Landscapes and vineyards of Bas-Razès

Starting from Laserre-de-Prouille, set off along the paths through the vineyards of the Malepère appellation to discover four villages perched on their hills: Brézilhac, Ferran, Mazerolles-du-Razès and Lasserre-de-Prouille. Several panoramic views provide an insight into the landscape, which is marked by a wide variety of agricultural activities.

Yellow markings

Details

13071343
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 17.35 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 256 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 253 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 285 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 216 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Parking on the street called "La Mare" before taking a short walk around the circular village and returning to the starting point at the crossroads of Grande Rue and La Mare, near the medieval gate.

Yellow markings

(S/E) From the Grand Rue in Laserre-de-Prouille, pass the post office and take Rue de la Mairie. At the village exit, turn right onto Chemin d'Al Granier, then at the water treatment plant, continue straight ahead for about 800 metres, ignoring the turnings on either side.

(1) Take the D63 to the picnic area, where you turn right, then left 100 m further on towards Richard. Before the farm, take the path that climbs up to the left along the fields. Continue to the top near the place called Lacaze.

(2) Turn left towards the open plain. Continue straight ahead on this path, which follows a ridge offering a wide panorama to the north towards the Montagne Noire, to the east over the villages near Caihhau and Cailhavel, and to the south over the Pic de Bugarach and the Pyrenees.

(3) After about 1 km, turn right to descend into the vineyards. In the valley, continue straight ahead and then turn right up the hill. At the top, turn right, then after 150 m, turn left towards the greenhouses. After the greenhouses, turn right and go uphill.

(4) At the crossroads at the top, enjoy the view of the village of Ferran and turn left. At the end of the path in front of Cammas Vieux, go straight ahead along a tarmac section, then leave it and continue straight ahead along the path that goes down the hill.

(5) At Croix Lisette, take the road on the right and stop at the orientation table to admire the landscape. Continue along the RD 514, which will take you to Ferran after 1 km.

(6) At the three-way junction, keep to the right, then at the entrance to the village, turn right onto Rue de l'Église. After the church, take the path on the left that goes around the village. On Rue du Chemin de Ronde, turn left, then right onto Rue Antoine Courrière and leave the village the way you entered.

(6) Turn right onto a small road. At the cemetery crossroads, continue straight ahead on the path that crosses the plain and then the Sept Crabes valley. Continue straight ahead until you reach Mazerolles-du-Razès.

(7) Go around the circular village on the left: Rue du Barry then Rue de la Mare before exiting on the left along Rue La Croix Neuve. At the crossroads, turn left then immediately right towards Rau.

(8) At the Bouzat stream, turn left onto the path lined with willow trees that follows the stream for 1 km. At the end of the path, take the road on the right towards Parrasse.

(9) At the end of the road, continue straight ahead. After the right-hand bend, continue straight ahead along the Pech de Maderles.

(10) At the Cammas Blanc farm, turn right to go around it and go straight up the path for 1.5 km.

(11) After the vineyards, at the crossroads near the Fort farm, turn left to go around it on the left and continue straight down the path. On the descent, continue straight ahead towards the hilltop village of Brézilhac.

(12) Take the road to the left and then, at the fork, bear right. At the crossroads of four roads, continue straight ahead.

(13) At the entrance to the village, take Allée des Pyrénées to the left, then Rue de l'Église, also to the left. At the exit of the village, cross the D63 and continue straight ahead along Rue des Moulins.

(14) At the crossroads in front of the water tower, take the dirt track opposite. At the bottom, turn right and walk along the bottom of the Coumagné valley.

(15) At the end of the path, take the small road to the left and follow it to the village of Lasserre-de-Prouille, continuing straight on to the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 245 m - Grand Rue de Lasserre-de-Prouille
  2. 1 : km 1.35 - alt. 225 m - Route D63
  3. 2 : km 2.59 - alt. 255 m - Lacaze
  4. 3 : km 3.61 - alt. 261 m - Fork in the road
  5. 4 : km 4.94 - alt. 267 m - Crossroads of four roads
  6. 5 : km 5.89 - alt. 262 m - Croix Lisette (Ferran)
  7. 6 : km 7.46 - alt. 259 m - Exit the village on the right.
  8. 7 : km 9.78 - alt. 251 m - Mazerolles-du-Razès
  9. 8 : km 10.55 - alt. 234 m - Bouzat stream
  10. 9 : km 11.87 - alt. 260 m - Path at the end of the cul-de-sac
  11. 10 : km 12.97 - alt. 280 m - Le Cammas Blanc
  12. 11 : km 13.9 - alt. 272 m - After the vineyards on the left
  13. 12 : km 14.63 - alt. 238 m - Towards Brézilhac on the left
  14. 13 : km 14.95 - alt. 250 m - Allée des Pyrénées
  15. 14 : km 15.3 - alt. 257 m - Path to the right of the water tower.
  16. 15 : km 16.03 - alt. 233 m - Road on the left
  17. S/E : km 17.35 - alt. 245 m - Grand Rue de Lasserre-de-Prouille

Notes

-Lasserre-de-Prouille: picnic tables and water point.
On the RD 63 near Brézilhac: picnic area.
Ferran: toilets, water point, picnic area and orientation table.
Mazerolles-du-Razès: water point.
Brézilhac: toilets, water point and picnic table.

