Malegoude is considered a very dispersed village without streets and is the starting point of the GR®78, the Chemin du Piémont Pyrénéen. Historical traces also lead to medieval fortifications, the Church of Sainte-Marie and the area’s former winegrowing. Malegoude offers panoramic views of the Pyrenees mountain range. This gives you different perspectives for planning your trip: long-distance hiking, local history and scenery.
Razès de Mirepoix and Views of the Pyrenees
The commune of Malegoude is part of the Razès de Mirepoix area. In its eastern part, there are several hill reservoirs around Malegoude and Sainte-Foi. The area includes dry grasslands with orchids, Mediterranean-influenced evergreen scrub, forests and woodland, rocks, and a network of bodies of water.
Razès de Mirepoix is classified as a “site inscrit” under the 1930 law and designated as a site under the Habitats Directive. The panoramic view of the Pyrenees mountain range, by contrast, is a vista from Malegoude itself. The regional natural setting and the direct mountain view therefore refer to different geographical scales.
Fortifications, the Church and the History of Winegrowing
Malegoude had a fortified castle by 1062 at the latest. It was probably located on the site of the “fume du Castélas”. A document from 1207 also attests to the “force de Malegoude”, which is thought to have been a small fortified structure. Its extent is unknown.
The Church of Sainte-Marie stands apart from the village of Malegoude and has been mentioned in written records since 1318. The east end is thought to have Romanesque origins; the façade design and some floor plans point in particular to contributions from the 19th century. The different dates can be distinguished: 1318 refers to the written mention, the Romanesque origin is a hypothesis, and the features of the façade and floor plans point to 19th-century contributions.
Agriculture is also part of the village’s history: until the phylloxera crisis at the beginning of the 20th century, Malegoude was a winegrowing community. This history of winegrowing adds an economic dimension to the traces of the fortifications and the church.
The GR®78 and the Pilgrimage Route
The GR®78, the Chemin du Piémont Pyrénéen, is a pilgrimage hiking trail to Santiago de Compostela. Malegoude is its starting point. In Ariège, the route passes through Mirepoix and Saint-Lizier before continuing into Spain. The entire 700-kilometre route links Montpellier and Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port.
The details answer different questions: Mirepoix and Saint-Lizier describe the route through Ariège, while the endpoints and total distance show the trail’s wider context. The 700 kilometres refer to the entire route, not to a section near Malegoude. If you are planning a hike, check the latest route information in advance.
The “1 000 mains pour le chemin de Saint-Jacques” initiative offers another way to learn about the Way of St James. It takes place nationally each year on the first Saturday in October; in Malegoude, it was held on Saturday, 7 October 2023, to support community efforts to improve the Way of St James. If you would like to plan your trip around this event, check the programme for your chosen year.
Discover more destinations: Niaux, Orgibet, Brassac, Ornolac-Ussat-Les-Bains, Mirepoix, Mercus-Garrabet, Varilhes, Gaudiès
For the regional travel guide: Ariège.
