Puivert

The Moulin Blau is about eight minutes walk from the village of Puivert. It is possible just to walk along the D16, but much more pleasant and safer, to take the footpath through the wood. We used the stepping stones close by the house to cross the river Blau and on the far bank Ken has cleared a path through the wood, up to a track leading into the village. Puivert has a general shop and bakery, as well as three restaurants, including one that specialises in Afghan food. Another has developed from what appears to have been the local petrol station, now being used as a micro brewery and brasserie. Someone there has a good eye for marketing. It stopped me in my tracks, but look carefully at the small print.

The track through the woods brought us to the bridge in the middle of the village with some very old looking properties backing onto the River Blau.

We walked down through the village to the leisure lake, where there were many signs of water activities for the summer months, but now in September, there was very little happening. We walked around the lake and had a coffee at the lakeside bar. The lake is only small and can be seen in some of my photos, but apparently, it used to be much larger. It covered a large area of what is now flat agricultural land, but in the Middle Ages the dam was breached, causing much flooding downstream and total devastation in the town of Mirepoix. It is not known for sure if it was a natural disaster, or if some over enthusiastic farmers were trying to retrieve a bit more land and caused the barrage to give way completely.
From the lake we walked up to the ruins of Puivert's Cathar Castle, though in this case, much of what is on view is from a little later, a 14th century 'modernisation' and extension of the earlier fortifications. The walk up is typical of an approach to a Cathar Castle, steep and rocky and as with many others, interesting for it's flora and butterflies. The entrance to the Chateau ruins is quite an impressive site.

The grand entrance to Chateau Puivert.

I guess they're planning a party?

The view of Puivert from the chateau.

Looking over Puivert and the lake from one of the higher levelzs of the chateau.

Looking to the east from the top of the keep. The agricultural land on the right of the picture was part of the original lake, until the accident in the middle ages. The mountain on the horizon, just above is Pech de Bugarach, one of the highest mountains in the area.

Parts of the interior of the chateau are still used, so some of the rooms are in very good condition. 

The Chapel.

Chateau Puivert has a very accessible feel about it. The courtyard has some reconstruction to show how daily life might have looked in the middle ages and  music from the period playing in the background. Nothing too obtrusive, but it just added something to what was a very enjoyable visit.