From Montgeard, this loop will take you from village to village to the Ganguise lake, then along the canal du midi, walking through emblematic stages of the building of Pierre-Paul Riquet.
- From Montgeard to Thésauque Lake
- 1h30
- 52 km
- ♥ Ganguise Lake / Village of Montferrand
Montgeard
Montgeard
This bastide was founded in 1317 by the Seneschal of Toulouse, Guy de Guiard which by this act gave its name to the village. In the XNUMXth century, the village experienced unprecedented wealth thanks to the pastel culture, formerly used for dyeing clothes.
To have
The XNUMXth century church and castle, the picturesque lanes, the pastel plantation behind the church.
It's your turn
- What is the color of the pastel flower?
- There is a stone embedded in the building wall of the hall containing a date. Which ?
Marquein Castle
12 min ride. by car
Marquein Castle
The castle is private and can only be visited from the outside.
The castle is located slightly away from the village. This enormous construction was erected from 1539 to 1554, at the time of the golden age of pastel, on the site of a fortified house mentioned in 1464. The sponsor
was Dauphine de Montbrun, widow of Jean de Roquefort, Lord of Marquein. The Roquefort family owned the castle until the French Revolution. Tradition reports that Catherine de Medici would have stayed there in 1579 and 1581. The buildings were restored in 1840.
It's your turn
What are the lattice windows, so typical of the Renaissance, called?
Salles-sur-l'Hers
7 min ride. by car
Salles-sur-l'Hers
The toponym “Salles” would come from the Germanic term “sale” which designates a stately residence.
During the crusade against the cathars in the XNUMXth century, the lordship of Salles was confiscated because the lord of the place was won over to the Cathar religion. New Count of Toulouse, Alphonse de Poitiers, decided to create a country house (new town) in order to bring together the population scattered throughout the territory of Salles. The plan of the village is still characteristic of bastides today: the streets intersect at right angles and the whole forms an almost perfect quadrilateral.
The church must have existed before the development of the bastide. The current building dates from the XNUMXth century.
Le primitive castle dates it from the twelfth-thirteenth century. It was largely destroyed around 1860. Today, all that remains of the castle is a square tower and the main body is a recent reconstruction (private property).
It's your turn
- What is the date carved on the stone coat of arms at the entrance to the church?
- What are the inhabitants of Salles-sur-l'Hers called?
Regambert Lake
4 min ride. by car
Regambert Lake
The ideal place to stop for a picnic by the water…
belflou
5 min ride. by car
belflou
The castle is private and can only be visited from the outside.
One of the most beautiful castles in the Trap and Lauragais. It constitutes the archetype of the seigniorial castle of the end of the Middle Ages.
The first textual testimony of Belflou dates back to 1206 under the name of “Valflor”.
At the end of the XNUMXth century, the lords of Belflou were cathars. They were therefore replaced by "good
Catholics", the De Fontaine family which lasted until the French Revolution.
Le castle was completed in the middle of the XNUMXth century, and restored in the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries.
Fullerenes ditches are filled with water and form a belt around the castle. There was once a drawbridge that allowed access to the castle, replaced by a stone bridge in 1820.
THEéglise, dedicated to Saint Pierre-ès-liens, was largely altered in the XNUMXth century.
It's your turn
What do you call the heart-shaped metal tie rods fixed to the castle, preventing the walls from moving apart?
Ganguise Lake
4 min ride. by car
Ganguise Lake
Located 2 km south of Baraigne, this 280 hectare dam lake was originally created to ensure the irrigation of the region. This body of water, generously windy, also serves as leisure centre essentially for the practice of windsurfing. Other activities are offered such as the rental of canoes, funboards and mountain bikes. There is also a hiking trail to discover the rich heritage of the surrounding villages.
baraigne
8 min ride. by car
baraigne
The castle is private and can only be visited from the outside.
The village developed around its beautiful church. This building is one of the finest examples of Romanesque churches in Lauragais. The church was founded in the XNUMXth century. Very small, it has only one nave, ending in a beautiful apse in the bottom of the oven. In the cemetery, next door, one can observe discoidal stelae : Those are
funerary monuments, composed of a base and a disc decorated with a cross. Dating from the beginning of the Middle Ages, they are standing stones on tombs, at the head of the deceased.
Contrary to what is often said, these steles are not Cathar, although there is a large concentration of them in Lauragais. Baraigne is also one of the first villages to have been affected by the catharisme.
It's your turn
To which character in the Bible is the church dedicated?
The Segala
4 min ride. by car
The Segala
After admiring the Canal du Midi, cross it and continue driving towards Montferrand on the N113.
It's your turn
As you cross the village, you will see a factory: what does it make?
Naurouze threshold
5 min ride. by car
Naurouze threshold
Culminating at an altitude of 189 m, the threshold of Naurouze is the watershed du canal du midi between the Mediterranean side and the Atlantic side: the latter flows on one side towards Sète, on the other towards Toulouse. A detour to theObelisk built in memory of Pierre Paul Riquet, creator of the channel, pays tribute to this man.
It's your turn
Find the information plaque at the foot of the Watershed. How far is the St Ferréol reservoir?
Montferrand
4 min ride. by car
Montferrand
The village above the Naurouze threshold also worth a visit. Two loops will allow you to discover this charming village on foot, step on the ways of Saint-Jacques de Compostelle.
To have
The fortified gate and the rampart, the aeronautical lighthouse allowing planes transporting mail at the beginning of the XNUMXth century to find their bearings, the orientation table.
Avignonet Lauragais
5 min ride. by car
Avignonet Lauragais
It was here that one of the most important moments in the history of the Catharisme : the massacre of
Inquisitors on May 28, 1242. In 1242, about sixty Cathar knights, who had found refuge in
Montségur (Ariège), decided to go to Avignonet to assassinate the Inquisitors there. The ride lasted 4 days and 3 nights. On the second night, the knights snuck into the castle where the 11 inquisitors were staying, and slaughtered them with axes.
to have
- The remains of the castle
- The pepper tower
- The remains of the ramparts
- The Church of Our Lady of Miracles.
- The market every Saturday morning.
It's your turn
When did the annual Candalous pilgrimage take place?
Lock of Gardouch
12 min ride. by car
Lock of Gardouch
A Gardouch, the Canal du Midi becomes a place of conviviality, where we like to meet up with friends. From April to September, theold lock house offers something to eat or even have a drink before setting off again for new adventures! In summer, the tavern is open and will surely please all those who have the festive spirit for an evening.
Opposite the establishment, the beautiful houses with colorful shutters surround an old flour mill. It must be said that in the XNUMXth century, Gardouch was a very busy port: wheat and fodder embarked here on their way to Languedoc, while oils and wines were unloaded to be sold on the market stalls of Villefranche-de-Lauragais.
It's your turn
The quay bears the name of a well-known character: which one?
Thésauque lake
8 min ride. by car
Thésauque lake
De many leisure activities are passable all year round around this 33ha body of water.
It's your turn
Which animal is the symbol of the interpretive trail?
