The barns of Balagué

Sunshine, panoramic views of the Vallier massif and the Pyrenees, and barns are all on the agenda for this loop above the village of Balagué.

Details

439934
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 6.62 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 00 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 401 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 401 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,067 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 659 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Road access: From Saint-Girons, head towards Castillon-en-Couserans (D618) and at Engomer, head towards Alas / Balagué. In Balagué, take the first right and park at the multi-purpose hall.

(S/E) Retrace your steps slightly and take the track that branches off to the right, continuing along this track until you reach a drinking trough. Then, at the cross, take the path on the right that starts to climb and follow it.

(1) Pass the intersection back (not very visible on the right in this direction). Continue on this path until you reach the Aubit barns. Continue uphill.

(2) You will arrive at a track; follow it to the left. Pass the barns of Le Pla and you will come to an intersection.

(3) Then take a path on the right that climbs between the meadows. When you reach Le Sarrat, turn right.

(4) At the next crossroads, turn left onto the path in the woods.

(5) Join a track, follow it to the right and, at the fork that immediately appears, keep right. Climb into the woods with the track.

(6) Descend along the path on the right (on the left, you will see summer pastures). At a fork, take the path that descends to the right. Pass in front of the Croix du Seignadé.

(7) At the next intersection, take the hairpin turn to the right and continue downhill.

(1) At a junction you have already passed, turn left and follow the path you took on the way up in the opposite direction to the car park of the village hall (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 666 m - Car park at the Balagué multi-purpose hall
  2. 1 : km 0.53 - alt. 739 m - Loop junction
  3. 2 : km 2.12 - alt. 963 m - Junction with a track
  4. 3 : km 2.38 - alt. 964 m - Intersection
  5. 4 : km 2.92 - alt. 997 m - Trailhead
  6. 5 : km 3.21 - alt. 1,022 m - Junction with a track
  7. 6 : km 4.37 - alt. 1,066 m - Start of the trail
  8. 7 : km 5.42 - alt. 905 m - Hairpin bend
  9. S/E : km 6.62 - alt. 666 m - Car park at the Balagué multi-purpose hall

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 30 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.3 / 5
JPierre & Myriam
JPierre & Myriam

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

Hike completed in good weather in mid-October. Very pleasant, very peaceful and without difficulty. No difficulty in finding your way by following the map and directions. However, be careful halfway between markers 6 and 7, as the return trail descends to the right (marked "Retour Balagué" by a sign with an arrow, but placed slightly below) while the natural path continues straight ahead... It's easy to miss the turn! :-)
The path is mostly stony on the way up and down. There are beautiful views on the way up (between 1 and 4) and on the way down after marker 6, over the mountain range and Mont Valier, with a little shade provided by a few shrubs. It's perfect!
We enjoyed the bright colours of the meadows and flowers (colchicum), superb! On the return route, we take a track through the woods with beautiful autumn colours (between 5 and 6). The descent on a stony path is easy.
A very beautiful day!

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Licorne31
Licorne31

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 27, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Done today on a beautiful sunny day, very nice hike, easy, beautiful village, great views, beautiful barns: a great discovery, a real treat!!! Thank you to the author for sharing and to my hiking companion for choosing this route 🤩🤩🤩

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chespeel
chespeel

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 29, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

a short, peaceful hike that gradually climbs to a superb view of the Pyrenees mountain range and pretty barns along the way. Be careful just after point 3 towards Sarrat, where there is a fallen tree on the path, but it is passable. Don't forget to visit the village of Balagué, which is well worth a detour

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Rossignol
Rossignol

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 17, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

An interesting route with magnificent views.
Be sure to follow the directions carefully, as it is easy to get lost if you follow your intuition

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frederic.seguy@wanadoo.fr
frederic.seguy@wanadoo.fr

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 24, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hiking is always enjoyable in spring
The signposting has been redone, making it almost impossible to get lost (especially on the way back to the village)

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Netra
Netra ★

Hello Gaillette, and thank you for your feedback.

Sorry for letting that typo slip through (because it is indeed a typo) and thank you for pointing it out. It has now been corrected!

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Gaillette
Gaillette
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 04, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Please note: I think there is a typo in point 4, which caused us quite a bit of trouble as we searched in vain for "la poste". I think it should actually be "laisser la piste..." Otherwise, it was a lovely, fairly easy hike with beautiful scenery.

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Marc_Poirot
Marc_Poirot

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 21, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike!
a few hesitations at the start of the route
We really enjoyed the diversity and beauty of the landscapes. I would definitely recommend this walk.

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Bianca
Bianca

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 01, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hike completed today.
When we reached point 3, the path branching off to the right as indicated in the itinerary was impassable (brambles, very dense tall grass, etc.). We still managed to reach point 4 via another path. However, at point 4, we were unable to continue as the path was once again impassable (unmaintained) and blocked by a rope. We therefore had to retrace our steps.
Also worth noting is the presence of (very) numerous ticks along the entire route...
Therefore, we do not recommend this hike in its current state

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madydou
madydou ★

Hello,
Thanks for the information.
I will correct it.

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chanperoy
chanperoy

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 28, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Parking is available in front of the multipurpose hall, not in front of the town hall. The signs are not very visible at the start but are much clearer in the second half. This walk is ideal for less experienced walkers

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lecervin
lecervin

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 28, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

a hike I've done several times, always with the same enjoyment. Very beautiful shaded trails, magnificent views of the mountains and superb autumn colours. I highly recommend it

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Oxygène d'altitude
Oxygène d'altitude

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 17, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant hike, with very precise route descriptions. The trails and tracks are very easy to follow. During
hot weather, the undergrowth is welcome; it is not present throughout the entire route, so I recommend a hat and sunscreen. But I would have been wrong to miss out on such beautiful scenery. When you come out of the woods, you can see the surrounding peaks. And if you like the architecture of barns, you're in for a treat. I completed the hike in four hours, but sometimes it's nice to take your time. I didn't see any other hikers on the trail, just a few people near the start.

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la doroglia
la doroglia

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 22, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

Hike completed in very hot weather. Quite a tough climb in the heat and not very interesting. At the top, there are barns and cows... nowhere to sit as all the meadows are closed off by electric wires. The ridge line runs through a forest of beech and hornbeam trees, so there are no views. When you finally see the snow-capped mountains in the distance, it's time to start the descent back to Balague. We missed the path on the right (the markings were pretty much non-existent). In short, a hike with no interest for us after almost 500 metres of ascent...

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capitaine nemo
capitaine nemo

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 14, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful, varied circular walk offering views of a number of magnificent barns and, weather permitting, a stunning view of the Pyrenees

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