Valleys and hillsides in Saint-Amand-de-Coly

From the hiking information point at the Montignac Tourist Office, head towards Sarlat (D704). After 6 km, turn left towards Saint-Amand-de-Coly. Park at Place du 14 Juillet, a car park with picnic tables and shelter.

(S/E) From the car park, head towards the abbey. At the entrance to the village, look out for a staircase between two houses on the right, opposite a restored house with blue shutters, leading to a steeply ascending path.

(1) Take this path, which offers views of the abbey, its ramparts and the Porte de Salignac in places. A path climbs gently up onto the plateau. Walk past a large house and its old well. Ignore two paths on the left. The crossroads marked by a wooden cross (the Croix du Peuch) and numerous signposts marks the turning point of the route.

(2) Take the road signposted “Lasserre” and follow it for 300 metres to a hairpin bend. After the hairpin bend, look out for a narrow path on the right.

(3) Take this path, which descends steeply into the woods. Continue to the junction with the D64. Cross the road and go over the small bridge over the Chironde to reach a fork in the road with five paths.

(4) Look out for a path on the right of the road leading to Lasserre, which climbs up to the hamlet. Turn right twice to reach a bend.

(5) Leave the hamlet at the corner of a house with a wooden balcony, via a sunny grassy path (looking back, there is a lovely view of the hamlet). Continue along the path, heading left, as indicated, on a difficult path descending through the woods. You will reach a path running alongside the stream.

(6) Follow it up to the left for a few metres. Turn right then left, stay on the left-hand path and head towards the hamlet of Brégégère.

(7) Take the road on the left and cross the hamlet, continuing straight on until the next path on the right towards Les Bessoules.

(8) Continue along this track (with a monumental oak tree on the left) until you reach a built fountain. Go downhill then uphill to a tarmac road; take this to the right, leaving it at a beautiful old house and a sharp left-hand bend.

(9) Then head down to the right along a winding path through the woods into the Chironde valley. Once you reach the tarmac road, follow it to the right for 150 metres, then turn left and then right again until you reach the Chironde, which you must cross via a stone-paved path to the D64.

(10) Take the road on the right (towards Coly), then after 50 metres continue left onto the path signposted ‘Tirondel’. Remains of the platform of the old railway line. Turn right, then right again at an old gatekeeper’s house and head uphill through the woods. Take the first left-right turn onto the road to reach the first houses of the hamlet of Foussigne on the Route de Larnaudie.

(11) Head back down to the right along the road to the hamlet of Larnaudie. Walk through it to the exit.

(12) Look for the start of the path on the left. Turn right, then left, then right again onto the path that climbs uphill. Once you’ve left the woods, turn left then right onto the road towards the Croix du Peuch.

(2) Turn left towards the village of Saint-Amand de Coly, following the path in the opposite direction to the outward journey, until you reach (S/E).

(3) A little further down, on the right, you will come across a crystal-clear spring feeding an old wash house.