Around Tourbes

There are two parking options: a small car park on Place de l'Église or a large car park on Avenue de la Gare, 200 metres from the church.

(S/E) With your back to the church, take Rue Tour des Caves on the right for 20 metres, then turn right at the first street, Rue du Verdier. Follow this street, which becomes a wide path for 1 km.

(1) When you reach a building materials storage area on the right-hand side of the path, take the path on the left and you will come to an intersection.

(2) Turn right at the next path (large stone in the middle of the path) and continue until you reach the junction with a road.

(3) Take it on the left and, 100 m further on, turn right onto a wide path. After 200 m, turn onto the path that veers to the left. Another 200 m further on, follow the path that veers left into the woods until you reach a road.

(4) Turn left downhill. By turning right, you can make a round trip to see a metal work by Xavier Veilhan a few metres away and, a little further on, a monumental driftwood sculpture, Driftwood, by Danecia Sibinco of the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London. Then retrace your steps. At the bottom of the descent, take the path on the right.

(5) Take the path on the left to cross the bridge over the La Vivarelle stream. As soon as you cross the bridge, turn right and follow the path between an old vineyard on the left and a wood on the right. The path enters a wood. Continue straight ahead. At the edge of the wood, continue straight ahead across a meadow.

(6) At the edge of the woods, take the path on the right and walk along the woods on your left.

(7) Enter the woods via a path on the left. At a fork in the path, stay on the right-hand path and join the D39 (signposted).

(8) Follow it to the right for about 30 metres, taking care (busy road), then turn left onto the path. Leave a path on your left and continue straight ahead into the woods. When you reach a vineyard, turn left and go around the vineyard, keeping the woods on your left. At the end, take the path on the left and enter the woods. At the exit, you will come out onto a wide path. Follow it to the right until you reach a fork.

(9) Take the path on the left. After 30 metres, leave this main path and follow a small path on the left, which runs alongside a motorbike trail.

(10) Shortly afterwards, turn left onto a downhill path and enter the woods. When you come out of the woods, follow another motorbike trail alongside the woods on your left until you reach a vineyard.

(11) Do not go up into this vineyard, but take the small sunken path in the woods on the left. Walk through the woods following the yellow markings for about 200 metres, turn right and climb a very short but steep slope. Continue through the woods, still following the yellow markings. You will come out onto a wide path, which you should take to the left. A little further on, it passes below a vineyard and joins a main path.

(12) First turn right then left, and after the Croix du Sorbier, take the path on the left that leads to a very large oak tree.

(13) Turn onto the path on the left immediately after. Continue straight ahead, passing in front of a riding school, until you reach Avenue d'Alignan du Vent (D39).

(14) Turn right downhill to return to the starting point (S/E).

After heavy rain, the paths in the woods can be muddy.

Finish with a visit to the village of Tourbes: beautiful church, garden of 100 herbs next to the church (1 April-30 October) and old houses in the village.