The Cathar Trail
with a donkey

The Cathar Trail

The Cathar Trail GR®367 stretches 241 km from Port-la-Nouvelle on the Mediterranean coast to Foix in Ariège. Whether traveling east to west or vice versa, it offers a rare diversity of landscapes: from Mediterranean scrublands to the tall fir forests of Ariège, from sea level to the Pyrenees. It connects numerous ruined fortresses perched on often dizzying promontories: Quéribus, Peyrepertuse, Montségur, Roquefixade. These “citadels of vertigo” were rebuilt in the 13th century by the Kings of France, victors of the crusade against the heretical Cathars, also called Albigensians. These religious dissenters, who preached simplicity and poverty, defied the authoritarian church. Their story is intertwined with the political struggles of southern French lords against royal authority. It is at the foot of Montségur Castle that this dramatic history unfolds, when in 1244, more than two hundred Cathars, refusing to renounce their faith, were burned alive.

The landscape along the trail varies from Mediterranean scrublands, steep limestone ridges, deep forests, to hidden valleys. Suitable for traveling with a donkey, the path alternates panoramic trails, pastoral tracks, and forest paths, offering an ideal pace to absorb this poignant history. Combining medieval heritage, wild open spaces, and memories of a troubled past, this trail invites you to a unique immersion in a land full of mystery and spirituality.

The Chemin des Bonshommes
The Chemin des Bonshommes GR®107 is a cross-border route from Foix, Ariège to Berga in Catalonia. Stretching 224 km, it crosses the Pyrenees from north to south. This trail follows the exile path taken by the last Cathars, also called “Good Men,” fleeing the persecution of the Inquisition in the 13th century. After the fall of Montségur in 1244, where over 200 Cathars perished at the stake, repression intensified. The last believers refusing to renounce their faith found refuge in Catalonia, under the protection of the lords of the County of Foix and the Kingdom of Aragon.

This path traces their final flight through grand and rugged landscapes of deep forests, high valleys, and Pyrenean passes, silent witnesses to their wanderings. The route is dotted with emblematic Cathar sites such as Montségur, symbol of Cathar martyrdom, and the ruins of Roquefixade, another stronghold of resistance.

The Frau Gorge
After Montségur, the trail passes through the spectacular Frau Gorge, a narrow canyon with imposing cliffs, before crossing the natural Pyrenean border at Portella Blanca, at 2517 meters altitude.

Diverse Landscapes
Alternating forest tracks, mountain paths, and pastoral trails, this route is suitable for traveling with a donkey, allowing a steady pace through highly varied scenery. This journey between history and nature offers an immersive dive into Cathar heritage — memories of exile, perched citadels, and vast wild spaces — for an adventure deep in the medieval history of the Pyrenees.