Short route around the Dourdou in Brusque

A short family hike in the upper Dourdou valley, in southern Aveyron, where water meets stone and the slopes are stony.
But above all, it is the village of Brusque, from ‘bruscas’ (heather), crowned by the ruins of its9th-century castle on its rocky outcrop, with its winding alleyways.

Details

1719564
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 5.44 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 1h 55 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 118 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 120 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 500 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 443 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the square in front of the church in the village of Brusque.

(S/E) Take the small tarmac road that climbs to the left of the church and then turns left. Follow it to the junction with the D 92.

(1) Just at the junction of the two roads, turn right onto a path, not very visible, through the grass. Then
continue along the more obvious path on the left, which climbs gently and overlooks the main road as it runs alongside it towards the south.
This path leads onto a forest track and to a log cabin guesthouse called La Fuste.

(2) Head down the track to the left. Cross the Arnac road and head towards the Céras holiday village. Cross the bridge over the Dourdou.

(3) Cross the holiday village car park on the left and walk along the back of the Céras sewage treatment plant. Follow a path that runs alongside the river and leads back to Brusque.
When you reach the village, head towards the church. You’ll come to the bridge over the Dourdou, but don’t cross it.

(4) Opposite the Café du Pont, continue along the Dourdou, heading north.
At the end of the path, turn left and cross the Dourdou via the Pont Vieux. Turn right onto the road that goes round the stadium.

(5) Take a round trip, passing in front of the cemetery, to visit the Grotte Notre-Dame.

(6) Notre-Dame Grotto. Retrace your steps back to the stadium.

(5) Turn right onto the path overlooking the stadium.
At the end of the path, follow Rue de l'Hospital, which leads into and up through the old village. Turn right twice. Climb the steps on the left and visit the small square at the foot of the tower of the old church.
Head back down through the paved slanting streets (narrow, paved alleys) of the medieval village to the church car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 450 m - Car park at the church in the village of Brusque
  2. 1 : km 0.63 - alt. 462 m - Confluence of the Limbriac Stream and the Dourdou
  3. 2 : km 1.11 - alt. 500 m - La Fuste
  4. 3 : km 1.7 - alt. 464 m - Car park, on the left
  5. 4 : km 3.34 - alt. 449 m - Bridge over the Dourdou
  6. 5 : km 4.05 - alt. 450 m - Stadium crossroads
  7. 6 : km 4.39 - alt. 450 m - Notre-Dame Cave
  8. S/E : km 5.44 - alt. 450 m - Car park at the church in the village of Brusque

Notes

From the clearing at the foot of the tower of the old church: views of the ruins of the medieval castle, the Sanctus valley and the wind turbines on the summit of Merdelou.
The latter rises to 1,110 metres, making it the highest peak in southern Aveyron.
Slightly to the left stands the Dent de Saint-Jean, a rock jutting out from a rocky ridge.

Worth a visit

- Le Castelas (the old village) and the castle.
- The Old Bridge.
- The Grotte des Baumes (a cave which, according to tradition, served as a temple for Protestants).
- The Saint-Thomas Chapel and its twenty-four murals depicting the life of Saint Thomas; these murals were painted in 1965 by Nadine and Jean-Paul Laroche.
- Pic de Merdelou (1,110 m). Dourdou Valley. Bouche-Payrol Cave on the left bank of the Dourdou between
Brusque and Ouyre.
- Saint-Thomas Forest. Karstic cave, sinkholes, rocks of the Dent Saint-Jean.
- Holiday village with its swimming lake

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 6 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.3 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.2 / 5
DENIS34500
DENIS34500

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 10, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Nice walk around the river.

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Gilles13
Gilles13

Hello, Fafi.
Thank you for your comment. To avoid any confusion, I have amended the description in point 1.

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Fafi
Fafi

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 02, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely family walk, easy to get to. The mix of woodland paths, riverside trails, rock steps, a short stretch of road, and so on is pleasant and breaks up the monotony of some hikes. We took a wrong turn at point 1 and went too far into the woods, and had to cross the river via a wooden footbridge that had been more than half washed away by a previous storm. Fun but risky if you’re not fit. Don’t hesitate to head back down almost to the main road to find the entrance to the right path.

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Carles
Carles

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 17, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

The walk is described as easy, but people with reduced mobility would not be able to manage it.
Beautiful scenery all along the route; at a junction where you have to walk alongside a road without crossing it, there is a lack of signage, but otherwise it is very well done and offers a complete change of scenery.

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PCambon
PCambon

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 18, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Nothing to report. Great in hot weather as it’s often in the shade and near the river.
Not great for the Grotte de la Vierge.

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jmangles
jmangles

Thank you to future walkers

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Gilles13
Gilles13

Hello jmangles
Following your comment about the condition of the path, I went to take a look. It is true that small sections of the path have been damaged by storms and flooding, but they remain easily passable and safe. I took the opportunity during my visit to clear the overgrown sections.

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jmangles
jmangles

Overall rating : 2.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 29, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

A route that is difficult to access, often overhanging and partially collapsed

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PYRENE75
PYRENE75
• Edited:

This route is currently not recommended due to major roadworks in progress!

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nanarddu11
nanarddu11

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 17, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

The walk is very pleasant. A note regarding the condition of the path: bad weather seems to have damaged certain sections of the first circular loop of the route. It’s best to wear sturdy footwear and tread carefully on the damaged sections. The route remains passable and safe. A lovely walk around a pretty village.

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