France and Spain

Arrive at Toulouse airport and transfer to Albi. This town, home of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and one of the finest cathedrals in the South of France, gave its name to the Albigensian Crusade and is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. We stay at a fine riverside property, a member of the Relais & Châteaux association. This evening join fellow walkers for a welcome reception and dinner.

Today walk to Cordes-sur-Ciel, one of the beautiful towns known as the bastides albigeoises, built by the victorious French after their subjugation of the Languedoc. These delightful fortified medieval villages dotting the local cliffs and hills were once symbols of repression to their 13th-century inhabitants.

We spend the morning walking through Albi and visiting the spectacular red brick cathedral that dominates the town. Built in the southern Romanesque style in the late 14 century, the church is a remarkable testament to the powers of religious orthodoxy. Later this morning we drive south to the Montagne Noire to the four châteaux of Lastours, the most famous of which is the supremely evocative Cabaret set on a spur above the meander of the Orbiel River. This stronghold surrendered to Simon de Montfort in 1211. Our afternoon walk gives us a brief taste of the scenery on the southern slopes of this isolated region. From here we continue by coach to the impressive medieval town of Carcassonne, where we spend the next three nights in the renowned Hôtel de la Cité.

This morning we drive a short distance to the west to the small fortified towns of Montréal and Fanjeaux. It was here that Saint Dominic had his first encounters with the Cathars and established his first monastery in the Languedoc. We follow in his footsteps as we walk between the two villages and down to Prouille, still home to the Dominicans today, where we have lunch. Later we return to Carcassonne by road for a guided visit of this extraordinary town.

We drive south to the town of Foix where we can see the fine old castle and cathedral. Next we stop at the village and castle of Montségur. This great stronghold of the Cathars’ proved to be a thorn in the side of the French royal forces. After our picnic lunch, we set off from the château for a walk through the woods and along open ridges continuing down into the valley. We return to Carcassonne by road.

Heading east we leave the hills behind and make our way across the garrigue, or scrublands, of southern France. Our walk leads past the vineyards and forests of the Corbières to visit the Cistercian Abbey at Fontfroide, founded at the end of the 11th century. The murder of Pierre de Castlenau, a monk from this bastion of orthodoxy, was the direct cause of the Albigensian Crusade in 1208. This evening we continue by road to the town of Bélesta, where we spend the next two nights at a renovated winery.

Prades was a well-known refuge for the Cathars as their castles were being besieged farther north in the lowlands of the Languedoc. We pass through the town as we cross the valley onto the iconic Canigou massif, as our splendid mountain walk takes us through some of the loveliest scenery of the trip. In the late afternoon, we return to our hotel by road.

We drive west, and to the border with Spain and Catalunya. Here we walk through the dramatic scenery of the Cerdanya mountains to a beautiful remote tarn. We continue this afternoon to La Seu d’Urgell, the last bishopric in Spain.

A morning walk along tracks and paths high in the mountains leads across the flank of the magnificent Serra del Cadí. This region is famed as the final refuge of the Cathar heretics, and its landscapes inspired the young Pablo Picasso. Following our picnic lunch, we continue our path before returning to to our Relais & Châteaux property in La Seu d’Urgell.

We depart La Seu d’Urgell and head south, pausing for a short walk along the southern edge of the Cadí mountains in the little town of Organyà, home of the oldest known texts written in the Catalan language. After a final picnic lunch, we drive down to the plains until we reach the cosmopolitan city of Barcelona for our final two nights.

A full day in Barcelona begins with an optional guided tour of some of the iconic sights of this vibrant, artistic city. The afternoon is free for independent exploration. This evening join fellow travelers for a farewell reception and celebration dinner.

Transfer to the airport for outbound flights.