Floure combines hiking trails on the Alaric with buildings, archaeological traces and a history of winegrowing. When deciding where to stay, you can weigh up whether to focus on hiking and geology or on the village’s historical layers.
Hiking and geology on the Alaric
There are four hiking trails on the Massif de l'Alaric. The GR®36 long-distance footpath passes through Floure; the Autour de Miramont trail also runs through the commune. On the Alaric section of the GR®36, the route passes through Monze towards the ruins of the Château de Miramont and the Bénitiers de Floure. This gives you a choice of a long-distance footpath and another hiking trail, while the description of the Alaric section names specific historical and geological destinations. Check trail conditions and seasonal fire restrictions before setting out.
The BĂ©nitiers de l'Alaric are geological features: unusual limestone formations from the early Tertiary period. Four BĂ©nitiers belong to the Alaric and are located just a few metres apart. The middle path from the Bretonne River leads to the BĂ©nitiers after a 25-minute climb. This time refers to the ascent on this path; it is not the duration of an entire hike. This makes it easier to factor this section of the trail into your own schedule.
Buildings and traces of history
The well-preserved Château de Floure stands east of the village and has two square towers. Its history also includes a particular purpose of seigneurial authority: on 20 March 1508, Jean de Courcelles, Lord of Floure, received permission to build the château in the middle of his domain as a prison shared with the king. The date and intended purpose give the building a specific historical context in addition to its architecture.
The Church of Saint-Etienne was already documented as a parish church in the mid-12th century. The vaults and buttresses of the nave, the chapel, the bell tower and the western window of the choir date from the 18th century. The church bell was cast by Jean Pailhaud in 1570. The documented parish church, later architectural features and bell reveal different historical periods in the church’s history.
Other places and monuments also tell Floure’s story. The village fountain was renovated in 1871 and contains sandstone from local quarries; it has long served as a source of inspiration for artists. The war memorial, erected in 1921, stands opposite the current cemetery. An Indian berry tree, the Arbre de la Liberté, was planted in the La Mounette housing development in 1989 to mark the bicentenary of the French Revolution.
The elevated archaeological site of Le Laouret was inhabited in the 10th and 11th centuries BC, at the end of the Bronze Age. An account of an excursion to the Alaric on 28 June 1891 recorded numerous fragments of ancient pottery and worked flint there. These two dates distinguish the ancient settlement from the finds documented during the later excursion.
A Christian Merovingian sarcophagus found in the Church of Saint-Etienne is currently on display in Room VI of the Château Comptal Museum in the Cité of Carcassonne and remains the property of the commune of Floure. A Roman milestone was found near the commune; traces of Floure appear on the Tabula Peutingeriana under the Latin name Liviana.
Winegrowing and other activities
La Treille de vignes is located in Floure next to the Foyer des campagnes. Established in 2016, this municipal project aimed to develop wine tourism and highlight the region’s winegrowing identity. A charter dated 20 October 1169 records the gift of four setiers of pure wine from the tithe of Floure to the Templars. Together, these wine-related references span from a medieval charter to a municipal tourism project in 2016.
An interactive village trail uses eleven QR codes on buildings, structures and historic sites to tell the local story. Check on site whether the individual codes are working. Floure’s floodlit boules court can be used at night; check the access arrangements locally. The Le Scion Barbairanais Flouréen association promotes fishing in the Floure area on the Aude and at Lac du Tonkin. Before fishing, check the applicable permits and regulations.
Discover more destinations: Lapradelle-Puilaurens, Massac, Mézerville, Cruscades, La Force, Capendu, Les Martys, Puichéric.
For the overview of the wider area: Aude.
