Pays de Grignan - Rochecourbière

This very easy route will first take you through the village and past the Chamaret Tower, then on to the market-gardening plateaus of Les Paluds and Les Marsenches. At a fork in the path, you’ll spot the beautiful stone cross at Les Vicaires, before discovering the fabulous Rochecourbière Cave and Madame de Sévigné’s stone table. Lovely paths through truffle oaks and lavender will take you back to Chamaret, passing by the wonderful Saint-Barthélémy Chapel.

Details

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  • Mountain biking
    Activity: Mountain biking
  • ↔
    Distance: 10.11 km
  • ◔
    Duration according to the author: 1.5 hrs 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 40 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 43 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 202 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 165 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐
    Area: Dauphiné
  • ⚐ City: Chamaret (26230)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 44.39744° / E 4.882405°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 3039ET

  • ◶
    Type of surface: Not specified
  • ⇧
    Bike carrying: Not specified
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Not specified
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Description of the route

Mountain bike route no. 7.

(S/E) From the car park at Place de la Libération in Chamaret, take the road on the right, then at the next junction head down to the left onto Avenue de la Gare. Follow signpost no. 7 to the right, which will take you through part of the village. There is a lovely view of the tower below. When you reach the road, turn left. Watch out for cars!

(1) Head downhill to the right towards the village hall. Pass the Lou Carriérou signpost (alt. 180m) and continue along a small road. Further on, follow a path leading to the D471. Watch out for cars! Turn right for 100m.

(2) Take a path on the left through the fields, then further on, turn onto another path to cross the Marsenches plateau.

(3) Turn right onto the small road and join the D71. Watch out for cars! Cross over to the other side, then follow a path on the left, close to a riding centre, which leads to the beautiful Croix des Vicaires.

(4) At the three-way junction, follow the path on your right. Further on, alongside the truffle oaks, turn left and cross a road to reach the Grotte de Rochecourbière.

(5) Walk back for about 250m, turn left onto a path, then right onto a small road. This leads to a magnificent path through truffle oaks.

(6) Turn right and continue along the road until you reach a plateau surrounded by lavender. Further on, follow the path to the left, which offers a beautiful view of the Tour de Chamaret.

(7) At a fork, take the path on the right downhill, then continue to the road. Go straight on and pass the picturesque Saint-Barthélemy Chapel. 
Return to the starting point on the right (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 184 m - Place de la Libération (town hall)
  2. 1 : km 0.74 - alt. 185 m - D71
  3. 2 : km 1.94 - alt. 181 m - Leave the road via the path on the left
  4. 3 : km 3.46 - alt. 181 m - On the right-hand side of the road
  5. 4 : km 4.67 - alt. 197 m - Three-way junction Croix des Vicaires
  6. 5 : km 6.05 - alt. 183 m - Rochecourbière Cave
  7. 6 : km 7.8 - alt. 192 m - On the right-hand side of the road
  8. 7 : km 8.98 - alt. 173 m - Turn right at the three-way junction
  9. S/E : km 10.11 - alt. 184 m - Place de la Libération (town hall)

Notes

We strongly recommend taking the IGN map referenced on these pages with you. Mountain bikers must be self-sufficient; professional guides are available if required. Emergency numbers: 18 or 112
Information from the Pays de Grignan - Enclave des Papes Tourist Office: 04 75 46 56 75 (Grignan) and 04 90 35 04 71 (Valréas) / info@tourisme-paysdegrignan.com /
Pays de Grignan Tourist Office
Valréas Tourist Office

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 6 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.8 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
Yves Doc
Yves Doc

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 15, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very enjoyable mountain bike route set amidst varied scenery. Very little elevation gain and not technically demanding. The signposting is excellent.

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gillesduf
gillesduf

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 25, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A hike originally planned for mountain biking, which we did on foot at the end of June with a hiking club. It wasn’t any more difficult than what we usually do; we just did it for the pleasure of walking through the lavender fields, which were in bloom at the time. The only slight downside: there’s not much shade along the route. Make sure you bring plenty of water and suitable gear. A welcome stop at the cave to cool off. The route is well signposted.

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EtienneT
EtienneT

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 09, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk through the fields, quite wooded, with very few people about and frequent changes of scenery.
Almost entirely flat, with the lovely surprise of the cave, its drinking water source and its view of Grignan Castle.
However, we didn’t understand the suggested time of 1½ hours.
With my 15-year-old daughter, and no young children or elderly people, it took us 2½ hours rather than 1½, walking at a normal pace with a few brief stops.
We could probably have saved 15 minutes by walking faster, but I can’t see how we could have saved an hour...

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Département de la Drôme
Département de la Drôme

Hello,

Thank you for your feedback; I will pass it on to the route manager. In future, please feel free to create an alert directly on https://sentinelles.sportsdenature.fr/, specifying the issue. The alert will then be sent directly to the manager, who will be able to address it more quickly!

Enjoy your walks in the Drôme!

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Patric
Patric

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 28, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The route is well signposted, except
About halfway along the route, where some signposts are missing, making it difficult to stay on track.

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Département de la Drôme
Département de la Drôme

Hello,

This trail was created and signposted in 2017. It is a green-rated mountain bike route, meaning it is easy and suitable for all abilities, which explains why it follows a number of small, easy-to-access roads and paths. Please feel free to visit the tourist office, where all the mountain bike routes for the Pays de Grignan - Enclave des Papes area are available (most are also available on Visorando!). You’ll find several easy routes as well as more challenging ones – there’s something for everyone!

Beautiful rides in the Drôme!

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catfrey
catfrey

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 14, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely route, but it takes you along quite a few quiet back roads and some footpaths – for those who prefer them...;
I didn’t see the publication date in the description, which would be useful as some paths may have been tarmac-surfaced since then..
Two heritage sites along the route: the cave and the chapel.

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pdhour
pdhour

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 19, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

The signposting is excellent, except after the detour via Rochecorbière. The final section lacks shade during heatwaves – otherwise, the rest is perfect – and is suitable for all fitness levels. Combined with the ‘Des vignes et des cabanons’ route, it makes for a fairly long and varied walk – with plenty of lovely spots for a picnic

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