The Cathar Way - A Walker's Guidebook

The Cathar Way is a waymarked trail linking historic castles associated with the ill-fated 13th-century Cathar heresy. Guide to this 250km (two-week) route through the foothills of the Pyrenees in the Languedoc region of southern France, from the Mediterranean to Foix. Beautiful and historic area.

The Cathar Way - the Sentier Cathare - is a popular, well-waymarked trail which links several of the world-famous 'Cathar castles' of south-west France.

A challenging, fascinating and rewarding route, it is not an arduous mountain trek. The trail runs for about 250 kilometres – from the Mediterranean coast westward to the historic town of Foix. It can be walked in two weeks or less by anyone who is well-equipped and moderately fit. Good-quality accommodation is available at regular intervals along the entire length of the trail.

The trail traverses the dramatic foothills of the Pyrenees mountains, a beautiful countryside which enjoys plenty of sunshine and is rich in wildlife.

The highlights of the Cathar Way are the 'castles in the sky' like Quéribus, Peyrepertuse and Montségur. These incredible medieval fortifications will forever be associated with the ill-fated Cathar 'heresy', which was brutally suppressed in the thirteenth century.