Saint-Émilion - Haut Sarpe

Just a few minutes from Saint-Émilion, this remarkable hamlet has many surprises in store.
A lodge for pilgrims on the Way of St James, an aviary, an 18th-century mill, a magnificent Petit Trianon-style château, an important and magnificent collection of iron sculptures, not to mention a beautiful view of the mountains.
Let's continue with some Grands Crus and beautiful views of the rolling hills.

Details

380579
Creation:
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Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 8.12 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 87 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 82 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 97 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 38 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the car park of the village hall and schools, located behind the police station on the heights of Saint-Émilion.
Parking is free, but please note that during the tourist season (which is very long), you must arrive before 10 a.m. or before 2 p.m., otherwise you will have difficulty finding a space, especially if there are many of you!

(S/E) Head towards the roundabout, take the first exit on the left, then turn right along the bus parking lot. Turn right again, continue along the fortifications on Chemin des Fosses and join Rue Lasserre.

(1) Turn left. At the crossroads, continue straight ahead to reach another intersection.

(2) Turn right, then quickly left and follow the wide road. Turn left at a sharp angle, then right and you will come out onto the D243E1. Continue for about 50 metres on the right, then cross to reach the hamlet of Haut Sarpe (take care when crossing).

(3) Turn right in front of the mill and follow the park. At the end of the hamlet, turn right to join the D243E1. Follow it to the left (be careful) for about 400 metres, then turn right onto the wide path climbing through the vineyards to reach a paved road.

(4) Follow it to the left until you reach the hamlet of Barrail. Go through it and, before the last houses, turn right onto Rue de Lapelleterie Ouest to reach the hamlet of La Pelleterie. Go through the hamlet until you reach the exit.

(5) Turn right onto a winding road, the Route de Guillemot ( be careful, walk in single file), and continue to the hamlet of Tauzinat.

(6) After the right-hand bend along the houses, turn right and start climbing up alongside the ditch. Stay on the right-hand side to avoid having to cross it, and keep heading north-west.

(7) At Mondotte Bellile, turn right onto a path through the vineyards and join a small paved road. Take it to the left to reach the Rue Trotte Vieille crossroads.

(2) Turn right, pass the Château Trotte Vielles. At the next crossroads, join the D243E1 and turn left. To avoid traffic, you can walk through the vineyard. As you pass, admire the life-size horse sculptures in the courtyard of the Château La Couspaude.
Reach Rue Villemaurine Sud on the left. Continue to the fortifications and the bus parking area. Turn right to reach the roundabout at the start. Take the first exit (north), turn left and then right to return to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 69 m - Parking Salle des fêtes
  2. 1 : km 0.71 - alt. 82 m - Rue Lasserre, door
  3. 2 : km 1.37 - alt. 85 m - Crossroads Rue Trotte-Vieille
  4. 3 : km 2.21 - alt. 91 m - Haut Sarpe hamlet
  5. 4 : km 3.36 - alt. 88 m - Tarmac road, on the left
  6. 5 : km 4.04 - alt. 93 m - La Pelleterie, follow the road on the right
  7. 6 : km 4.63 - alt. 38 m - Tauzinat, take the road on the right
  8. 7 : km 5.73 - alt. 90 m - Mondotte Bellile
  9. S/E : km 8.12 - alt. 69 m - Parking Salle des fêtes

Notes

IMPORTANT: this route is off the beaten track. All the landmarks mentioned in the description (place names, castle names, but also high-voltage power lines, bridges, etc.) are shown on the corresponding IGN 1:25,000 map but are not always shown on the reduced map.
We strongly recommend that you either purchase the map or use the app on a smartphone, which will also allow you to be geolocated at all times so you can track your movements accurately.

Worth a visit

You will be walking through many renowned vineyards, so please respect and admire them!

