The Black Mountain in a nutshell

There are many ways to discover the Black Mountain, depending on what you want to do. On foot, there are many signposted trails: to the north, the Laprade-Basse lake promises an 8km walk with a 200m difference in altitude, lasting around 2? hours. Start and finish at the car park at the entrance to the hamlet of Laprade-Basse.

To the west, the 18km "Entre Château et Rigole" trail from Saissac offers a picturesque panorama from the Château de Saissac to the Rigole de la Montagne. It's a worthwhile hike, but it's at least a 5h30 jaunt and involves a 350 m ascent. So it's best suited to experienced walkers.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Rigole is a source of the Canal du Midi. It makes its bucolic way from Lacombe, where it rises, to Les Cammazes, twenty-eight kilometres downstream via a stone conduit built by Vauban.

To the east, "Le Sentier des Glacières" is a 7km walk through the forest, where you can discover the remains of these small stone-roofed wells, whose purpose from the 16th to the 19th century was to store the ice that had been carried up from the summits, wrapped in sewn burlap.

In all, there are no fewer than 18 signposted walks to discover the richness of the massif, its flora and fauna, its historical heritage, its wash-houses, the Cubserviès waterfall, the Pic de Nore and the Romanesque church of Pradelles-Cabardès!

It's also an opportunity to take a timeless break in the picturesque mountain villages of Fournes-Cabardès, Laprade, Les Ilhes-Cabardès, La Tourette-Cabardès, Cuxac-Cabardès, Labastide-Esparbaïque, Miraval-Cabardès and Mas-Cabardès.

Finally, for more experienced hikers, there are the long-distance footpaths: the GR7 - which crosses the whole massif on a north/south axis, linking the Vosges to the Pyrenees - and the GR36, which descends along the same axis, to the west.

For horse riding, we recommend the Centre Equestre de La Goutarende, set in the heart of the forests and lakes of the Black Mountain. Their horse rides will give you the chance to see the silhouette of the Cathar castles in the distance.

La Goutarende Equestrian Centre.

Take your information here.

You can book by e-mail, by writing to ✉️ : goutarende-village@orange.fr or 📞 : 04 68 26 66 49 or 06 76 32 78 87

If you like authenticity and local produce, the Ferme de la Bastide de Saissac raises 120 organically-farmed ewes and also offers a gîte where you can "sleep on the farm". In the heart of the Montagne Noire, you can discover ewes, goats, donkeys, chickens and pigs, and taste organic lamb straight from the farm. This unique experience includes a tour of the farm and a meal. It's an opportunity for the owner to share her passion for sheep, her wool creations and her organic methods. Your children will love it!

The Auberge du Diable Au Thym is recommended by the best guidebooks. The Michelin-starred chef, Jean-Marc Boyer, offers excellent value for money and follows the seasons and the market to delight you.

At 1,211m, the Pic de Nore is the highest point in the Montagne Noire. Climbing it guarantees you an exceptional view of the Cathar countryside, the Pyrenees mountain range and the Minervois wine-growing plains. Once you've contemplated the view, it's time for a descent, which you can take from the summit on a quadbike, a hybrid four-wheeled vehicle that works like a bicycle. A guaranteed thrill on the way down!

The Mazamet footbridge, suspended 70 metres above sea level, spans the Arnette gorges to take you to Hautpoul, an ancient Cathar castrum with a medieval garden and the remains of its castle. The footbridge, which runs in a straight line for 140 metres, offers a unique panorama. Access is free and available 7 days a week.

It can be reached from Mazamet (95, rue de la Resse) and there are two ways to get there: either via the Cormouls Houlès gardens (allow 30 minutes, the slope is 8%, waymarked path), or via the shorter but steeper Chemin de la Jamarié (allow 15 minutes, but the slope is 19%).

Mazamet also has something for experienced climbers, with an 880-metre via ferrata above the village of Hautpoul. To take on this 2h30 route, we strongly advise you to book with the Mazamet Tourist Office - 7 Place Georges Tournier, 81200 Mazamet (05 63 61 27 07) - who will hire you the necessary equipment, and to read the safety instructions carefully before signing up. Minors over 1m35 must be accompanied by an adult.

If you have opted for this exceptional discovery, you should know that the via ferrata includes 4 zip lines, one of which is 210 m long! If you're a fan of this type of attraction, you can only do the long zip line without the via ferrata. There's also a beginner's section where you can test your suitability for via ferrata. Finally, we can't recommend the following website highly enough

The four Châteaux of Lastours, Cabaret, Tour Régine, Surdespine and Quertineux, are four remarkable fortresses, the jewels in the crown of the Cathar castles, towering above two rocky spurs. The Aude department offers a tour that begins with a panoramic view from the belvedere, and continues with access to the castles via a hiking trail. These discoveries are enhanced by an archaeological exhibition and a trail focusing on flora and fauna.

At its foot, the Castrum de Cabaret is a medieval Cathar village that tells the story of the Cathars.