Dry stone walls
Departure from Place du Château in Saint-Julien de Peyrolas. Follow the markers "Le Château", "Chemin du Calvaire" and "Boissonnade". On your way, you will notice the presence of many low dry stone walls: ensuring the stabilization of the ground, they occupy a not negligible draining function in the agricultural landscape. A true testimony to the know-how of the ancients, these dry stone walls constitute a small heritage to be preserved and enhanced.
A geological curiosity
Continue the route following the signpost "Le Puits" towards the village of Aiguèze. Don't be surprised to find fine sand paths, and no, the beach is not behind the hill! This sand actually comes from the Rhone Valley and its watersheds. It has accumulated here during the long erosion carried out by the water over time.
Here you are in Aiguèze. Take the direction of "Place de l'Eglise", then "Place du Portail Haut" to follow on the left the direction of "La Grange du Marrello", and the beacon "Le Ranc du Forêt".
The Gorges of the Ardèche
From there, you are strongly advised to be careful because the rock is steep, and on the other hand, to make a round trip to the "Rocher de Castelveil" through the beacon "La Grange de Meyselle" to admire the splendid view on the gorges.
You are here in the lower course of the Gorges de l'Ardèche, where the river borders the Gard. About thirty kilometres long, the gorges form a mineral canyon where the river has carved its bed in the limestone plateau. From where you are, you can see the last meander of the gorges: the Ardèche then continues its course to join the Rhône upstream of Pont Saint-Esprit. The geological composition of the rock, limestone, has allowed over the millennia, the formation of caves or avens that enrich the landscape of attractive visits. In this setting, nature is wild and authentic, attracting each year millions of visitors in search of nature activities and sensations (hiking, climbing, via ferrata, canoeing, kayaking...). To make this heritage accessible while preserving its exceptional diversity, the Gorges de l'Ardèche were classified as a Nature Reserve in 1980. Return to the route by joining the marker "Le Ranc du Forêt".Aiguèze, medieval village of Occitan Provence
Perched on a cliff overlooking the Gorges de l'Ardèche, which end their sinuous course here, the village watches over its heritage with pride. A heritage inherited primarily from the Middle Ages. The remains of the dungeon and the Saracen tower, the fortifications and their walkway are evidence of this today. Stroll through the streets and alleys paved with Ardèche pebbles, notice the vaulted passage of the "Combe aux oiseaux" or the 11th century church and its crenellated facades. Don't forget to soak up the atmosphere of the South by taking a seat on the Place du Jeu de Paume in the shade of the plane trees. Before resuming your journey, take the "Castelas", the former walkway of the castle: the beauty of this fabulous panorama of the Ardeche and Mont Ventoux, the scrubland and vineyards that are also the living heritage of Aiguèze. Bathed in sunshine, the slopes of Aiguèze produce wines of remarkable quality, Côtes du Rhône wines in AOC and Côtes du Rhône Village appellation, which the best restaurants in the region offer on their menus. It is because of this multiple identity, authenticity and the picturesque setting in which the village is located, that Aiguèze is labeled "Most Beautiful Villages of France".
Follow the signs to "La Grange du Marcello" then turn left "Place du Portail Haut" to arrive on "Place de l'Eglise". Continue following the signs "La Blanchisserie", "Le Portail", to arrive at your starting point in Saint-Julien de Peyrolas.
