Saint-Martin-Lalande walks

Circular tour around Saint Martin Lalande and Saint-Papoul, visit Notre-Dame de Bassens, the Abbey-Cathedral of Saint-Papoul and the Lauragais plain in the Aude department.

Away from the village of Villasavary, starting from the car park below the Besplas leisure centre (in front of the "Bois de Villasavary" sign), this hike crosses the first hills of La Piège, offering a landscape of meadows, woods and fields. Follow the yellow markings and the wooden signs for "Besplas" or "route de Besplas".

A pleasant short hike in the hills with several viewpoints overlooking Villeneuve-la-Comptal and Castelnaudary.

The stronghold of the powerful lords who gave their name to the Lauragais, the ancient fortified village of Laurac has retained its dominant position, its medieval silhouette and its authentic stone buildings. The route reveals breathtaking panoramas and allows you to observe the village and nature from the surrounding hills. The information panels along the route tell its eventful history, from the Cathars to the religious wars of the Renaissance. Yellow markings

At the foot of the Montagne Noire, this route passes by the Cenne-Monestiés dam, runs along the Lampy river as it climbs towards the village of Villemagne, before gently descending along a path offering a wide view of the Lauragais.

On the lower slopes of the Montagne Noire, the Lampy River powered numerous textile factories in Cenne-Monestiés from the 17th to the 20th century. Downstream from the well-restored dam, beautiful remains are still visible in this rolling, green landscape. This route will show them to you with a series of information panels, taking you to some surprising places: along an old irrigation channel, at the end of the lake or in a panoramic spot in the middle of the pastures. Blue markings

The wild orchid discovery trail winds its way from the slopes of Mont Carrière to those of Les Canonges, offering a succession of hills and valleys where undergrowth, forests, cultivated areas, short, dry grasslands on limestone soil and wetlands alternate. Wild orchids have made their home in this setting. However, few walkers pay attention to these sometimes tiny flowers, which rarely grow taller than 20 centimetres, in the early days of spring. Some are very concentrated, others much rarer, growing alone or scattered. Picto Yellow Flower Markings

A challenging forest circuit on hilly paths with sweeping views over the first hills of the Piège. It is an ideal training ground for keeping fit or preparing your legs for the mountains. Mont Carrière, the highlight of the walk, has four orientation tables, but it is not the only panoramic viewpoint on this circuit, which offers many beautiful sights.

Breathe in the fresh air of the Lauragais: this route follows part of the Collines du Vent route, offering superb panoramic views of the Pyrenees, the Lauragais and the Montagne Noire. It winds its way along numerous paths and ridge trails. You will also discover some remarkable mills.

part2 of the "Les Collines du Vent" route:The exceptional views amply reward the effort of climbing the pechs (hills in Occitan). The Collines du Vent route then takes on its full spectacular dimension: the pechs are swept by winds blowing alternately from the Mediterranean (the autan or marin) and the Atlantic (cers). There are few trees on the hills, which also means that there is little shade in summer, so the sun beats down hard on the hills. A spectacular and iconic 48.2 km online route in the Lauragais region, the "Collines du Vent" connects Avignonet-Lauragais and Fanjeaux. Numerous windmills are dotted across these first hills of La Piège, taking advantage of the generous winds that blow alternately from the Mediterranean (the Autan or marine wind) and the Atlantic (the Cers). The view stretches far beyond the hills to the Pyrenees and the Montagne Noire. Eleven information panels provide details about the area's heritage. Yellow and blue markings

Learn to draw while walking and observing the landscapes of the Piège hills, in unusual places such as the Serre des Enchantées or among the sheep on a wild hilltop. This is an original hike between the unspoilt villages of Cazalrenoux and Génerville. Yellow markings + 7 wooden easels

Set off on the path once taken by Saint Dominic to reach the first monastery he founded in Prouille. Crossing the hills, the route reveals the wine-growing village of Lasserre-de-Prouille, a small "circulade" with a remarkable heritage. This is a shortened version of the long route linking Fanjeaux to Montréal (30 km) via the GR® 78, the Piedmont route of the legendary pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. Yellow markings

This circular loop, which starts along the tramway path, opens onto the hills of La Piège. It encircles a narrow valley that has always been farmland shared by the farmers living in the village. Each of the fields lined up in this way had access or a "step" from the path. A stone hut, flanked by the traditional cypress tree, allowed the farmer and his team to take a well-deserved rest once the "junte" was finished. Blue markings

In the Aude Cathar Country, the unspoilt village of Fanjeaux, perched on a hill (pech in Occitan), offers spectacular views of the countryside. The undulating route winds its way over the hills, dotted with numerous viewpoints, including Mont Carrière with its four orientation tables. Red markings and "Circular de la Hille" sign.

