Route details
Description
Valley of the mills: this valley once resounded with the activity of paper and fulling mills, flour mills and later spinning mills.
This circuit is marked with yellow PR type by the volunteers of the Villefranche de Rouergue hiking association: Lo Caminaïre. There is a topo-guide of 25 hikes produced, published by this same association and called “En Pays Villefranchois”.
To see all the hikes in Villefranche de Rouergue, click here.
Your itinerary
Stage 1: Departure from Parc Saint-Jean
From the promenade (Parc du Saint-Jean car park), reach the old shower baths, currently the headquarters of the Pays d'art et d'Histoire des Bastides du Rouergue. Take Rue Saint Jean d'Aigremont while being on the right-hand sidewalk. Cross the Alzou stream by crossing over the stone bridge on your right. You are in Faubourg de l'Alzou. Go under the railway bridge and turn right towards Gorges de l'Aveyron and immediately left onto the road that climbs Côte du Calvaire. Continue straight up the hill.
Stage 2: Along the Aveyron
After the hairpin bend, turn right onto the tarmac road (no-through sign – Chemin de la Plaine St Jean). At the farm, go straight on, passing between the buildings. Continue, leaving the driveway that leads to a beautiful house on the left, and take the Chemin de Coste Peyrouse on the right. It descends to the D269. Follow the road to the left, take the first road on the right (Chemin des Moulins). Follow the Aveyron, passing between old mills (Moulin des Pots, etc.). At the end of the road, turn right and continue on the road for 1 m.
Step 3: The path to La Treille
After the mill road, take the path on the left (source at the start) which climbs through the undergrowth to the plateau. Arriving at the road, turn right and, 400m further on, arriving at an intersection, on the right La Treille, turn left. Here you will find the ancient Roman road from Ségodunum to Divana which you follow for 1200m. At the crossroads, leave the Boï on the left, take the Route du Calvaire opposite. Arriving at the foot of the hill of the old oppidum. Take the opposite path towards the guesthouse then turn right, go around the barrier by the passage provided on the path which leads to the summit cross and the superb viewpoint over the Bastide.
Stage 4: The ancient Roman road
Make a half turn, retrace your steps to go towards the church of Saint-Jean d'Aigremont (Romanesque chevet). Then, return to the guest house/shop until the intersection with the stone cross and the signpost. Take the first right which goes down, an old Roman paved road which will take you back to the Calvary hill. Go back down, along the Stations of the Cross. You will recognize the intersection with the path of the Plaine St Jean where you have already passed there. Take the same path as on the outward journey, continuing straight ahead.
