The three mills of Venarsal

A five-minute walk from Brive and Malemort along the streams that feed the Barrage de la Couze dam.
A shaded route through the woods, with the only drawback being a slightly steep hill on a tarmac road.
You will pass three old mills, which are no longer in use but reflect the life of yesteryear.
PLEASE NOTE: deforested area between points 3 and 4, impassable in wet weather.

Details

313970
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 4.47 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 1h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 137 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 136 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 333 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 200 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Access: To get to the starting point from Malemort sur Corrèze, head towards Tulle and at the penultimate roundabout in the commercial area, turn left towards Venarsal. Drive past the DIY store and continue to follow the signs for Venarsal on the D141. After about 800m, there is a crossroads. Continue straight ahead, still heading towards Venarsal. After a sharp right-hand bend, then a left-hand bend, take the hairpin bend on your left and follow the signs for "Moulin de Peyrugues" and "Moulin de Milan". At the first crossroads, turn right towards "Moulin de Peyrugues". Go down the two hairpin bends on a poorly paved road. The second sharp bend to the right, at the end of the paved road, will take you to the starting point of the hike next to the mill, where you can easily park.

(S/E) Drive back up the unpaved road you just drove down. At the crossroads, turn right onto the paved road. You are now on a private road where walkers are tolerated but dogs must be kept on a leash. You will arrive at Moulin de Milan, which is still inhabited. Go around the houses on the left to reach a bridge over the Couze river.

(1) Cross the bridge and follow the signs for "Les 4 Moulins" and "Vaujour". The path climbs into the woods, running alongside a pretty meadow and the river. Then enter the undergrowth and continue along this path, which leads to a bridge over a second stream, the Biou.

(2) Cross the bridge and take the path on your right. You will soon reach the road; follow it to the right. Pass the second mill on the route, the "Moulin Bas". After the mill, at the fork, continue on the road to the right. Follow this road uphill for about 1 km, ignoring all the paths that branch off to the left or right. At the end of the hill, you will arrive at Vaujour. Keep your dogs on a leash as there are some large dogs here! Pass a few houses.

(3) Turn right onto the "la Boudrerie" road. Continue for 50 metres along this small road and turn left onto a hairpin bend onto a path through the woods. About 50 metres further on, when the path veers to the right towards some houses, continue straight ahead on the path that climbs through the woods. After passing between two meadows, walk alongside a house on your right. You will come to a tarmac road at a crossroads with a stone cross. Turn right onto the cul-de-sac towards "La Maisonnade" and walk past the few houses, keeping your dogs on a lead at all times.

(4) At the end of the village, where the road bends to the left, take the narrow path that descends to the right. Follow this path, which widens as it winds downhill for about 1 km. You will arrive at a crossroads.

(5) Follow the signs for "Les 4 Moulins" on your right. Continue down this wide path to reach the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 214 m - Moulin de Peyrugue
  2. 1 : km 0.48 - alt. 202 m - Moulin de Milan after the - Couze (ruisseau) - Affluent de la Corrèze
  3. 2 : km 1.12 - alt. 224 m - Bridge over the Biou
  4. 3 : km 2.39 - alt. 308 m - Path on the left before La Boudrerie
  5. 4 : km 3.4 - alt. 324 m - Narrow path on the right
  6. 5 : km 4.03 - alt. 241 m - Follow the signs for "Les 4 Moulins".
  7. S/E : km 4.47 - alt. 213 m - Moulin de Peyrugue

Notes

(S/E) At Moulin de Peyrugues, wooden picnic tables are available for hikers in the gravel car park alongside a stream. This shaded dining area is very pleasant when the weather is hot.

Reviews and comments

4.2 / 5
Based on 10 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.3 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.2 / 5
Route interest
4.1 / 5
harrien
harrien

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 04, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We did it in August 2025. No more obstacles, except between 3 and 4, where there were a few fallen trees. You can get around them by climbing up the embankment on the right.
Other than that, it's a very nice walk.

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Paul Grousset
Paul Grousset

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 22, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very pleasant walk – short stretch of road but very little traffic 😊👍

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helnchr
helnchr

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 23, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Lovely walk with a section over a very pretty little waterfall.

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aneva19/63
aneva19/63

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 18, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very pleasant and easy hike, path a little overgrown with tall grass but that's understandable after lockdown.

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Azam46
Azam46

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 27, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A very pleasant short walk, no difficulty.
Clear-cut woods intended for firewood and timber.
Best done in summer, as the proximity of the waterways and the shade provide welcome refreshment.
You'll also enjoy visiting an old mill with its charming owner.
Thank you.

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pazkale
pazkale

Thank you for your feedback. Indeed, there are no markers.

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Zoulouz
Zoulouz

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 24, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A nice, easy hike that took less than two hours, even with a three-year-old in tow 😏
Two minor drawbacks: the first, which is no surprise as it is mentioned in the description, is the dogs... Sometimes a bit pushy...
And the "deforested" part... what a mess... 😣🤐
(And indeed, don't expect consistency in the signposting 😜)

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bibi
bibi ★

Thank you for your feedback, but the description and map are there precisely to avoid having to follow the markings. Did you have them with you?
Kind regards

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sylviefb
sylviefb

Overall rating : 1.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 24, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing

The route was very poorly marked, then suddenly there were no markers at all. Very disappointed with this route.

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catherinetauzin@
catherinetauzin@
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 13, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Well-marked route – very shady – be careful if you have dogs, tie them up near the Milan mill
We enjoyed walking with our dogs and appreciated the warning about dogs running free along the route.

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pazkale
pazkale

Hello cece19.
I always walk my dog, and I let people know when he needs to be put on a lead.
I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Maybe we can do it again together...

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cece19
cece19

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 05, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A pleasant little walk
Be careful at the start, there are dogs that might give you a bit of a fright, but they are tied up.

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francoiserando
francoiserando

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 09, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A beautiful and pleasant hike, as the trail is often shaded.

Fanfan

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