Vineyards and heath in Villeneuve-Minervois

Many points of interest along the route: arboretum, lime kilns, dolmen, legend, remarkable tree...

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 15.51 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 55 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 508 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 508 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 541 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 195 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Depart from the car park in front of the sports hall opposite the town hall.

(S/E) Head north along the sports hall. Climb the steps and continue along the sports field until you reach the road "Rue du Belvédère".

(1) At the road, turn right and then right again at the crossroads with the cross in the centre. Continue straight ahead until you reach the junction with the D289.

(2) Cross the D289 and continue straight ahead into the vineyard. At the cross, continue to the left and then left again along the path after the low wall at the side of the road.

(3) Continue straight ahead and take the second path on the left where you will see a ruined house about 200 metres away. Climb gently until you reach the D289.

(4) Follow the D289 to the right. Cross the bridge over the Ravin de la Minière and continue climbing the road to the Arboretum, at the height of the antenna.

(5) Take the path on the right towards the Arboretum. At the next intersection, go straight ahead, pass the barrier and continue to the houses of Val d'Houms in the valley after crossing the Ruisseau du Bois Noir.

(6) At the corner of the house, turn left and go up the path to the other barrier. Join the D289.

(7) Take the road to the right and, at the car park on the right, head towards the "Dolmen du Palet de Roland".

(8) Follow the first path on the right and, in the woods, take a small path on the left that goes up to the dolmen.

(9) Go around the dolmen to the left and head back up into the woods, heading north. Follow the path to the right until you reach the D289 again at "Col Ventous" (altitude 497m) and continue up this road, leaving a track on your right.

(10) Take the first stone path, a hairpin bend, on the left. Follow it until you reach the intersection of a perpendicular track in a clear area.

(11) Walk about 30 metres to the left and you will find a small path on the right through the broom bushes, which descends alongside a stream that is usually dry. At the edge of the woods, the stream bed turns 90° to the right. Follow it down into the woods until you reach the road.

(12) When you reach the road, follow it to the left. Pass the "La Fraou" viewpoint.

(13) At the crossroads, in the next bend, turn right onto the small path that winds through the woods. At the large holm oak tree, with the ruins of a house on your left, join a wider path and follow it to the next crossroads.

(14) Turn right for 200 metres and then right again (altitude 412m) to follow this large stony then tarmac road which takes you back to the village. Ignore all adjacent tracks and paths.

(15) At the entrance to the village, follow the D111 main road with caution, turning left to return to your starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 198 m - Sports hall car park
  2. 1 : km 0.24 - alt. 208 m - Rue du Belvédère
  3. 2 : km 0.69 - alt. 217 m - 1st junction D289
  4. 3 : km 1.31 - alt. 221 m - Low wall by the roadside
  5. 4 : km 2.77 - alt. 292 m - 2nd junction D289
  6. 5 : km 3.9 - alt. 370 m - Arboretum Path
  7. 6 : km 4.87 - alt. 351 m - Val d'Houms
  8. 7 : km 5.63 - alt. 381 m - Intersection with D289
  9. 8 : km 6.09 - alt. 429 m - Dolmen car park
  10. 9 : km 6.26 - alt. 437 m - Dolmen of Palet de Roland
  11. 10 : km 7.62 - alt. 530 m - 1st path on the left after the - Col Ventous (497m)
  12. 11 : km 9.09 - alt. 541 m - Caution: left-right path through the broom.
  13. 12 : km 9.93 - alt. 394 m - La Fraou path overlooking the - Clamoux (rivère)
  14. 13 : km 10.89 - alt. 465 m - Small path through the woods
  15. 14 : km 11.94 - alt. 432 m - Return path on the right.
  16. 15 : km 15.18 - alt. 198 m - Entrance to the village
  17. S/E : km 15.51 - alt. 198 m - Sports hall car park

Notes

Mostly easy hike.
Please note: between (11) and (12), this section of the hike is more difficult and tricky in wet weather for less experienced hikers. Use the following alternative route:
To avoid the difficulty, from (11), take the path to the left and follow it straight ahead until thefirst path on the right. Join (13).

Worth a visit

There are many points of interest along the route: arboretum, lime kilns, Dolmen du Palet de Roland, Legend, Remarkable Tree...

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 15 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.3 / 5
Route interest
4.3 / 5
hc31
hc31

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 11, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful route, interesting for its views and sights (dolmen, old marble quarry, hot oven, etc.).
Markings are inconsistent.
Following the recommendations, we avoided the section between 11 and 12, which is considered dangerous and difficult, by turning left onto the track at 11 to reach 13.
Note that the route of the track has been changed compared to the trail at the end for about 300 metres.

