Visiting the Castles of Lastours: Trails & Hiking Routes

Explore Lastours at your own pace

Discover the castles, viewpoints and landscapes of the Montagne Noire with our walking trails and tours.

Which trail is right for you?

3 ways to discover Lastours, depending on your wishes and fitness level.

2 viewpoints
Easy access to the belvedere and a panoramic view of the 4 castles.

Trail and panorama
Climb up to the castles, then turn back at the junction towards the Castrum.

Access to the castles
A sporty route exploring the ruins, the castles and the medieval Castrum.

Key

Viewpoints
Discovery trail
Full circuit
Parking

The Lastours Belvedere

The Lastours Belvedere is one of the best places to admire all four castles and their exceptional surroundings.

Located on the heights above the village, it can be reached in two ways:

By car, taking the road that runs through and then up the village.
By motorhome or coach, we recommend going around the back of the village to reach the Belvedere car park directly, which is better suited to large vehicles.

From the car park, a short, well-maintained path leads you to the Belvedere. Along the way, you will come to a first panoramic viewpoint offering a remarkable view of the four castles of Lastours.

Once you are facing the fortresses, a small path on your right leads to a second viewpoint. From here, you can see the castles from a different angle and enjoy an exceptional panorama over the whole site.

These two viewpoints are a must on any visit and let you admire the castles of Lastours without climbing up to the fortresses. They also offer excellent conditions for photography and for taking in the landscape.

Discovery trail

From the Lastours car park, make your way to the castles’ visitor reception, then take the main path that quickly leads up to the heart of the site.

The trail takes you through the Trou de la Cité before reaching the Château de Quertinheux, the first iconic stop on the route. You then continue to the junction that gives access to the other castles and the Castrum.

This is where the discovery trail turns back: you follow the same path back down to the village at a leisurely pace, enjoying views of the surrounding landscape and the contours of the medieval site.

Full circuit

Your visit starts at the car park at the entrance to the village of Lastours. From there, walk to the village centre, where the castles’ visitor reception marks the starting point of the route.

After picking up information, a ramp gradually leads you to the foot of the mountain, where the main climb begins. In about twenty minutes, the trail takes you into the site’s natural setting, past the famous Trou de la Cité, up to the Château de Quertinheux, the first of the fortresses of Lastours. The path then continues to a junction leading to the Tour Régine and then to the Château de Cabaret, where an old keep offers a spectacular panorama over the other castles and the valley.

The descent is gentle, taking you to the Castrum, a former medieval village nestled at the foot of the fortresses, before looping round behind the castles and heading back down to the village.