Fa can be explored through two distinct themes: its long history and the route to the Plateau de Bouichet. Keeping these separate helps with travel planning, as cultural history and hiking appeal to different interests. The Tour de Fa connects the area’s history with the route described here; the plateau offers a clear landscape highlight in the form of a 360-degree panorama.
Route to the Plateau de Bouichet
The route to the Plateau de Bouichet is 15 kilometres long, with 450 metres of elevation gain. It is rated difficult. When planning, consider the distance, elevation gain and difficulty rating together: the distance indicates the overall length, the elevation gain describes the climb, and the rating provides additional guidance on the level of challenge. These are different details that you can weigh together when making your decision.
The trail follows an old, winding route to the Tour de Fa and crosses the Coume de Fa. The section on the Plateau de Bouichet offers a 360-degree panoramic view. The route thus combines a named destination, a landscape area it passes through and a specific viewpoint. When planning your days, you can treat the hike as a separate activity and take the rating and both figures into account when scheduling your time.
Tower, fortification and local history
The Tour de Fa has been listed in the Inventory of Historic Monuments since 1948. It probably dates back to the Middle Ages and is a remnant of the former castle. The castle was under the authority of the Bishopric of Alet and the Archdiocese of Narbonne. The Tour de Fa thus links a cautiously dated building history with its former ecclesiastical affiliations. A fragment of the former surrounding fortifications also remains west of the square tower.
The original settlement centre was also probably near the present-day Tour de Fa. Another protected object with its own historical date is the church bell in Fa: it was listed as a movable historic monument on 14 April 1943. Written sources refer to Fa from the 13th century onwards under the name Fano. The name and the bell’s listing point to different periods in the area’s history.
Archaeological traces and historic landscape
Several traces of Gallo-Roman settlement have been discovered within the commune of Fa and in the surrounding hamlets. These include the sites of several villas dating from the beginning of the Christian era, as well as fragments of weapons, coins and glazed pottery. Two Bronze Age cult chariot wheels were discovered in Fa in the second half of the 18th century. The finds therefore range from Bronze Age ritual objects to traces of Gallo-Roman settlement. Gypsum was also mined in Fa for centuries, forming another part of the area’s history alongside its archaeological and architectural remains.
Geographically, Fa is located at the entrance to the Faby Valley. Historically, this valley was a passageway between the Aude area and the Quercorb Valley. This gives the village a regional connection distinct from the individual finds and buildings: the focus here is on the historic link between two areas.
Allow for travel times from the correct starting point
The drive from Fa to the Domaine des Abbé Saunière in Rennes-le-Château takes approximately 20 minutes. The approximate driving time to the Cité de Carcassonne is 45 minutes from Val-du-Faby. The starting points are different, so bear this in mind when including these destinations in your stay plans.
Discover more destinations: Alairac, Villesèque-des-Corbières, Fontiès-D'aude, Campagne-Sur-Aude, Raissac-D'aude, Blomac, Montseret, Lauraguel
For the broader travel overview: Aude.
