Issus: Hilly Landscape, Hiking Trails and Art

Issus is located in the hilly Lauragais and offers visitors connections to the landscape, hiking trails and religious art. If you are looking for a hotel in Issus, these local highlights can help you choose your destination: consider whether you would like to focus your stay primarily on nature, hiking or culture.

Landscape and waterways

The municipality lies in the more or less deeply dissected hills of the Lauragais; overall, the landscape is very hilly. The highest point is at 245 metres and the lowest at 170 metres, a difference in elevation of 75 metres. The area also has a dense network of waterways that cuts deeply into the terrain. Together, the hills and watercourses shape Issus’s landscape.

The Hyse flows through Issus from east to west. The Tédélou stream also runs through the municipality; it is a left-bank tributary of the Hyse. Two other streams mark the municipal boundaries: the Rieutort borders Issus to the east, and the Orbail to the west. This distinguishes the watercourses running through the village from those that form its eastern and western boundaries.

Hiking trails and regional routes

Hiking trails are among the local attractions for visitors and draw visitors especially at weekends. If hiking is one of your reasons for travelling, this weekend pattern may be a factor when choosing when to stay. Check route details locally before setting out.

A report dated 31 July 2009 described the “Collines de l'Autan” sector in southern Sicoval, between Issus and Noueilles, as having 73 kilometres of marked routes. The same report described the “Sentier des neuf brebis” hiking trail as connecting Issus and Noueilles. The two figures refer to different scales: the 73 kilometres apply to the sector, while the trail name refers to a route between the two places. Check current signage and accessibility before setting out on a hike.

Churches and art

The painting “Sainte Germaine de Pibrac” is housed in the parish church of Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption in Issus. It depicts Saint Germaine de Pibrac as a young shepherdess praying before a wayside cross, with a flock of sheep and a dog shown behind her. The signature and date “L. Cazals 1859 LM” appear in the lower right of the canvas. The scene combines a prayer motif with rural elements such as the shepherdess, flock and dog.

Another religious landmark is the church of Saint-Sernin d'Issus, a religious monument in the municipality of Issus in the Occitanie region. In addition to the painting described in detail, this named religious monument is another cultural landmark in the area.

Discover more destinations: Labastidette, Montgaillard-Lauragais, Oô, Saiguède, Lanta, Cazères, Bouloc, Ayguesvives.

For the regional travel overview: Haute-Garonne.