maisons à colombages à Saint-Félix

A romantic hike in Saint-Félix

A city couple is enjoying the All Saints' Day holidays for a romantic getaway in the Lauragais. They have chosen the hike des Fourches et le Cimetière des Anglais for a nice walk thanks to its wonderful panoramic views from Saint-Félix-Lauragais. The Lauragais hillsides will be the setting for this walk in a still authentic countryside.

terrasses place Guillaume de Nogaret à Saint-Féix-Lauragais

A picturesque and authentic charm

Clotilde and François, the lovers, are at the starting point, Place Guillaume de Nogaret. What a starting point! This square has a great charm. It is decorated with flowers and beautiful houses with colourful facades, sometimes half-timbered, sometimes made of stone. A medieval market hall and belfry stand in the centre. The flamboyant roof is supported by 16 oak pillars. A huge, immaculate statue of the Virgin Mary towers the belfry. The sound of a stream, old people debating, children playing, the potter's workshop and the lively terraces bring this mineral esplanade to life. The walk begins under the best auspices.

A balcony over the Lauragais

"Honey, it's over there!" François acts as a guide. The couple is irresistibly attracted by an exceptional view at the end of the street. Montfort tower is a real balcony on the Lauragais enlivened by birds singing. First wow effect! The Lauragais hills appear like Tuscany with this mosaic of fields dotted with woods, farms, villages and pierced by la rigole de la Plaine by Riquet. The Montagne Noire rises like a wall. Its steep slopes are dressed in their autumnal finery. What luck! "The Pyrenees!" These mountains deign to show their rocky slopes today. They are dressed increasingly in their snowy mantle. What a romantic place...

vue depuis Saint-Félix-Lauragais
Champs du Lauragais en hiver

On their way

François and Clotilde leave the village through an old fortified gate. A small flowery square is the stage for a bronze sculpture at the foot of the ochre fortifications. The bust represents the composer Déodat de Séverac, born in St-Félix in 1874.

Hand in hand, the lovers make their way down to the valley. A small water basin surrounded by stone slabs is the vestige of an old washhouse. The path is sometimes grassy and sometimes tarred. Nevertheless, the climb is coming. The false flat gradually gives way to a more challenging slope. The difficulty is short-lived and painless for our sports lovers.

Saint-Félix in all its splendour

The reward for this effort is really worth it. The summit offers the most beautiful view of Saint-Félix. 2nd wow effect! Houses of all sizes cluster on the crest of the hill. The red roofs of the houses imbricate into each other. The village proudly stands on its rocky spur marked by its castle at the end. The collegiate church erects its dark beige walls punctuated by buttresses. Above, the bell tower reaches up to the sky like a spear. The couple is amazed by the view. This vision is accompanied by birds dancing in the sky, the tinkling of the church bells and the bleating of sheeps. The countryside in all its authenticity. Here too, cooing is guaranteed.

Saint-Félix vu depuis la colline des Fourches
cyprès du cimetière des anglais

A cemetery

The thin silhouettes of cypress trees form sentinels further up the hill. The couple is seized with a doubt. Cypresses are often found in... cemeteries! "Why a cemetery here?" A small stele adorns the place. This vertical stone slab supports a black granite plaque carved with white writing. This is indeed a cemetery for British soldiers who died in the region in 1814. They were buried here. The cemetery, the cypresses and the panorama give the place a romantic atmosphere. Our heroes of the day enjoy the view of the village once again.

Romantic country walk

The return to the village bends to find the valley and then climb back to the village. The couple coos on the way back in this poetic country setting, holding hands. The countryside is an invitation for a "poutounade" (kiss in occitan). The vertiginous ascent of 64 m of difference in altitude does not hurt.

Clotilde and François can already see the august silhouette of the collegiate church and the line of picturesque houses in the village. After a walk through the village, Clotilde suggests to her Valentine that they go to the viewing point to watch the magical sunset over the Lauragais and the Pyrenees. What could be more romantic!

Panorama plaine du Lauragais
Déodat de Séverac
Guillaume de Nogaret

Famous personalities

Déodat de Séverac (1874-1921), composer. He was born in Saint-Félix-Lauragais and learnt music on the organ of the collegiate church. His musical studies were crowned with success. He fought against the Parisian academy which tended to standardize creation to the detriment of individuality. Thus, throughout his life, he remained very attached to his origins and drew inspiration from them for many of his works, in particular the Pippermint Get waltz (a liqueur invented in Revel).
Picasso wrote: "Déodat de Séverac is still one of the best memories of my life in art with all the admiration I have for him...".

Guillaume de Nogaret (around 1260-1313), jurist. He was born in Saint-Félix. He was a professor of law and legal counsellor. He entered the service of King Philippe VI le Bel in 1293. He played an important role in the struggle between the king and Pope Boniface VIII and in the dissolution of the Templars. He orchestrated the attachment of Lyon to France.

Practical information

boulangerie Saint-Félix-Lauragais