Worth a visit

Hilltop villages: the villages have a typical regional layout, situated at the top of a hill and protected by fortified walls, which explains their circular layout known as a "circulade". This is particularly evident in Lasserre-de-Prouille, where the Grand Rue and Rue de la Mare follow the route of the old moats. But this is also true in Brézilhac, Ferran and Mazerolles, which are smaller villages.

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 10 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.9 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.4 / 5
OT Cœur des Collines Cathares
OT Cœur des Collines Cathares

Hello,

Thank you for your positive review!

Feel free to discover our other circular hikes in our region.
See you soon!

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ZITROERAILC
ZITROERAILC

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 03, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very pretty landscapes in the hills with beautiful autumn colours.

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OT Cœur des Collines Cathares
OT Cœur des Collines Cathares

Hello,

Thank you for your positive review!

Feel free to discover our other circular hikes in our region.
See you soon!

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janus.r
janus.r

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 11, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike undertaken by a group of 26 hikers, in glorious sunshine and with magnificent views of the Pyrenees.
Perfect trails, remarkable surroundings.
A great success!
Thank you.

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OT Cœur des Collines Cathares
OT Cœur des Collines Cathares

Hello,

Thank you for your feedback. Our service provider, who is responsible for maintenance and signposting, is currently working on our trails. Thank you for your feedback.

We look forward to seeing you again on a new circular hiking trail.

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Phil1959
Phil1959

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 03, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful hike. Some signs are no longer legible, so the app's GPS is a lifesaver.
Perhaps it was due to the weather, but the grass on the trails was very tall.
Beautiful view of the Pyrenees mountain range.

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petitbob
petitbob

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 30, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Good evening, fellow walkers.
Here is a hike to enjoy in winter.
Wide, open paths with unobstructed views.
Halfway along the route, the Pic de Bugarach and the entire Pyrenees mountain range stretch out over 180 degrees in the background. A gentle, peaceful hike, perfect for the start of the season.
Petitbob.

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Frala
Frala

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 30, 2023
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant hike with beautiful views to the south over the Catalan and Ariège Pyrenees. Charming villages built in a circular pattern. Best done in spring or autumn.

Thank you for the route.

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Henry32
Henry32

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 12, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A very pleasant and relaxing walk through the vineyards. No shade in summer.

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Shrando31410
Shrando31410

Thank you for your reply. Have a nice day.

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OT Cœur des Collines Cathares
OT Cœur des Collines Cathares

Hello,
Thank you for your very positive review. The signposting was completely redone this year in partnership with the Departmental Hiking Committee. The comments preceding this overhaul of the signposting were therefore entirely justified. I will check on the picnic table: it may have been removed.
Wishing you some lovely late summer walks (with less heatwave weather if possible).
Dominique.

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Shrando31410
Shrando31410

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

Unlike other hikers, we found the trail markings to be consistent with the description provided by the local tourist office. Except for the picnic table at Mazeroille du Razès! A pleasant hike that is not too difficult, with wide paths or small roads with little traffic. Lovely panoramic views typical of the Razès region. Lots of small fortified towns, vineyards, fig trees and almond trees, but not much shade.
This hike is well worth doing. Avoid during hot weather like this summer.
Be sure to prepare your trip with an IGN map, as there are quite a few changes of direction.

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patrick & dominique
patrick & dominique

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 25, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We had a lovely walk in the sunshine.

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Roroboubou
Roroboubou

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 20, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

I confirm that the signposting is fanciful, bizarre and makes absolutely no sense. It's complete nonsense!
However, the author of the hike mentions the presence of yellow markings. This should be corrected on the Visorando page, and "yellow markings" should be removed. It can only detract from the walk. The explanations and map are more than sufficient.

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1516614423
1516614423

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 06, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The Visorando description is necessary because the signage is extremely unreliable.
- Changes of direction are marked at the junction rather than beforehand, as required by the standard.
- Sometimes these direction changes are not appropriate; they are installed in place of continuity markers,
there is no change of direction.
- Continuity markers, which should be placed after a change of direction and every 150 metres, are often placed parallel to the path rather than in the direction of travel (1.5 metres).
- The markings should make it possible to follow the route in both directions.
- At the end of the route, a signpost has been installed at the crossroads as usual, but with two opposite changes of direction in yellow and two opposite changes of direction for the GR 78 in red and white.
- In addition, some elements are beginning to show signs of ageing.

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