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Trekking the Cathar Way

The GR367 Sentier Cathare in southern France

Guidebook to the GR367 Cathar Way (Sentier Cathare) in the Languedoc region of southern France. The 260km waymarked trail from Port la Nouvelle on the Mediterranean to Foix traces the history of the Cathars through the Eastern foothills of the Pyrenees. Split into 13 stages and offering a northern variant, the route takes about 2 weeks to complete.
Seasons
Best walking between April and June and between September and October. The summer months can be very hot, with accommodation busier and more expensive. Accommodation may be closed in winter and higher parts of the route can be impacted by snow.

Centres
Port-la-Nouvelle, Durban-Corbières, Tuchan, Cucugnan, Saint-Paul-de-Fenouillet, Caudiès-de-Fenouillèdes, Puilaurens, Axat, Bugarach (north variant), Quillan (north variant), Puivert, Espezel, Montségur, Montferrier, Foix
Difficulty
Difficulty varies from day to day, with some stages fairly gentle and others more strenuous, involving steep rocky paths and as much as 1000m ascent. A moderate level of fitness will improve your enjoyment of the trek. There are no technical difficulties but some sections of the route can feel remote, with few facilities (although accommodation is available at the end of every day stage).
Must See
Cathar castles: Aguilar, Quéribus, Peyrepertuse, Fenouillet, Puilaurens, Puivert, Montségur, Roquefixade and Foix; historic wine-producing villages such as Tuchan and Cucugnan; Galamus Gorge; the remote Boulzane River; the imposing ridge of the Pech de Bugarach; pretty Quillan (north variant); French Resistance memorials; fantastic panoramas from the Plateau de Languerail; Frau Gorge; views towards the Pyrenees