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GUIRAUD FRANCOIS
GUIRAUD FRANCOIS

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 16, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I did this hike on Sunday with friends, and we enjoyed the scenery through the vineyards and then in the heath. In the afternoon, after the fog lifted, we could see the Pic de Nore and Cabrespine.
The elevation gain is gradual.
I think they should stop letting hikers through between 11 and 12, as it's really dangerous. The path isn't maintained (very tall broom, brambles and a steep and tricky crossing at the stream bed; luckily the ground was dry). The rest of the hike went smoothly.

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leonisa14
leonisa14

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : May 28, 2024
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We finally followed the yellow and blue markings, which are very good for a 14 km walk. A very nice hike with a very gradual elevation gain. Not to be done in hot weather, as shade is rare. Very pleasant at this time of year with lots of heath flowers and views of the Pyrenees still covered in a little snow.

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iSenior
iSenior
• Edited:

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 05, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

I confirm that the section of the route between 11 and 12 is impassable, with brambles, shrubs and broom galore!
I ventured there anyway, but had to improvise when I found some cairns to follow a path downhill through the heath and reach a track to climb back up towards 12. The only advantage of this (rather long) detour is a beautiful view of Cabrespines.
There is little shade, so avoid in hot weather!

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Jeanda25
Jeanda25

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 30, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

I confirm that you should avoid the section between 11 and 12, as it is full of ruts, brambles and bushes that completely block the bed of this stream, which probably only flows during heavy rain (you can't really call it a path).
Apart from that, it is mostly roads (with very little traffic) and forest tracks.
There are still some beautiful views
Finally, at the end of the route, a sign indicates that the owner of the land wishes to prohibit passage?!

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Jeanda25
Jeanda25

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 03, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

I confirm that you should avoid the section between 11 and 12, as it is full of ruts, brambles and bushes that completely block the bed of this stream, which probably only flows during heavy rain (you can't really call it a path).
Apart from that, it is mostly roads (with very little traffic) and forest tracks.
There are still some beautiful views

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jf1392
jf1392

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 17, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Varied landscapes with views of the Pyrenees
Best done when it's not too hot, no shade at the start and end

Please note: same comment as above, path difficult to walk on between 11am and 12pm and vegetation has grown back since February

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bardenas
bardenas

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 20, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Nice circular.
Avoid between points 11 and 12, as this section of the route is overgrown with ferns and brambles
even for experienced hikers. Before reaching the trail, the descent is dangerous,
fortunately, there were only two of us.
Overall, a pleasant hike with views of the Pyrenees.
Don't miss the dolmen and the lime kilns.

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Roroboubou
Roroboubou

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 06, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

(11) Indeed, the comments on this passage are accurate and true: the path through the gorse is difficult to find, and you have to be careful in the dry stream, but it is passable, even if it is really "off the beaten track"....
(12) We searched for a long time and in vain for the road... which is not a road. A path or a track? But not a road. The only one we can see is the D112, which we cannot reach.

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iqueinnec
iqueinnec

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 31, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant walk at this time of year, with the vineyards turning red and then passing through the heath. There are viewpoints and sites of interest along the way. The route almost always follows a VERY well-marked path (yellow with a blue overlay), which can also be followed as an alternative.

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bemer82
bemer82

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 28, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

a beautiful hike through woods and heath, well signposted
the dolmen is definitely worth a visit

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pascal31140
pascal31140

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 22, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

A pleasant route for a hike during curfew.
Round trip from Toulouse + hike, within the time limit.

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rbor1000
rbor1000

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 13, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The Roqua Traoucada dolmen is not mentioned in the description, and rightly so, as it is not maintained. But there is a beautiful view from there.
From point 11, it is mentioned that you can go directly to point 13. This is what we had to do, because at point 11, the path to point 12 was not maintained and is currently blocked by vegetation.

We did not meet anyone on this route.

Otherwise, it is a very beautiful hike, well described.

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babaaurhum31
babaaurhum31

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 15, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very good parish-specific to Brittany hike, we didn't need a map as there were signposts and it corresponded roughly to the map. Avoid doing it in the middle of summer as there is very little shade

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etamine11
etamine11
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 17, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

It should be noted that the section between points 11 and 12 is impassable. Following the disaster caused by bad weather in November 2018 in our region, the path between these two points is completely destroyed and ravaged with ruts over a metre deep. Vegetation also covers the entire route between these points. I recommend turning left at point 11 and going to point 13 to resume this hike. I hope this information is useful. Enjoy your hike, everyone.

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