Lieu-dit Pla de L'oum, 11350 Cucugnan
Horseback Ride from Cucugnan to See the Cathar Castles
Visit the Most Beautiful Citadels with Cheval Cathare
The perfect itinerary in spring and autumn in Cathar country, a magnificent tour starting from Cucugnan to visit the famous citadelles du vertige (vertiginous citadels) on horseback: Quéribus, Peyrerpetuse, Aguilar, and more.
Cucugnan, a small Languedoc village made famous by author Alphonse Daudet in Lettres de mon moulin (Letters from my Windmill), is nestled between vineyards and olive groves, proudly overlooking the rocky reliefs.
At the mere mention of its name, the scents of the scrublands and the colours of the Midi dazzle our senses... A little-known area, the Hautes Corbières is full of history and authenticity, its paths winding through valleys and rising to limestone foothills with immense panoramas, vast, wild and uninhabited expanses...
Here, you slip out of time and into the land of dreams...
Day 1: Sunday
Riders meet at the equestrian farm in CUCUGNAN (11) starting at 6 p.m.
For those who arrive early, you can visit Quéribus Castle and/or the pretty village of Cucugnan on your own.
Introduction to the horses, the team and the ride, meal and night in our unique accommodations: vintage trailers, yurts, Airstreams, and more.
Day 2 : Monday
Saddling up to the heights of Cucugnan, we cross our horses’ winter pastures and arrive at the foot of the impressive Quéribus Castle. From the top of the keep, we admire gorgeous panoramic views of the snow-covered Pyrenees and the sea beyond. In the afternoon, we ride over the Padern Plateaus and discover yet more panoramic views of the Corbières and Verdouble Valley.
Meal and night in Cucugnan.
Day 3 : Tuesday
We follow the Cathar Trail eastwards. We thread our way through the Grau de Padern gorges and, as we turn the bend in the road, a stunning view opens up of the Tuchan Plain, topped by Aguilar Castle (Eagle Castle).
This wine-growing region is home to the great vintages of Fitou, Corbières and Rivesaltes.
Night at St. Roch lodge, a beautifully renovated former sheepfold. The view from the terrace is extraordinary.
Day 4 : Wednesday
We leave the farmland behind and head into the Hautes Corbières mountains on pretty trails through Tauch Mountain and the holm oaks. We soon reach the Prat de Labat Plateau. We'll have a picnic lunch in Féline-Termenès and then head for Termes along a pretty trail through the scrublands.
Night and meal in Termes.
Day 5 : Thursday
Departure from Termes via Les Plas to Laroque-de-Fa, then on to the Souleilla and Redoulade Passes via the beautiful forest trails of Orme-Mort Forest. We cross the hamlet of Les Baillessats and enter the Domaine du Bouchard, a magnificent 300-hectare estate where wild boar, mouflons and deer roam freely...
Meal and night at Bouchard lodge.
Day 6 : Friday
For this last day,
we leave Bouchard to head for Peyrepertuse Castle,
which was the largest fortress in Europe in the Middle Ages. The castle has inherited many evocative nicknames:
"the stone vessel", "the dizzying citadel", "the celestial Carcassonne". We
return to Mediterranean vegetation, vineyards and olive groves, towards the village of Duilhac and then
Cucugnan.
Last evening and night in Cucugnan.
Day 7 : Saturday
Breakfast and the end of this wonderful adventure.
Departure
