Hiking around the cottage: the GR62 and our trails in Aveyron

The GR62, a still recent route between Rodez and Conques

The GR62 "From Rodez to Conques, in the footsteps of Pierre Soulages" is a fairly new long-distance footpath: its official guidebook was only published in 2024 by the French Hiking Federation (FFRandonnée). Many of our guests have therefore never heard of it, which is perfectly normal. The Aveyron route runs from the village of Inières, at the foot of the Lévézou, to Conques via Rodez: about 70 to 76 km, usually walked in five stages over three to five days, with a fair amount of total ascent for a causse that people often imagine to be completely flat.

The idea behind this waymarking is not just sporting: the route's name pays tribute to Pierre Soulages, the painter born in Rodez, and the itinerary symbolically links the museum devoted to him in his home town with the windows he designed decades later for the abbey church of Conques. The Musée Soulages is about 40 minutes from the cottage, for those who want to extend the link between the two ends of the route.

From the Causse Comtal to the Marcillac vineyard

The first two stages leave Inières for Rodez, then Salles-la-Source, crossing the Causse Comtal: wide open limestone spaces where you can see for miles. It is at Salles-la-Source, with its waterfall and built heritage, that the landscape begins to change. The third stage then drops down to Marcillac-Vallon, and that is where the GR62 crosses what is dearest to us: the terraced Marcillac vineyard, where the vines cling to the reddish soils typical of the Rougier. It is exactly the landscape in the photo at the top of this article. We never tire of it, in summer or in autumn, when the vine leaves turn red in their turn.

From Marcillac to Conques, through our valley

The fourth stage, the longest (about 22 km), leaves Marcillac-Vallon for Saint-Cyprien-sur-Dourdou via Saint-Jean-le-Froid, Combret and Nauviale, where you pass right below the ruins of Beaucaire castle: the path then follows the Dourdou and Créneau valley, just a few kilometres from us, with views that stretch on clear days as far as the Cantal mountains and the Aubrac. The fifth and final stage completes the route with about ten kilometres to Conques, crossing the Ségala. The GR62 itself does not pass directly through Pruines, but it runs through the same area as the cottage, which makes it an excellent idea for a day out by car: park at one end of a stage, walk, and come back to sleep at our place in the evening.

The GR62 and the Way of St James, arriving in Conques

The GR62 ends in Conques, one of the major stages of the Via Podiensis, the Way of St James that comes down from Le Puy-en-Velay and is known here as the GR65. The two routes are not the same: the GR62 is a recent, purely regional path, while the GR65 is a historic pilgrimage route. But they do meet in Conques, where outside the abbey church you often see GR62 hikers mingling with backpacking pilgrims setting off towards Figeac. We talk about it at more length in our article on Conques and its abbey church, fifteen minutes' drive from the cottage.

Our own trails, starting from the cottage

Let's be honest: most of our guests don't come to walk five days of the GR62 with a backpack and bivouac. What we usually suggest are shorter walks you can reach on foot straight from the property. The cottage's one-hectare estate opens onto paths that climb gently between vines, woods and small ridges, with views over the Dourdou valley that are well worth it, especially late in the day when the light skims the slopes. Once you are here, we will gladly point out the loop we walk most often ourselves: just under an hour, nothing difficult, but with enough climbing to feel deep in the Aveyron countryside, between dry-stone walls and vineyard plots we watch change colour through the seasons.

It is also what we prefer to suggest to families with young children, or to those who arrive late on the first evening and just want to stretch their legs before dinner: no need to take the car, just put on your trainers at the cottage door and off you go. The keenest follow up the next day with a longer outing towards the vineyard or the Dourdou gorges; the others are happy with this evening stroll, with a glass of Marcillac wine as a reward on their return.

For those who want to go further without necessarily following the GR waymarks, the whole network of local lanes and paths listed in the PDIPR (the departmental plan of walking and hiking routes) is accessible around here, between causses, oak woods and deep little valleys. We always recommend taking an IGN map or an up-to-date hiking app: local waymarking is good, but it is no substitute for a proper map once you leave the busiest paths. The Conques-Marcillac and Rodez Agglomération tourist offices publish free, very well-made walking leaflets every year, which we keep available for our guests.

The Dourdou cycle route, for those who prefer two wheels

Not everyone wants to walk, and that is fine: the Dourdou cycle route follows the river along part of its course, with a generally easy profile suited to families and more experienced cycle tourists alike. We often recommend it alongside a hike, as a rest day for the legs when you discover the valley from another angle, following the water rather than the ridges. Many of our guests actually come with their own bikes on the car roof, to combine both ways of exploring the area.

Our practical tips before setting off

In Aveyron the weather can change quickly, especially on exposed ridges: we always set off with a light jumper and a windproof jacket, even in high summer, and plenty of water, as springs and fountains are not guaranteed on the long stages. May-June and September-October remain our favourite months for hiking: the days are still long, the heat less oppressive than in early August, and the Marcillac vineyard is especially beautiful at harvest time. As for footwear, a good pair of low hiking shoes is quite enough for our trails and for the GR62 stages as described in the official guidebook: no need for heavy high boots unless you plan to leave the marked paths.

One last tip, and not the least: think about getting back. The GR62 can be walked in both directions, but if you only do one stage in a day without a loop, you need to plan how to return to your starting point. On the part that interests us most, between Marcillac-Vallon and Conques, a regional bus line serves certain points of the route from April to October, with a few return trips a day; we always check the latest information with the tourist office before setting off, as timetables can change from one season to the next. Otherwise, the simplest solution is often to leave a car at each end, or to ask us for advice: we know most of the starting car parks by heart.