In Dunes, the history of a Bastide and traces from different periods meet trails through a varied landscape. When planning your trip, it is therefore worth deciding what to focus on: would you mainly like to discover the town’s history or explore routes in the trail network? The Grand Chêne is also a specific point of interest for visitors.
Bastide and heritage
Dunes is a 13th-century Bastide, built around the former central market halls. The former weavers’ quarter is another historic area visitors can explore. The Église Sainte-Madeleine adds to this picture: it has been listed as a historic monument under a decree dated 17 December 1926. This date refers to the decree listing the church, not to the year it was built. The founding history of the Bastide and the church’s protected status therefore remain distinct historical facts.
At the Tour des Templiers, a surviving wall is the remains of a Templar monastery; the same site is also known as the Tour de Turas. Archaeological collections from excavations at the Tour des Templiers are on display at Dunes town hall. The history of the hanged is also presented there. The wall and the collections thus provide different points of connection with the site’s history: a surviving structural element and archaeological collections from excavations.
Dunes’ heritage sites can be visited free of charge, independently and without a guide. Check the visiting arrangements before your visit.
Coin hoard and the Grand ChĂŞne
A Gallic coin hoard was buried at the Croix de Dunes: it contains 500 ancient silver coins, and its burial dates to between 118 and 106 BC. This time span offers a specific connection to antiquity and is clearly distinct from the medieval history of the Bastide.
The Grand Chêne offers a different perspective on Dunes. Visitors can visit the tree; its trunk has a circumference of 9.50 metres at ground level. The measurement is explicitly tied to this point. The stone pines are also part of the landscape’s history: after three decades, they had become established in the landscape of Dunes. While the pines tell a story of change over a longer period, the Grand Chêne’s circumference draws attention to a single tree.
Trails through the landscape
The Sentiers du Brulhois trail network comprises just under 60 kilometres of routes for walking, horse riding and mountain biking. Starting points are in Sistels, Dunes, Saint-Loup and Donzac; Dunes is therefore one of four named starting points on this wider network. The routes pass through vineyards, orchards, various agricultural areas and woodland.
For a comparison by route length, four named circuits offer specific reference points: the Circuit de Cachepiot is 10 kilometres long, the Circuit des Vergers 11 kilometres, the Circuit de la Tour 14 kilometres and the Circuit du Brulhois 30 kilometres. The named individual routes therefore range from 10 to 30 kilometres. If choosing by length, you can compare the shorter option with the longest circuit; you can also choose between routes for walking, horse riding or mountain biking.
If you are considering Dunes as a travel destination, you can treat its heritage sites and trail network as different areas of focus when planning your trip. The specific historic sites, the invitation to visit the Grand ChĂŞne and the range of route lengths offer different points of reference.
Discover more destinations: Boudou, Cazes-Mondenard, Roquecor, Saint-Amans-Du-Pech, Albefeuille-Lagarde, Caussade, Génébrières, Puygaillard-de-Quercy.
For the broader travel overview: Tarn-Et-Garonne.
