Aveyron Valley in Najac

An excursion along the banks of the Aveyron river, dominated by the medieval village of Najac.
Below the village, the route is mostly shaded and runs peacefully along the river.

Details

294679
Creation:
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 7.07 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 00 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 889 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 896 ft

  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,276 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 577 ft

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the Post Office car park, opposite the Oustal du Barry.

Yellow and/or red and whitemarkings

(S/E) With your back to the post office, head opposite, towards the castle, with the Oustal du Barry in your line of sight on your right. Pass the suburb and the Tourist Office. Continue along Rue du Barriou. At the junction with Rue du Bourguet, follow the red and white markings ofthe GR®36. Take Rue du Château, Rue Haute Alphonse de Poitiers and finally Rue de la Pause to end up on Avenue de la Gare.

(1) Make a first turn right then left to descend the Planol path. Make a second right-left turn to reach the banks of the Aveyron.

Yellow markings

(2) In front of the Saint-Blaise Medieval Bridge, leave theGR® and turn left onto the track running alongside the Aveyron. This is a wide track that runs alongside the river and is used by kayak hire companies. Follow it as it winds its way down to Les Grèzes.

(3) Pass under the railway bridge that crosses the Aveyron and climb up a stony path to a wide track.

(4) At the wide track, turn right towards the hamlet of Cassagnes. In the hamlet, take the first street on the left. Leave the hamlet and pass the last houses.

(5) Turn left onto the path. Descend to approach the Prexotel Family Holiday Village.

(6) At this crossroads of four paths, continue straight ahead. The path, which is not marked on IGN maps, goes around the bottom of the holiday village and leads to Rue Bach. Follow it to the left until you reach the end.

(7) Continue along the path. Follow the yellow markings, ignoring any paths you cross along the way. Cross the Ruisseau de la Vernhe stream.

(8) At the junction with Avenue de Saint-André, turn left towards the bend in Avenue de la Gare. Climb up Rue de Coustoune to return to the Post Office car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 1,158 ft - Post office car park
  2. 1 : mi 0.91 - alt. 837 ft - Right-left hook
  3. 2 : mi 1.24 - alt. 636 ft - Pont St Blaise crossroads
  4. 3 : mi 4.27 - alt. 594 ft - Aveyron and railway bridge - Aveyron (rivière)
  5. 4 : mi 4.84 - alt. 1,056 ft - Wide track junction
  6. 5 : mi 5.46 - alt. 1,211 ft - Crossroads at the exit of Cassagnes
  7. 6 : mi 5.89 - alt. 1,214 ft - Crossroads of four trails
  8. 7 : mi 6.2 - alt. 1,270 ft - Extension on the trail
  9. 8 : mi 6.98 - alt. 1,135 ft - Avenue de la Gare
  10. S/E : mi 7.07 - alt. 1,158 ft - Post office car park

Notes

Good shoes recommended as some sections of the Roman road are unstable.

Worth a visit

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 17 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.1 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
aline gereys
aline gereys

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 03, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Route undertaken with a group of 15 people, including some very young participants, one visually impaired person and one who had undergone heart surgery.
A lovely walk through Najac, past the fortress, then down towards the Aveyron, the Blaise bridge and the path that runs alongside the Aveyron with plenty of spots to stop and rest, particularly near the mill or the ruined houses, a little further on and...
The climb back up to the VVF is a bit steep, but never mind, we take our time... the path back down to Najac has a few steep sections but offers lovely views of the village. We did the walk the day after it had rained, and the paved slanting streets or stony paths were still passable.

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JB rando
JB rando

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 04, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A really lovely route along the Aveyron.
A very steep climb on the way back and certainly a bit slippery in wet weather (which wasn’t the case when we did it). Some magnificent views of Najac

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AlainT
AlainT

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 30, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant route along the Aveyron, flat and shaded between points 2 and 3. A slightly steep section between points 3 and 4. The route description and signposting need updating at Cassagnes between points 4 and 5. At the holiday village, there is a stunning view of Najac.

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Maiko
Maiko

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 13, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely walk that takes us all the way through the village of Najac and its castle, with some beautiful views.
Well shaded. A long stroll along the riverbank.
The only challenging bit is the climb back up to the village, which is all in one go, though it isn’t particularly difficult.
Eliane

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pommade
pommade

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 09, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely walk; however, in wet weather, the descent is slippery on the pebbles along the path. There are fallen trees blocking the path, but it’s possible to go round them (and you can see where). Depending on your timing, you can have a picnic at the viewpoint at the top of the hill near the holiday village, which offers a stunning view. We were lucky that the leaves hadn’t grown too much yet, so we were able to take some lovely photos of Najac all along the way. Thank you

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Bru34
Bru34

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 18, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant hike! Najac and its fortress are well worth a visit! After the hamlet of Cassagnes, the descent is rocky and therefore slippery in wet weather. A pleasant 6 km walk along the banks of the Aveyron on a shaded path.

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User 9596602

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 14, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful hike through diverse landscapes (Najac, banks of the Aveyron river and small village)

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User 25238120

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 18, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Some areas are difficult to pass through and not maintained, but the IGN map was very useful for finding certain paths and directions.
Some areas deserve to be classified as difficult hikes, as they are steep.
Otherwise, it's an interesting hike with some nice spots.

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toni82700
toni82700

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 24, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike that is not too demanding and well worth the effort! Don't forget to visit this beautiful village with its castle before setting off on the hike. Be sure to bring appropriate gear if it rained the day before (the path can be slippery in places).

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Yves8160
Yves8160

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 15, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful hike. Very varied.
Pretty village of Najac. Small market on Sunday mornings.
Note: Avoid after rain as there are a few descents and ascents with stones on the paths. It's slippery even in dry weather, so when it's wet...!
Worth doing again.

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THIZY
THIZY

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 01, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very pleasant hike

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petites jambes
petites jambes

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 24, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Excellent hike, shaded and varied.

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jalac
jalac

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 08, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A very pleasant hike. The path along the banks of the Aveyron is very pleasant in hot weather.
Accessible to all.

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larzac
larzac

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 01, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful walk in the Aveyron valley, with views of the town, the castle and the mills, and plenty of shade.
Beautiful Saint Blaise bridge.
To descend from the heights, take the path that runs alongside the historic trail, which has become a ravine.

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drlivingstone
drlivingstone

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 09, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

My GPS gave me a slightly longer distance and a greater elevation gain.
But it was a very beautiful hike combining culture (the village) and nature!

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