Wandelgids Walking in Provence - West | Cicerone

This guide offers 30 circular day walks in the western half of Provence, the large sun-kissed coastal region of south-east France. Spanning from the Baronnies in the north to the Ste-Baume ridge in the south, the walks are set in the areas of the Drôme Provençale, Vaucluse and the Var.

Provence’s sunshine and Mediterranean charm attract many visitors to its coast, yet the area also has much more to offer the walker. The countryside inland boasts a range of scenery from remote mountaintops to spectacular gorges. History is everywhere, in medieval villages, arcaded streets, abbeys, churches and castles. 

This guide covers the western regions, with its companion volume, Walking in Provence: East, covering the rest of this fascinating and historic landscape. The walking is incredibly diverse; from the green waves of the Barronies hills in Drôme Provençale, to the unforgettable silhouette of Mont Ventoux giving way to limestone plateaux cut with ravines in the Vauclause. Further south lies Var, containing rock and wood-strewn hills inland, and a coast full of knarled inlets and hidden beaches.

Suitable for all walkers of average fitness levels, the walks range from 4 to 21 kilometres, and are graded for difficulty from short, easy routes to more challenging walks that can include precipitous sections, but no special equipment is needed.

30 day walks in the Drôme Provençal, Vaucluse and Var in the sunny south-east corner of France

walks illustrated with clear sketch maps and height profiles, as well as inspiring photographs

all the practical information required for a perfect trip from public transport to maps and market days

Seasons

most of the walks are not high and can be made at any time of the year, especially near the coast; the most pleasant seasons are spring and autumn.

Centres

Nyons and Buis-les-Baronnies (Drôme Provençale); Vaison-la-Romaine and Apt (Vaucluse); St-Maximin-la-Ste-Baume and Aix-en-Provence (Var)

Difficulty

circular day walks, suitable for averagely fit people and graded Easy, Medium or Difficult, depending on length, total ascent and terrain; easy walks are short, while difficult ones take up to eight hours and may include sections that are precipitous or difficult to navigate; no special equipment is needed

Must See

dramatic mountain ridges and deep river gorges; perched medieval villages, arcaded streets, fountains, ruined castles, abbeys and churches; from the Baronnies in the north to the Ste-Baume ridge in the south

Drôme Provençale

Location of Walks

Walk 1 Nyons Olive Walk

Walk 2 Ferme de la Lance

Walk 3 The Cougoir

Walk 4 Serre de Crema

Walk 5 Rocher de Bramard

Walk 6 Gorges de Léoux

Walk 7 Grande Javonière

Walk 8 Château d’Ubrieux

Walk 9 Around the Rocher de St-Julien

Walk 10 Gorges de Toulourenc

Walk 11 Lavender Walk from Aulan

Vaucluse

Location of Walks

Walk 12 Vaison-la-Romaine to Crestet

Walk 13 The Gambade from Gigondas

Walk 14 Dentelles de Montmirail

Walk 15 Le Barroux to La Roque-Alric

Walk 16 Gorges du Curnier

Walk 17 Gorges de la Nesque

Walk 18 Fontaine-de-Vaucluse and the Wall of the Plague

Walk 19 Abbaye de Sénanque

Walk 20 Colorado Provençal

Walk 21 Fort de Buoux

Walk 22 Mourre Nègre

Var

Location of Walks

Walk 23 Montagne Ste-Victoire

Walk 24 Marcel Pagnol Country

Walk 25 Mont Olympe

Walk 26 Montagne de la Ste-Baume

Walk 27 Ste-Croix from Nans-les-Pins

Walk 28 Old village and castle of Rougiers

Walk 29 Mourre d’Agnis

Walk 30 Circuit de Latay

€ 21,95