(3) You will arrive in front of a lodge reserved for the Chemins de Saint Jacques. Admire the large aviary, the 18th-century windmill and the magnificent château (which can be rented as a lodge).
You will arrive in the heart of the hamlet: on the left, at the end of the small square, there is a splendid view of the Montagne area, with numerous castles visible.
There are many iron sculptures and decorative objects.
There are many lodges in a quiet and bucolic setting.
The wine cellar can be visited by appointment: it is a small museum with objects and instruments from the past.
Reservations: 06 84 84 73 40

Château Mondot: beautiful view, renowned restaurant, check out the menu!

Reviews and comments

4.2 / 5
Based on 29 reviews

Reliability of the description
4 / 5
Ease of following the route
3.9 / 5
Route interest
4.6 / 5
abrigitte
abrigitte

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 25, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hello,
We did this hike today and encountered two problems:
- The path leading to point 4 is a private road that ends with a securely fastened chain. You need to get around this obstacle by taking the next path heading south-west towards the hamlet of Le Barrail.
- As you approach point 7 at Mondotte Bellile, the trail cannot be followed as it is (the path does not exist and is inaccessible) and you end up right at the edge of the houses. Furthermore, there is no corresponding path on the IGN maps.
Otherwise, the hike was very pleasant, with beautiful views.

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mahistre.patrice
mahistre.patrice

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

Very good tour, views of numerous castles, terraced vineyards and, above all, a visit to the village of Haut Sarpe, where you must see the ironwork made from recycled materials.

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Mainecognac
Mainecognac

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 23, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A really pleasant walk, the hamlet of La Sarpe is indeed very pretty. The hike through the vineyards is generally very interesting, with nice scenery.
As for the route, the area around point 7 is complicated, and we may have got lost, but we really felt like we were on someone's property, which was a bit strange.

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Claudio62
Claudio62

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 17, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely discovery of the countryside and vineyards and their châteaux around the village, far from the tourist crowds.

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Closparadis
Closparadis
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 22, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Late afternoon stroll in the freezing cold: beautiful light, unique landscape of prestigious but somewhat sleepy châteaux alternating with vineyards
Beautiful view of St Emilion on the way back
Be careful with the chocolate, which only warms you up for one or two coffees. Only one or two cafés are open in St Emilion on Sunday afternoons...

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Bruno33500
Bruno33500

Thanks for the comments. It's definitely a place I take friends who are visiting the area after visiting St Emilion. It's a radical change...
Bruno33500

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DOUCAT
DOUCAT
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 31, 2022
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A good half of the route is on paved roads, but these are not very busy at weekends. In addition, the rolling countryside, the autumn colours of the vineyards and the prestigious châteaux make this a very enjoyable walk.

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kiki la joie
kiki la joie

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 16, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

date of hike: Saturday, 16 October 2021
A lovely hike. Be sure to follow the comments and the 1:25,000 map to confirm the route. No other issues
Thank you for this hike

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monax1
monax1

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 25, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant route to take outside of holiday periods, otherwise you may not be able to park in St Emilion!

At point 7, be sure to take the yellow-marked path on the left to climb back up the hillside. (Communal path.)

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RP33
RP33

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 20, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful route through the vineyards and hillsides of Saint Emilion. The hamlet of Sarpe is worth a detour. Please note that there are no water sources and little shade.

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GCA
GCA

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 21, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

The proposed route crosses private land twice, at points 4 and 7.
before point 7, the map follows a difficult private road, even though a more attractive municipal road is available.

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Bambou135
Bambou135
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 18, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A magnificent hike, we found the route without difficulty but used our GPS once or twice to check the name of a street.

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bedinoche
bedinoche

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 08, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful hike with many sites to see. Be very careful with the route

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chrisrey33
chrisrey33

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 19, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very beautiful route, lovely things to see, written description a little inaccurate as there is a castle currently undergoing renovation work and therefore cannot be accessed at the moment. This may be confusing for those doing the walk, but that's the nature of walking

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Bruno33500
Bruno33500

Thanks for the comments. When I have friends visiting St Emilion, I always take them to see this beautiful, peaceful little hamlet.
It's true that the end is a bit tricky to navigate, but it's still very easy as you can see the bell tower clearly.
Bruno 33500

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