Rieux-En-Val: Bridges, Menhir and Pilgrimage Tradition

Rieux-en-Val offers travelers a range of points of interest: bridges, religious buildings, a pilgrimage tradition, a menhir and regional produce.

Bridges, routes and film history

Pont Vieux, also known as “Pont Romain,” is a humpback bridge with three arches of different sizes. It lies along the former road from Carcassonne to Lagrasse. This means the same structure combines a striking form with a connection to a historic route. Pont Vieux was listed as a historic monument by decree on February 17, 1926. Another historical milestone concerns film: in 1961, the bridge served as the setting for the drowning scene in André Hunebelle’s “Le Miracle des loups.” The dates refer to two different aspects—the monument listing and a scene in the film.

Churches and religious traditions

The Church of Saint-Christophe is thought to date from the 11th to 12th century. It has three bays and three chapels. A bay is a section of a church interior; the reference to three bays therefore gives an impression of its layout, while the chapels provide another specific architectural feature. Every year at Christmas, a remarkable nativity scene is set up in the church for the villagers. Saint-Christophe thus brings together a cautiously dated building history and an annual Christmas custom.

The Chapel of Notre-Dame-du-Carla was built in 1875. In 2025, the pilgrimage tradition there was described as being 80 years old. The construction date and the age of the tradition are different points of reference: one marks the building of the chapel, while the other is the age given for the pilgrimage tradition in 2025.

Pierre Droite: a menhir and its measurements

Pierre Droite is a menhir erected on a small rocky rise. At its base, it is 2 meters wide, 2.20 meters high and 0.40 meters thick. Its width and height are similar, while its thickness is considerably smaller—a brief comparison that makes the stone’s proportions easier to picture. An iron cross was placed at the top, thereby Christianizing the menhir. The measurements and the cross draw attention to two different qualities: the stone’s physical form and its Christian interpretation.

Landscape and route

Rieux-en-Val is one of the municipalities in the “Corbières centrales” ZNIEFF, a type 2 natural area of ecological, faunal and floristic interest. The specific route of the Sentier Sculpturel is a separate matter: it passes through Rieux-en-Val and continues to Mayronnes. Near Notre-Dame-du-Carla, an iron cross can be seen in a green, ravine-filled setting with views of the Alsou. The natural area, the route and the landscape around the chapel can therefore be considered as distinct aspects of the destination.

Farmers’ market and regional products

Rieux-en-Val’s farmers’ market offers vegetables, bread and pastries, seasonal fruit, goat’s and sheep’s cheese, olives and oil, as well as wine and beer. Alongside buildings and religious traditions, the market draws attention to food and drink. If you would also like to consider culinary interests when planning your trip, the selection offers a distinct point of interest.

Discover more destinations: Limoux, Tourouzelle, Fleury, Castans, Peyrefitte-Du-Razès, Saint-Couat-D'aude, La Redorte, Moussan.

For the broader travel overview: Aude.