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:
Last update:
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.38 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 00 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 271 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 273 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 389 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 176 m

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 : km 0 - alt. 353 m - Post office car park
  2. 1 : km 1.46 - alt. 255 m - Right-left hook
  3. 2 : km 2 - alt. 194 m - Pont St Blaise crossroads
  4. 3 : km 6.87 - alt. 181 m - Aveyron and railway bridge - Aveyron (rivière)
  5. 4 : km 7.79 - alt. 322 m - Wide track junction
  6. 5 : km 8.79 - alt. 369 m - Crossroads at the exit of Cassagnes
  7. 6 : km 9.49 - alt. 370 m - Crossroads of four trails
  8. 7 : km 9.98 - alt. 387 m - Extension on the trail
  9. 8 : km 11.24 - alt. 346 m - Avenue de la Gare
  10. S/E : km 11.38 - alt. 353 m - 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 12 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.1 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
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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Izard64
Izard64

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 22, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

This hike requires sturdy footwear as the trail is very rocky.

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Vendinielle
Vendinielle

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 17, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : Yes

I regretted not choosing the northern circular: lots of shade, which must be pleasant on a beautiful summer's day, but on the other hand, this route lacks space and horizon. The path along the Aveyron seems endless. I really liked between 3 and 5, but that's a bit thin. Note the very pretty house with a superb garden at point 1.

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