Hikes in Vissec

- The must-do hike in the heart of the Cirque de Navacelles Grande Site de France - The charm of a walk along the Vis and the discovery of its resurgence at the moulins de la Foux - The choice of a family hike or an athletic hike, with variations from the lookouts

Superb hiking route to discover the Cirque de Navacelles, an exceptional site in Hérault, labeled "Grand Site de France".

- The must-do hike in the heart of the Grande Site de France of the Cirque de Navacelles - The charm of the path along the Vis and the discovery of its resurgence at the moulins de la Foux - The choice between a family hike or a sporty hike through the variants from the viewpoints

- 3 days of hiking with no major difficulty for a change of scenery - An exceptional natural and cultural heritage (Geopark, UNESCO, Grand Site de France) - Along the way, moving testimonies of pastoral life on the causse: lavognes, chapels and calvaries, mills, calades...

- An easy hike: while the stages are long, the elevation gains remain reasonable - Exceptional natural and cultural heritage (Geopark, UNESCO, Grand Site de France) - Signs of pastoral life on the causse: lavognes, chapels and calvaries, mills, stone-paved paths...

The sotchs, these depressions carved into the limestone. A route that remains accessible to any hiker The Larzac atmosphere!

Just before the beautiful village of Vissec, the Vis River joins the Virenque. Both rivers have carved deep channels into the limestone and continue to flow through underground caves. Only after heavy rainfall do the rivers carry water above ground.> Parking lot01 in Vissec has a lovely picnic area and plenty of space for RVs to spend the night. There, we also find information about the “Régagnas” hiking trail. We walk up to the tranquil town center; passing the old bakery and the church, we follow the yellow markers through the narrow streets. At the edge of town, we turn right toward the Sentier de Régagnas. The markings lead us left onto a path through the Vis riverbed. At the “Deux Rivières” sign02, we continue straight ahead; we’ll return from the right later. We reach a country road and turn left, then immediately right onto a trail. In the hamlet of Camp D’Altou03, we head right onto a dirt road. The path leads us into the Virenque Valley through the dry riverbed. In some places, the trail is somewhat difficult, and sure-footedness is required. At the following signposts, we head toward Régagnas. A steep ascent follows amid beautiful rock formations. We pass through a cattle gate, and the forest thins out. At the top, we walk among scattered pine trees, pass through another gate, and reach the “Valat des Conques” signpost04. We head toward Serre de la Combette. A dirt road takes us across the high plateau. At a watering trough for livestock, we turn left. Vissec is then signposted. At a fork, we take the right path, and in Le Bosc we continue straight ahead. The trail winds downhill through an oak forest, then leads through typical garrigue landscape on a rocky path. We cross a small country road and continue our hike on a trail. We reach the Vis riverbed and hike back to the Deux Rivières02 signpost. Turning left, we reach our starting point01.

The Cirque de Navacelles is an ancient meander carved by the Vis River into the rocks of the southern limestone plateau. The river has since changed course, leaving us with this natural wonder. The ruins of the Moulins de la Foux are the destination of the hike, featuring excellent explanations about these water mills as well as the underground section of the Vis, which has not yet been fully explored.> From parking lot01, we take the trail toward Belvédère. Passing the Maison du Grand Site and a restaurant, we reach the impressive viewpoint overlooking the Vis Valley. The signs lead us onto a narrow path to the right. We follow the trail markers, always heading toward “Hameau de Navacelles.” Passing a humorous signpost with distance markers—which we won’t be able to cover today—we then branch off to the left. The path descends very steeply over rocks and scree to a country road. We keep to the left and, after a few meters, take a trail to the right. The trail winds downhill in switchbacks to a fork02. We’ll return via the right-hand path later. After a short distance, we reach Bridge03 over the Vis. From there, we can take a detour into the village to stop at the crêperie or use the picnic areas along the riverbank. Later, we continue our route along the banks of the Vis on the “Circuit: Le Cirque de Navacelles,” following the yellow markings. We hike close to the river until we reach a country road, which we follow uphill to the left. After about 300 meters, we turn right at the Carrefour de la Truque04. An information sign about the mills gives us a brief preview of the attraction. The rocky path narrows to a trail and runs mostly through wooded areas near the river. At a fork, we turn right. A few spots invite us to take a dip in the crystal-clear water. We arrive at the mills05, where there is plenty of information available, both about the mills and the revival of the Vis River. We cross the river and climb uphill on the opposite side. A trail leads us a good distance uphill to a country road (06), which we reach at a hairpin curve. We follow the road to the right toward “Les Bayrades.” There, we turn left onto a narrow, rocky path that takes us back to junction02, which we recognize from the way there. We scramble up the same path to the Belvédère and stroll back to parking lot01.

From the Causse de Blandas plateau to the Vis GorgeThe Vis has carved a deep channel through the massive limestone bedrock, separating the Causse du Larzac plateau from the smaller Causse de Blandas plateau. Between the steep cliffs, which rise up to 400 m high, the river winds its way in tight meanders, at times flowing underground and leaving behind a dry riverbed, only to resurface elsewhere as a bubbling spring and flow above ground toward the Hérault.

At the confluence of the Vis and the VirenqueThe Vis separates the Causse du Larzac from the small Causse de Blandas. Shortly before the tranquil village of Vissec, its course joins that of the Virenque, then continues its journey southeastward through numerous tight meanders, where it empties into the Hérault. Upstream of Vissec, both rivers have cut through the porous limestone and continue flowing through underground caves. Above ground, a dry riverbed remains, which carries water only after heavy rainfall and is then impassable for a short time.