The contrasting landscapes of the Pays Cordais

Park in the Tuileries car park, below and north of Cordes, accessed via Rue du Cérou. The upper part of the car park is reserved for cars (limited space but free).

(S/E) A staircase at the back of the car park leads to Place de la Bouteillerie, the heart of the village, via Chemin de la Peyrade des Tuileries.

Yellow markings (heritage trail)

(1) Facing the square, turn left and quickly turn right onto Rue de Litou. Head south down this street, crossing the Ruisseau l'Aurousse stream. As you approach a large house on a right-hand bend, go around the property on the left along a wide path. Keep to the right of two large farm buildings and continue south along an uphill grassy path.

(2) At the end of a large meadow, continue straight ahead on a path through the woods. Keep heading south and you will arrive at a three-way junction a little further up. Leave the path on the left (Sarmazes) and continue on the right along a dirt track. Descend for about 150 metres.

(3) Take the path on your right, signposted Saint-Jean. Continue along a narrow path until you approach a large private property and arrive near the Saint-Jean Chapel.

(4) Walk to the chapel and back to appreciate its wild and solitary setting.Retrace your steps and stay on the heritage trail between the chapel and the tennis court (a sign for Cordes will show you the way). Head north and the landscape opens up onto Cordes and its spur. You will come out onto the Saint-Jean road.

Off the trail

(5) Turn left (leaving the heritage trail) and walk uphill for 300 metres.

(6) At the corner of a small stone building, turn right onto a grassy path which, further up, becomes a trail through the undergrowth. Head south-west, crossing the Mestroune, and further on you will find the Chemin de la Plaine.

(7) Cross this road and continue straight ahead on a path lined with trees on both sides. Turn right as you approach La Favarié and you will find yourself back on the Route de la Rivière.

(8) Continue right on this road, ignoring the private entrance to La Favarié, and continue for about 400 metres until you reach an ascending dirt track.

(9) Turn right onto this path, which briefly follows the^GR® 36. The slope is quite steep. At the path leading to Mailhoulié, a trail on your left will quickly take you to the Layrac millstone cave. Take a detour to see the scale of a medieval millstone production site. After returning to the trail, the path branches off to the north-east before reaching the Plaine crossroads (elevation 291). Continue straight ahead for 300 metres.

Yellow markings (heritage trail)

(10) Turn left as you approach a vineyard and leave the^GR® 36. You will find the heritage trail markings again near Les Fargues. Pass to the right of a house and join the Route des Fargues, at the corner of a house with a balcony. Make a sharp right-left turn onto the Route des Fargues and pass in front of Séguier, then Péteule.

(11) The road heads west before Lacalm. Cross a bridge before joining the D600 and entering Vindrac.

(12) Cross the road carefully and turn left, continuing for about 50 metres. Turn right onto Chemin Obscur, at the corner of a stone building. Continue towards Rue du Bourg, turning left to begin a circular route that leads to Saint-Martin Church and its cemetery. Take the opportunity to appreciate the site's architectural heritage and old-fashioned charm.

(13) After the cemetery, turn left onto Rue des Mérovingiens. Pass to the right of a cross and continue north-east along a path crossing a large meadow. This path runs alongside the Cérou for a short while before turning away towards the water treatment plant.

(14) Turn left, cross the Cérou river via the Pont des Ânes bridge (dating back to Gallo-Roman times) and, with La Bogne in sight, join the D7. Turn right, pass the large old buildings on either side of the road and, 200 metres further on, turn left onto a path through the woods to join the Cordes-Penne-Coustous^GRP®.

(15) Turn right onto this trail. After La Nauze, the landscape opens up and offers a superb view of the town of Cordes in the background. You will arrive at a large crossroads at an elevation of 164 metres. Continue left on a wide, raised grassy path (the old Carmaux-Vindrac railway line) which joins the Route de Mouzieyns Panens at Mas de Tulle.

(16) Turn right and enter Les Cabannes. Cross the bridge over the Cérou. At the central crossroads in Les Cabannes, turn left onto Rue Gargarides. Pass the school, then the college, and continue east on Rue des Tanneries. This street, lined with houses, narrows and joins Avenue de la Grésigne on the right.

(17) Cross this avenue carefully and immediately turn right onto Rue de la Gaudanne. Further on, turn right onto Rue du Fourmiguier, then Rue Notre Dame.

(18) At the end of this street, head in the opposite direction onto Grand Rue Raymond VII. Enjoy the city of a hundred spires and stroll through the narrow streets before heading back down to Place de la Bouteillerie.

(1) Take the same route back to return to your car park (S/E).

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