The Mills of Nissan

de fr

Nissan-lez-Enserune, its mills, its Parazols bridge, located on the Roman road, then on the royal road. Walk in a site offering a vast panorama, stretching from the mountains (Caroux, Montagne Noire) to the Mediterranean Sea.

Details

n°105086
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Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 7.12 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 20 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 115 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 105 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 83 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 6 m
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Photos

Photo of a family
italian viper
st. John's Wort
catananche

Description of the walk

Enter the village and pass the town hall. Leave the D162, take Boulevard des Vieux Moulins and follow the signs. Park on the verge

(S/E) Head towards Moulin Barral and, after visiting it, continue towards another mill higher up the hill. This is Moulin Delon, which has no sails and is not marked on the IGN map.

(1) Take the path to the west that crosses a pine forest and follow this path to the road (D162).
Cross the road and take the path opposite, which takes you past a well. Follow it for 4 or 5 metres and leave this path as it descends to the left.

(2) Turn right onto the path that climbs uphill. Follow it until it reaches a paved road. Turn left onto this road, walk 300 m and you will arrive at the Pont de Parazols. Continue on this road for 200 m, keeping an eye out for signs.

(3) Take the track on the left. Follow this wide track through the woods, ignoring all the turnings on the left. Continue along this track until you see a section of the woods that used to be fenced off, of which only two metal posts with wire remain, and a tank on the left.

(4) Take this path, then turn right and left onto the track that climbs towards Puech Pounchat (orange dot on a tree).

(5) When you reach another track (just before an electricity pole), take the one on the right and follow it. Pass in front of a DFCI tank.

(6) When you reach the D162, cross it and take the tarmac road opposite with a no entry sign for 80 m. Turn right onto the road towards Puech Blanc. Continue along this road for 400 m and take a small path on the left that climbs uphill.

(7) Follow this path, which is marked by deep ruts and mountain bike tracks. It descends and climbs twice to cross two small streams, which are always dry when it is not raining. This path takes you back up towards your starting point, which is located near the pylon that can be seen from below.
At the pylon, turn left towards Moulin de Tiquet (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 64 m - Parking on a lay-by
  2. 1 : km 0.29 - alt. 69 m - Delon Mill
  3. 2 : km 1.42 - alt. 57 m - Junction
  4. 3 : km 2.12 - alt. 68 m - Domaine Donadive sign
  5. 4 : km 3.45 - alt. 53 m - Wire fence. Fork in the road. Keep right.
  6. 5 : km 3.64 - alt. 59 m - Fork
  7. 6 : km 5.28 - alt. 17 m - Firefighting water tank
  8. 7 : km 6.03 - alt. 32 m - Fork
  9. S/E : km 7.12 - alt. 65 m - Parking on a lay-by

Notes

Worth a visit

- During the hike
These mills date back to the 17th century. They are Lauragais-style grain mills. They are located at the top of a hill offering breathtaking 360° views. On one side you can see the sea, on the other the Caroux massif.

  • The "Balaye" mill

It is thought to have been built in the 17th century and its roof turns to allow the sails to be positioned facing the wind. It was restored in 1996 and the mechanisms for moving the millstones were reconstructed.

  • The Delon Mill, the tallest of the three, is equidistant from the other two and in the same line. It also dates from 1671 and its tower was restored in 2010.
  • The Moulin de Tiquet has been restored with a fixed roof.
  • The Parazols Bridge.

- Nearby
The Enserune oppidum and its museum.
The Canal du Midi and the Malpass tunnel
The ponds of Capestang and Montady

Reviews and comments

4.2 / 5
Based on 60 reviews
Reliability of the description
4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.1 / 5
Route interest
4.4 / 5
ZITROERAILC
ZITROERAILC

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 30, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very pleasant hike, mostly through beautiful, airy pine forests. The trail is easy going, except perhaps at the end of the hike, where it becomes narrow and rutted, with lots of ups and downs. There are pretty mills on the three hills.

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loukaconfetijoy
loukaconfetijoy

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Nice hike, challenging at the end. Thank you, Visorando.

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RPB
RPB

A pleasant walk. Very enjoyable, wide paths, few hills, superb views of the countryside depending on the weather. Close to BEZIERS, worth doing again!

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Benyasyn
Benyasyn

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 27, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

I did this route yesterday with my family, about 7 km for a three-hour walk. We really enjoyed it! The route is very pleasant and full of beautiful scenery. I'm leaving a positive review despite some litter left behind by certain people, which is not good.
Other than that, everything was perfect! Thank you! 🌿

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Basile
Basile

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 20, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful route rich in variety. Pine forests, vineyards and olive groves line this pleasant route, which is easily accessible for families.
Thank you.

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josiane.moucky
josiane.moucky

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

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

We had problems with the description; we couldn't find the electricity pole or the orange marker.
Avoid this hike in hot weather.

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User 5359022

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 28, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Nice route. We couldn't find the orange dot on the tree or the electricity pole, which makes me think we must have taken a wrong turn somewhere. There was a section where the trees had been burnt, which worried me, especially as we couldn't find the path. Avoid during fire season.

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User 5359022

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 28, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Nice route. We couldn't find the orange dot on the tree or the electricity pole, which makes me think we must have taken a wrong turn somewhere. There was a section where the trees had been burnt, which worried me, especially as we couldn't find the path.

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User 24861950

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 22, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very pretty route but best avoided in very hot weather.

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Gisele m
Gisele m

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 09, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very beautiful route. The end is more challenging. But a very beautiful and easy hike.

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bernard coulomb
bernard coulomb

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 02, 2025
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A short circuit allowing you to discover this group of hills classified as NATURA 2000, at the top of which stand three well-restored mills offering beautiful views of the surrounding area. However, it seems that the colony of European bee-eaters will be absent again this year, as the burnt section of forest is only just beginning to regenerate. A shame for all lovers of these magnificent birds. In the middle of the lawns, there are a few clusters of pyramidal orchids; you can also see blue cat's ear, St. John's wort, Italian viper's bugloss and yellow or pink phlomis. No problems tracking with GPX.

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Gisele m
Gisele m

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 28, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful route with panoramic views. Be careful not to take a wrong turn at point 2. Cross the road and take the path opposite. You will cross a wood where there has been a fire. Follow the track carefully

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etchebes
etchebes

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 02, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

very beautiful hike, except for the lack of signposting (not the fault of Visorando)

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jodemail
jodemail

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 26, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Nice hike with beautiful views of the plateaus
A pleasant section through the forest in hot weather

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Perciflette
Perciflette

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 08, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant walk of about two hours in my case. There's a beautiful view at the start, and the rest of the walk is mainly through the forest, which is very pleasant. There was no one else on the trail (I did the walk in the late morning), and the description and directions were clear, although I couldn't see some of the landmarks (the orange dot on a tree, for example), but overall it's easy to follow. I don't know if it's worth it if you're coming from far away, but if you're in the area, it may be worth a detour, if only for the view of the windmills.

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