The Cathar Castles - Walking in Languedoc, France
Footloose- 6 Nights/7 Days
PLUS EXTENSION PUIVERT TO FOIX. The Cathars were a heretical set who existed in the Middle Ages. They were destroyed by a violent crusade authorized by the Pope and the tangible remains of this struggle are the dramatically sited castles built by the Cathars all over the Languedoc region.
The area is steeped in history as well as mystery - that the Cathars held the Holy Grail and smuggled it from Montsegur before the end of the siege there. You walk through landscapes of immense natural beauty, lush valleys and rolling hills, enjoy good local food and wines while discovering an interesting page of France’s history on this European walking holiday.
These two walks (Queribus to Quillan and Puivert to Foix) can be combined (Queribus to Foix) making the walk 13 nights and 14 days with an extra night between the two walks at Quillan. This completes the whole “Cathar Way” walk. Puivert to Foix.
Itinerary and Highlights
- Day 1 Arrive Quillan (local bus transport from Carcassone near Toulouse) at 4pm to transfer to Duilhac-sous-Peyrepertuse. The chateau of Peyrepertuse is perched above the town on a rocky crags at 788m and a distinct landmark for miles around.
- Day 2 Padern to Duilhac-sous-Peyrepertuse. Transfer to Padern and walk from the chateau through fragrant ‘garrigue’ vegetation past rolling vineyards to the castle at Queribus perched on a rocky crag. Walk back to Duilhac.
- Day 3 Duilhac to Cubiere. Walk a narrow road built in 1884, through the spectacular Galamus Gorge, which has a 6C rock cut dwelling, to the Bouchard, a large private estate that has wonderful views across the Corbieres. Overnight at Cubiere sur Cinoble.
- Day 4 Cubiere sur Cinoble to Sougraigne. Traverse the Col du Linas (1230m), the gateway to the Corbieres. Detour to the village of Bugarach to view the 16 and 17C castle ruins.
- Day 5 Sougraigne to Granes. Walk to the spa town of Rennes les Bains and Rennes le Chateau where story has it that a priest found the treasure of the Cathars here and became suddenly very rich. Continue to the village of Granes.
- Day 6 Granes to Quillan. Pass isolated hamlets before you traverse the Col des Trois Quilles. Descend to Quillan and pass the ruins of the 13C castle.
- Day 7 Circuit route on Sentier Cathere. Optional passing the chalet of Carach and the 11C church in the village. Return along the shores of the River l’Aude. Walking holiday arrangements end. Return to Carcasonne (39 km) by local bus – (own expense).
The itinerary follows the ‘Sentier Cathare’ (the Cathar Way) footpath that stretches from Queribus to Quillan. It can then be linked from Puivert to Foix extending it to a two-week walk to complete the Cathar Way. - Day 8
- Day 9
- Day 10
- Day 11
- Day 12
- Day 13
- Day 14
- Day 15
- Day 16
- Day 17
- Day 18
- Day 19
- Day 20
Day 1 Arrive Quillan (local bus transport from Carcassone near Toulouse) at 4pm to transfer to Duilhac-sous-Peyrepertuse. The chateau of Peyrepertuse is perched above the town on a rocky crags at 788m and a distinct landmark for miles around.
Day 2 Padern to Duilhac-sous-Peyrepertuse. Transfer to Padern and walk from the chateau through fragrant ‘garrigue’ vegetation past rolling vineyards to the castle at Queribus perched on a rocky crag. Walk back to Duilhac.
Day 3 Duilhac to Cubiere. Walk a narrow road built in 1884, through the spectacular Galamus Gorge, which has a 6C rock cut dwelling, to the Bouchard, a large private estate that has wonderful views across the Corbieres. Overnight at Cubiere sur Cinoble.
Day 4 Cubiere sur Cinoble to Sougraigne. Traverse the Col du Linas (1230m), the gateway to the Corbieres. Detour to the village of Bugarach to view the 16 and 17C castle ruins.
Day 5 Sougraigne to Granes. Walk to the spa town of Rennes les Bains and Rennes le Chateau where story has it that a priest found the treasure of the Cathars here and became suddenly very rich. Continue to the village of Granes.
Day 6 Granes to Quillan. Pass isolated hamlets before you traverse the Col des Trois Quilles. Descend to Quillan and pass the ruins of the 13C castle.
Day 7 Circuit route on Sentier Cathere. Optional passing the chalet of Carach and the 11C church in the village. Return along the shores of the River l’Aude. Walking holiday arrangements end. Return to Carcasonne (39 km) by local bus – (own expense).
The itinerary follows the ‘Sentier Cathare’ (the Cathar Way) footpath that stretches from Queribus to Quillan. It can then be linked from Puivert to Foix extending it to a two-week walk to complete the Cathar Way.
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Extension to Puivert to Foix – – 6 Nights/7 Days
Puivert to Foix (7 days/6 nights) or combined: Queribus to Foix (14 days/13 nights)
Itinerary and Highlights
- Day 1 (or 8) Arrive Quillan. A short transfer will take you from Quillan to a small Pyrenean village where the walking trail known as the Sentier Cathare leads all the way to Puivert castle. The museum of Quercorb in the village of Puivert has a superb exhibition that evokes the life of the area at the end of the last century. There is a model of Puivert castle showing how it would have been in the XIV century.
- Day 2 (or 9) 19kms. Today the Cathare footpath traverses the forest of Lescale and Picaussel in the direction of the Pays de Sault. A vast, airy wide open plateau situated high up between 950 et 1300m, the plateau is the gateway towards the high mountain summits. The villages of Espezel and Belcaire have a traditional architecture typical of the style to be found in mountain villages between 900 and 1000m: slate roofs, houses huddled closely together and concentrated around the church interwoven with small alley ways.
- Day 3 (or 10) 19 kms. Follow an ancient footpath that was once the main route between the ‘Pays de Sault’ and the ‘Pays d’Olmes’ regions. The natural route of access between the villages of Comus and Montségur was by the gorge of the Frau. For one kilometre the gorge is notched out of high chalk walls, the path passes between cliffs soaring straight up, vertically, towards the sky. Views are captivating.
The castle of Montségur balancing high on a mountain pinnacle is a very emblematic symbol. Built between 1204 and 1211 by the local Cathare clergy, this site was to become during the first part of the XIII century the religious capital of the Cathare church. - Day 4 (or 11) The site of Montségur, the very bastion of the Cathare resistance certainly requires an additional day for exploring. The village itself is quite unique, the houses and buildings are in long curved lines one after another. There is a museum and some art and craft shops. Take a pathway that leads to the foot of the pog, a high rocky buttress,, for spectacular views. Having visited the castle a circular walk in the direction of the ridge of Taulat will allow you to discover high altitude mountain plains, still used to graze the local cattle.
- Day 6 (or 12) 4 kms. The ‘Sentier Cathare’ or Cathare footpath progresses through the heart of the region known as the ‘Pays d’Olmes’.Still in the county of Ariège, traverse lush, green countryside, undulating between valleys and mountainsides to reach the medieval castle of Roquefixade, an ancient bastide of the 13th century.
- Day (or 13) 17 kms. The highlight of last section of the sentier Cathare presents visiting a medieval castle at the beginning and at the end of the day. Walk a ridge between the small village of Roquefixade and the county, country town of Foix. The town of Foix was a counts town and its castle is characteristic by its three towers and high, unusual rocky base. Foix is the principal town of Ariège and in during the Summer months it is a centre of music and animation, a season of festivities and merriment as well as the colourful Friday morning market.
- Day (or 14) Visit the town of Foix and the old castle. Walking holiday arrangements end
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