cycle trips to recommend in carcasonne

thebourke

I am going to Carcassonne for one week.Anybody done any cycling around the mountains nearby?if so any rides to recommend?

Carawaystick

The Gorges du Galamus is spectacular, but is 75km from Carcassone, if you had a lift some of the way... all the Cathar Castles thereabouts Queribus, and Perypetuse are spectacular, but its 150km and 3800m climbing by strava, to hit all 3

There's a rail line south to Limoux to shorten some of it

Also look at some of the cycling layer on Openstreetmap, some routes from Bram, west of Carcassonne

Inquitus

thebourke wrote: »

I am going to Carcassonne for one week.Anybody done any cycling around the mountains nearby?if so any rides to recommend?

Aye I have cycled round there a lot, heading over on Thursday for 3 weeks. If you have access to a Hybrid cycling along the Canal Du Midi is good fun and a good workout. If you are on a road bike, the best nearby climb is the Pic Du Nore which was included in the Tour this year, its about 20km at @5%; from either side, and takes you from 200m to 1200m at the top. Other nice places you can cycle to are Minerve which is a fortified Cathare village at the top of a hill. Lagrasse is another lovely Medieval town as well. It depends on whether sightseeing or training is your primary focus! or a mix of the 2!

If you are with the family, you can cycle to Minerve or Lagrasse and have them meet you for lunch in the car, if you have one, and then it is up to you if you want to cycle back. Lagrasse has a River with a Weir and is a good spot for any kids to swim, the restaurants in both Minerve and Lagrasse are excellent. There's also a nice lake near the top of Pic Du Nore with a restaurant or it has a beach which is a lovely spot for a Picnic.

You could also cycle to Narbonne and have someone with a Car meet you there, and spend the day on the beach. Cycling to Narbonne and then on to Gruissan, Saint Pierre La Mer and Fleury is a nice coastal cycle.

The scenery in this area is exceptional, whether cycling between small villages with Vineyards either side, heading to the coast, or up into the Mountain range containing Pic Du Nore. Just one think to note is it is exceptionally windy so you'll either be flying or chewing the handlebars while going nowhere!

Lagrasse



Minerve





Pic Du Nore



Canal Du Midi (has dirt cycle track on one side for the whole length, used by the horses in times of yore)



Lake near top of Pic Du Nore

Strava Route from Carcassonne to Pic Du Nore and back 80km round trip - https://www.strava.com/routes/14673959

Thinkingaboutit

I cycled there from the new town to old town, bike didn't really have gears, nor much brakes. The modern town has a fairly generic gridiron layout, but the contrast was interesting, and the cycle up to the old town was pleasant.

thebourke

thanks for the advice guys!

Cloud

Here’s a useful guide in French about cycling around the Canal du Midi area: https://www.routard.com/evenements-en-voyage/cid136804-le-canal-des-2-mers-a-velo-avec-le-routard.html?fbclid=IwAR1h6J6KSJv09SjoCijQw1TaOYW1FiTIoHhzeLPP2icrvujBp15ur2sHiFs

More tips on Carcassonne: https://m.facebook.com/notes/unofficial-carcassonne-france/carcassonne-resources/1832808263460391/