Nature
Along the Aude
You will discover the sources of the river “Aude”. Here we call it a “river” but it is indeed a river since it flows directly into the sea.
The river has its source in the Carlit massif, at Lake Aude at an altitude of 2,185 m. It flows parallel to the Têt upstream and then heads north. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea, a few kilometers from Narbonne.
The Col de la Quillane, at an altitude of 1714 meters, marks the watershed line. If we are on one side the water goes towards the Têt, we are in Conflent; if we are on the other side the water goes into the Aude, we are in Capcir.
The Aude crosses the Capcir, feeds several dam lakes (Matemale, Puyvalador), sinks into the gorges of Saint-Georges. From Axat, after having received the contribution of the Aiguette and the Rébenty, the river crosses the limestone bars of the pre-Pyrenees (defile of Pierre-Lys) and waters a series of municipalities (including Belvianes-et-Cavirac ) at the exit of the gorges then Quillan, Campagne-sur-Aude, Espéraza, Couiza, Alet-les-Bains and Limoux. Downstream of the great medieval city, the Aude bends towards the east.
From Carcassonne, the river, calming down, follows the great tectonic furrow that separates the Pyrenees (Corbières) from the Massif Central (Montagne Noire), receiving from these reliefs a series of tributaries. From now on, bordered by the Canal du Midi, winding through the middle of the vineyards, the Aude enters the wide alluvial plain of Narbonne, partly conquered from the Gulf of Lion and dotted with sites of old ponds, before flowing into the Mediterranean Sea
Pedestrian routes N°56 Catalan Pyrenees
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