Oppidum d'Enserune, the old pond Montady, a beautiful walk in the Languedoc.

Oppidum d'Enserune, the old pond Montady. 8.5km (We did about 10km, but we did a bit more in the middle of the walk and went up to the view point on the ridge after the main walk). 3H yellow markers, easy. The walk is easy to follow and it's well marked. Park at the car park at Malpas. There is a lovely cafe there with lots of outdoor seating and plenty of parking. 

Turn right out of the car park and walk to the bridge. Turn right here and walk down the little road keeping the canal to your right. Soon you will see a little road to your left. Take this and you cross a unused railway track.

This small road goes under the hill with lovely views over the fields of vines, wheat and barley.This whole road and its fields were just like Monet pictures, ablaze with poppies in swaying barley fields.

After a few km you will come to a left turn under the old railway bridge and continue up the slope to reach a group of pretty buildings at Soustre.

The track bares right through the buildings and then left up the hill. Now the track bares right around a lovely olive grove, continue along this ridge to the end. Here the views are just breathtakingly beautiful, all the way up to the Caroux and the Espinouse with little villages sat upon hills and church towers atop them. 

The path with yellow markers goes left now up through vineyards, but we continued around the ridge past a greenhouse to enjoy our picnic under beautiful almond trees and a carpet of wild flowers. The scenery on this side is to the south and goes all the way down to the coast and the Pyrenees with its snow-capped mountains.

The path bares to the right and goes down a little track with lovely barley fields and cactus. Finally the track bares right and goes between the buildings of some beautiful golden coloured buildings next to the canal du midi.

Cross the lovely bridge and turn left to walk along the tow path. Sadly the promised shade of plane trees beside the water was not to be found as they appeared to have been recently felled. The walk along this part of the canal is therefore quite exposed but its level and quite soon you come to the entrance of le Malpas tunnel. 

If you want to go through the tunnel you need to cross to the other side and go down the steep steps to the little path that runs within the tunnel, after this go up the slope and turn left to return to the car park. (If you prefer to return to the car park continue a little further and you will come to it). You can now either enjoy refreshments at the welcome cultural centre or go up the hill to the panorama viewing area were you will find a small museum at the top. 

There is a hill fort here with traces of an Iberian-Greek settlement and a crematorium dating from the 4C and 3C BC. The museum contains artefacts of daily life from the ancient city and those used for cremation and offerings. The settlement began in the 6C BC where mud huts were found clustered around the hill fort. 

The Romans arrived in 118 BC and installed a sewage system, laid paving stones and plastered and painted walls. The hill fort was abondoned in the 1C AD when people settled the plains. Enjoy this most lovely walk with its peaceful and stupendous views.