A shaded hike through a beautiful forest that once provided charcoal. A few pits, or charcoal pits, remain as evidence of this.

This hike alternates between beech, oak and chestnut forests and cattle pastures on the hillsides. The elevation gain is gentle, but the beautiful descent through the woods after Le Montagnet can be difficult in wet weather. Spring and late autumn are the best times to enjoy this route.

This hike is very easy to follow, but bring sunscreen and water if you're doing it in the middle of summer!

There are no signs indicating this remnant of a powerful Cathar fortress where three hundred Cathar perfects took refuge in 1209. All that remains is a tower and an intact Romanesque gate marking the entrance to the castrum. This walk along the Rigole de la Montagne and Sor rivers will reveal the entrance to the hidden path.

A very pleasant walk, almost entirely through forest. Wide, easily passable paths and superb views of the lake and dam.

From the dam, head towards the Montagne Noire Natural Park for a hike in the forest and along the river. After a short wet crossing and a final easy climb, the arrival point reveals a magnificent view of the dam.

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

This walk allows you to discover the village of Montréal with its collegiate church, narrow old streets and green, rolling countryside.

Between vineyards and hills, hike in the footsteps of Saint Dominic: a shortened version of this legendary hike using theGR®® 78, the Piedmont Way of Saint James, starting from the pretty village of Montréal, renowned for its majestic collegiate church. Yellow markings

Circular between Lake Saint-Ferréol and Lake Cammazes for a short day's hike. Lovely views of the lakes, very pleasant sections in the forest, chance to spot deer, visit the Voûte de Vauban or enjoy a gourmet break in the village of Les Cammazes.

The Chemin des Amoureux (Lovers' Path) takes you up the Laudot valley toward Cammazes. You return on the GR7.

Section of the "sentier des sommets" trail, cut off from the link with Revel, reducing the total distance to 14 km. No technical difficulties, with beautiful views of the Lauragais. The route ends with a shaded walk around the lake, where you can swim in season.

The proximity of the lake for cooling off, the deciduous forest for a shaded walk and the very passable paths, despite a few fords along the route, ensure a very pleasant time even with children.

On the watershed between the Aude and Tarn rivers, we follow in the footsteps of P.P. Riquet once again, discovering other water resources that enabled this self-taught engineer to demonstrate to the experts sent by Colbert the merits of his project to supply his Canal des Deux Mers. However, the forest remains present on this easy route, and Arfons, with its slate roofs, is a picturesque little village in the Haut-Languedoc Regional Nature Park.

A very beautiful route, almost entirely on footpaths and often through woodland. It will allow you to discover the different facets of the two sides of Durfort up to the Gravette dam on Lake Cammazes.

Half of this route follows theGR® 653, which runs alongside the Canal du Midi, synonymous with tranquillity, shade and coolness.

Three quarters of the hike is sheltered from the sun and wind by the beech forest (mainly). Wear good shoes as the trail is often muddy with some stream crossings that are more or less maintained. Foresters have cleared the trail, which creates some large puddles, but these can always be avoided by walking along the edges of the forest.

Landscapes of the Lauragais region starting from Saint-Paulet. Long shaded stretch along the Rigole de la Plaine, Lake Lenclas with picnic facilities, the Cathar memorial at Les Cassés, view of the exterior of the castle and the Pyrenees.

A circular that will allow you to discover the Lauragais countryside and the Rigole de la Plaine, which feeds the Canal du Midi

From the Lac de Lenclas site, it is worth making a short detour to visit the pretty village of Saint-Félix-Lauragais. Most of the hike is on roads.

This circular route takes you through the villages of Montmaur, Les Casses and Saint-Paulet, allowing you to discover the castles of Montmaur, Biès and Saint-Paulet, as well as the Cathar Memorial in Les Cassés.

Half of this walk follows its route along theGR® 653 trail, which runs alongside the Canal du Midi, offering shade and coolness.

Discover the different landscapes of the Lauragais. Along the route, which is not difficult but hilly, you will find dirt tracks, historical remains and sites, and charming villages. This hike requires a little navigation, so an IGN map will be a great help.

A circular route on the plateau above Arfons via the Croix des Fangasses, the Croix de Montalric and the Montalric orientation table. Magnificent view over the entire Revelois and Puylaurentais plains as well as the Pyrenees. GPS essential for this hike.

Semi-shaded route in the Montagne Noire, with beautiful views of the Revel and Puylaurens valley and the Pyrenees. Forest of fir, pine and beech trees, moors of ferns and ash trees. Little elevation gain. Most of this hike follows unmarked paths, even if you come across some markings. Only take these into account when they are mentioned in the description.