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Departure from the train station (TER LIO), accessible to cyclists in July and August and at certain times outside the peak season; stop on the Toulouse-Carcassonne line.
Free car park and close to the town centre (with other parking options, notably the Espace du Foirail, which is the largest).
(S) At the end of Rue de la Gare, continue straight ahead, passing to the left of the Gallo-Roman Museum tower
(1) ''Place Carnot, with its old grain market (and the new Claude Nougaro Hall), is a good landmark if you’d like to take a stroll through the old centre of this circular village or do some shopping before setting off by bike towards the Voie Verte).
Continue along Avenue du Razès, behind the Halle Nougaro.
(2) At the junction with Rue des Écoles, carry straight on along Avenue du Razès until you reach the Rocade roundabout.
(3) At the roundabout, follow signs for "Limoux - Villeneuve les Montréal" and follow the D63. Cross over the A61 motorway. After the hamlet of Saint Loup, turn onto the first path on the left which runs between the fields and leads to a T-junction.
(4) Turn right onto the old railway line converted into a cycle path: a small car park (6 spaces) marks the actual start of the safe, dedicated cycle path. This old railway line follows the D63 and crosses it at the old level crossing at the hamlet of Fontcarrel (please take care)
(5) At the D119 (crossing a busy road: please take care), a 6-space car park offers another starting point or picnic spot. Continue straight on to the nearby village of Villeneuve-les-Montréal.
(6) There is a place to stop, a picnic table in the shade and a water point in the village. The Greenway continues straight on along its own dedicated path. In this valley, characterised by the presence of streams, the Greenway crosses the D221, which leads to the pretty village of Cailhavel, and then the D21 towards Cailhau.
(7) Pass safely under the D623 (Castelnaudary-Limoux road). 1,200 m after this small tunnel, the Greenway crosses the D18 (Route de Belvèze) to follow a short shared-use path for around 1,700 m to the old Belvèze station.
(8) You’ll find a dedicated cycle path here, along with visitor facilities, picnic tables, a tyre-inflation station and a car park. After 850 m, take a new section of shared-use path with very little traffic.
(9) Returning to a dedicated path, the Voie Verte crosses over the river "le Sou" and a small road at a place called "Gués". It then follows the edge of the valley, offering a lovely landscape typical of the Razès region, which blends vineyards, pastures, farmland and woods.
(10) At Bellegarde-du-Razès, the Voie Verte crosses the D52 and D63 at the same junction (please take care). The circular village is well worth a short detour.
The Voie Verte then passes the old station, where fruit trees have been planted by the Atouts Fruits association.
(11) The village of Escueillens is also worth a visit, with its large wash house offering a refreshing stop. After Escueillens, the terrain becomes steeper, so much so that at one point the Voie Verte passes through a tunnel under a hill.
(12) The tunnel in the commune of Lignairolles is lit at ground level, as it is home to bats that sleep in a large roost built for them. “Please be quiet so as not to disturb this protected and very useful species (as they feed on mosquitoes).”
After the tunnel, a long section through the woods provides shade.
(13) At a place called La Maison Rouge, the Greenway rejoins a quiet country lane for 800 metres and requires a short detour at a junction of small roads (a small section of the old path having been incorporated into a private property).
(14) After rejoining a dedicated section, cross the D18 (take care). Then, as you pass by the village of Caudeval, you’ll catch sight of its pretty medieval castle and its towers. You’ll reach a junction near Moulin-Neuf.
(15) The junction separates the route continuing to Mirepoix (6 km) from the one heading up to Lavelanet (32 km). Keep right towards Mirepoix. Cross the D106 then the River Hers via a bridge and arrive at the junction with the D626.
(16) Cross this fairly busy road (take care), then rejoin the cycle path which follows this route, offering a fairly open view, continuing straight on all the way to Mirepoix. You will reach the roundabout and the Carrefour car park in Mirepoix (E).
