Montlaur: Holiday Apartments and Houses

Trail No. 30 Montlaur is a moderately difficult circular route covering 20.7 km and taking approximately 2 hours 15 minutes. It runs between the Dourdou plain and the wine-red paths of the Rougier de Camarès.

Renting a holiday apartment in Montlaur can be part of your personal travel planning.

Nature

The easy hiking route “Au bord du cours d'eau” is 12.97 km long, takes approximately 3 hours 30 minutes and has 209 metres of ascent. It starts at the Place de l'église in Montlaur and then leads back to Montlaur. The route follows the Dourdou to the Moulin Vieux and runs between the Dourdou and the Montlaur irrigation canal.

The Circuit du Dourdou VTT mountain bike loop runs between the Montlaur irrigation canal and the Dourdou, then continues to the red hills of the Rougier. It includes a short out-and-back route of approximately 50 metres to an aqueduct spanning the Graouzou.

Culture

The Graouzou Aqueduct was built from 1865 onwards as part of a 9 km-long irrigation canal that watered the land around Montlaur. Today, it is a preserved testament to local efforts to manage water resources. The “Au bord du cours d'eau” route also reaches a ridge overlooking Château de Montaigut and passes the Statue-Menhir du Mas d’Azaïs.

The Statue-Menhir de Saumecourte 2 is recorded in Montlaur and was placed under protection as a historic object in 2019. As a deposited artefact, it is located in the archaeological room of Château de Montaigut in Gissac. The male bas-relief is 98 cm high, 42 cm wide and 18 cm deep.

In the vicinity of Montlaur, Trail No. 30 Montlaur presents the 70 cm-high Statue-Menhir de Saumecourte 3 as a prehistoric sculpture. The original is kept at the Maison de la Mémoire de Saint-Affrique, while a copy can be seen on site. Also in the vicinity of Montlaur, the trail includes a visit to the Ferme des Vignots, where visitors can tour the farm and taste Roquefort made from the farm's milk.

History

On 3 October, the seneschal of Rouergue, Thomas de Wetenhale, was defeated and seriously wounded near Montlaur by the Count of Vendôme and other French lords. He was taken to the house of the Lord of Montlaur, where he died and was buried.

Further destinations: Boussac, Sainte-Juliette-Sur-Viaur, Saint-Maurice-De-Sorgues, Nant, Lagarrigue, Valady, Brousse-le-Château, Montclar

To the higher-level travel overview: Aveyron.