Five long-distance hiking trails to explore in the fall

MORNING LIST

In the footsteps of the Cathars, in the Pyrenean jungle or in the middle of the Breton saints… Here are five escapades through France to enjoy, for three to six days, the mildness of autumn during All Saints’ Day.

Overlooking the sea in the Corbières

The GR 367 offers a wide variety of landscapes. It crosses the Corbières massif before reaching the Pyrenean Piedmont, winds from the shores of the Mediterranean to the Ariège mountains – from Port-la-Nouvelle to Foix – and crosses many villages and gorges (Padern, Galamus). A historical pilgrimage in the footsteps of the Cathars hunted for their faith in the XIII^e and XIV^e centuries. From the coastal plain to the vineyards of Corbières, we reach the defensive fortresses of Aguilar, Quéribus and Peyrepertuse. Nestled on their promontory, they offer magnificent views of the peak of Canigou, Capcir and the sea. In autumn, the stages of the northern variant, between Port-la-Nouvelle and Quillan, benefit from the mild Mediterranean climate. . We walk under the sun while enjoying, in the distance, the snow-capped peaks and the scent of rosemary.

Dive into the small Amazon of the Pyrenees

Nestled between the Aure valley, the Lannemezan plateau and the Campan valley in the Hautes-Pyrénées, the Baronnies are little-known landscapes. A discreet territory that can be discovered by hiking the GR “Tour des Baronnies” in an autumnal version and reduced in three days. From the village of Sarlabous perched on the ridges, offering a beautiful view of the Pic du Midi and the Château de Mauvezin, to Gourgue d’Asque, nicknamed the little Amazon of the Pyrenees. On the banks of the Arros, in a deep valley, lush vegetation grows – mosses, lichens and ferns line the stones and trees. It feels like the jungle. A magical stopover before crossing the countryside of bucolic groves and descending into the Esparros chasm, famous for its walls covered with aragonites forming like bouquets of flowers.

Stroll in the Provence of Giono

Jean Giono liked to take the paths and trails around the village of Saint-Julien-en-Beauchêne (Hautes-Alpes) or Baumugnes, at the confluence of the Buëch and the Burraine, on the edge of the Durbon forest formerly exploited by monks Carthusian monastery. His novel One of Baumugnes (Grasset, 1929) testifies to the harshness and beauty of the landscapes of the Southern Alps. Part of the GR 94 and the GRP “Tour du Buëch” cross these grassy marls, grazed lawns and forests of oaks and black pines. In this season, you can enjoy the beauty of the forests all the more, mixing the yellow-orange of maple trees with the burgundy red of sumacs. A six-day itinerary, starting from the medieval village of Serres to the village of Veynes renowned for its railway history, allows you to discover these landscapes of Provence and mountains with exceptional lights.

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