to the cemetery. At the end of the path, take the small road to the right, then head up the path on the right. At the junction with a small road, carry on straight ahead along the dirt track.

(7) At the large junction of dirt tracks, take the^second track on the left, which climbs between two embankments. At the top, enjoy the stunning view over the village of Laurac and carry on straight ahead.

(8) At the end of the track, take the small road on the right twice and cross the farmyard. Then turn left onto the track running alongside the brick building towards the Pierre Levée. On the climb, keep to the left.

(9) At the end of the track, take the road on the right for 50 metres, then the track on the left which cuts across the road in a hairpin bend. At the top, follow the edge of the hill to take in the panoramic view, then keep left twice to stay on the path along the hillside.

(10) Before the path leading up to the mast (you can take a short detour to see the views from higher up), take the road leading down to the left. After 400 m, turn left onto the wide path.

(11) At the crossroads, turn left and head straight down to the village of Laurac (E), the entrance to which is marked by the old public weighbridge and the town hall square.

- in Fendeille: a bakery, picnic tables and a car park at the village hall.
- in Mireval-Lauragais: toilets and drinking water point in front of the^second medieval gate.
- in Laurabuc: café and grocery shop.
- in Laurac: drinking fountain next to the war memorial.

- in Fendeille: 18th-century castle and medieval keep.
- in Mireval-Lauragais: two medieval gates of the old fortified village; a square, half-timbered dovecote 500 metres away.
- in Laurabuc: a Romanesque church with a 19th-century bell tower and an old medieval gate.
- in Laurac: a well-preserved old fortified village, with typical narrow streets and beautiful stone houses.