Half an hour's drive from Toulouse, Mézens has preserved the authenticity of its origins and unspoiled nature. Nestled at the foot of its 13th-century castleᵉ century, Mézens is the starting point for many adventures and hikes.
A paradise for mountain bikers…
This is the spot for any self-respecting mountain biker! If the magnificent forest of Mezens offers superb viewpoints as well as numerous hiking trails, it is also a paradise for mountain bike enthusiasts! There you will discover routes that have been cleverly designed and maintained to offer the best of playgrounds for mountain bike lovers.
Mountain bike enthusiasts come from Toulouse to enjoy themselves on the paths of the forest of MezensThe variety of routes allows you to choose the route according to your level or your desire and provides a complete change of scenery in the heart of nature.
The village and the surrounding countryside
The hills and forests surrounding the city of Visigothic origin await you for wonderful walks.
The small village has kept its setting of old stones and wandering around in search of the prettiest houses is already an activity in itself. One of them still bears the inscription on its façade: "Here we lodge on foot and on horseback"; it was, in the last century, the inn which received the boatmen navigating on the nearby Tarn.
Mezens is the starting point of many hikes and walks on foot or by mountain bike. The countryside links valleys, crops, forests and shades of green inevitably bring to mind Italian Tuscany. For the brave, climb to Notre-Dame-de-Grâce. The slope is steep for four kilometers, but you will enjoy the freshness of the chestnut forest. At the very top (which is relative, the highest point being at 22 m!), you would think you were in the mid-mountains, because the view extends far and the landscapes are intertwined with forests, pastures and crops. The Notre-Dame-de-Grâce chapel was a modest oratory from the 16ᵉ century which escaped much destruction and which is today restored thanks to a local association and donations.
If you prefer the bucolic, go down to the bottom of the village and, after the Pont du Passé, turn left to follow the stream. You can bring the children. Let's go for an adventure! After walking along the facade of the castle, the path will lead you to the old ruined mill. Generations of young Mézensols are still looking for the treasure, supposedly buried somewhere by the old miller!
The castle of Mézens
Private property, this unmissable construction built by the lords of Rabastens at 11ᵉ century dominates the village of Mezens which seems to be nestled at his feet. Burned down in 1600 during the Wars of Religion, the castle has been restored many times and offers a rare testimony, with a 25 m dungeon decorated with battlements and machicolations, which will not fail to bring back to your imagination the cape and sword films of your childhood!
