Occitanie Hiking & Trekking Guide 2025

One of the most iconic and rewarding walks in the French Pyrenees, starting from the spectacular Pont d'Espagne waterfall confluence and climbing through forest and open terrain to the stunning Lac de Gaube (1,730 m), which reflects the snow-capped mass of Vignemale (3,298 m) in its still waters. A télésiège (chairlift) from Pont d'Espagne can shorten the climb.

A spectacular circular route from Cauterets passing the dramatic basalt organ-pipe rock formations of the Orgues de l'Ilhéou and offering sweeping views of the Massif de Néouvielle and surrounding peaks. A perfect all-day walk for fit walkers seeking mountain drama without extreme technical difficulty.

The GR70 follows the route taken by Robert Louis Stevenson and his donkey Modestine in 1878, crossing the Cévennes National Park from the Massif Central to the Mediterranean foothills. The Lozère section through the Gévaudan plateau and Cévennes is wild and beautiful, passing through granite villages and chestnut forests.

The Pic de Nore (1,211 m) is the highest point of the Montagne Noire — the southern spur of the Massif Central that forms the dramatic backdrop of Carcassonne. The summit offers exceptional views south to the Pyrenees and east across the Languedoc plain to the Mediterranean. The trail passes through oak and beech forest.

The Cirque de Navacelles is a dramatic meander abandoned by the Vis River as it cut down through the Grands Causses plateau — now a stunning geological spectacle listed as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve site. The descent into the cirque and return through the gorge is one of the most scenic half-day hikes in the Languedoc.

A magnificent section of the long-distance Sentier Cathare walking route, climbing to the dramatic Château de Peyrepertuse — a 'sky castle' perched on a narrow 800 m ridge in the Corbières hills — before descending to the medieval village of Cucugnan. The views over the Corbières wine country and to the Pyrenees are exceptional.