Chapelle Notre Dame de Roubignac, a beautiful walk from Octon in the Languedoc.

The Chapel of Roubignac. (Chapelle Notre Dame de Roubignac).Yellow markers.  8km / 2.30h /( Middle difficulty on the board but I would not say it was any harder than yesterdays ). This is a truly supreme walk through the valley of Marette.

 Every part of it is just so lovely; winding up wooded paths, past a ruined castle and mill and on up to an area of meadows on a plateaux with a most beautiful old chapel to visit. The flowers are just wonderful; cowslips, orchids, May blossom and irises. Everywhere you can hear the sounds of birdsong and water in the river below. It's just magic.

The walk starts from the car park in Octon. Turn right and into the village square past the church. Follow the yellow markers past the post office and on up the hill with beautiful views down to the lake and the hills above. At the bend in the road you now take a left and stay on this wide track to reach the castle; the ruins of de Loubieres (Louzieres).

 As you go around the castle the path curves to the left and continues until it reaches a switchback, where it turn right and just before an old stone cross you will see a little path (with some blue markings, but the yellow markers will continue) leading into the woods.

Turn left onto this little path which continues uphill on a pretty path through lovely woodland until you come to a junction with a path coming from your right. Keep left here and you will reach a plateau surrounded by fields. 

The path continues through the fields and then down to a left turn onto a wider track before a cross where you take a left turn to the chapel. Do visit the beautiful chapel. It's a lovely place to picnic in the area outside too and is the halfway point.

 After leaving the chapel the trail descends down sharply into a ravine and crosses the Marette before another steep climb to join a larger track. Turn left onto the track which descends on the other side of the valley with beautiful views of the castle, back up to the upper valley and of the lovely old mill buildings. 

Nearer to the village the trail passes little fields of olive trees, the river and a small vineyard before entering the square. Turn right here to return to the car or left to the tempting Pizzeria or the little Creperie in the square.