Bel Air - Around Romans

This hike on the borders of the Drôme offers a magnificent viewpoint at its highest point with a panoramic view of the Vercors mountain range, the Roman plain and the Ardèche mountains.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.07 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 55 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 254 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 250 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 402 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 230 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Departure: north exit of the village of Parnans before the bridge over the Joyeuse.

(S/E) When leaving the car park, take the D123 on the right. Turn onto the first road on the left, Chemin Pré-du-Mulet.

(1) At the bend, continue straight ahead on a path. Stay on the same bank of the Joyeuse.
At the fork, go up a path on the right along an orchard, then into the woods. At the top, turn left and continue on the tarmac road to reach the hamlet of Replat.

(2) Take Chemin du Replat on the left. Pass the Bois Burais crossroads and reach the D123.

(3) Follow it to the left for a few metres, then turn right onto a dirt track. It descends into a valley. Continue along a track and rejoin the tarmac road at a house. Walk along the road for 250 metres until you reach a crossroads with a track.

(4) Turn left, taking a hairpin bend, onto Chemin Charaire and climb through meadows and woods.

(5) At the junction with the path leading to Buis Jaquet, continue along a small road until you reach the T-junction at Les Fenêtres (panoramic view).

(6) Turn right (GRP®Tour de Pays de Saint-Marcellin) onto the ridge road at the border between the Drôme and Isère departments. At the crossroads, climb straight up the Route des Crêtes, which leads to the orientation table.
Continue along the road on the plateau until you reach Bel-Air.

(7) Turn right onto Chemin de la Mine-d'Or, leaving the GRP®. Further on, continue along the dirt track, walk alongside a long livestock building and keep going downhill. You will come out onto a road in the hamlet of La Maladière.

(8) Turn left and then immediately right onto Chemin de la Maladière: the small road leads to the D123. Turn left to return to the Parnans car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 231 m - North exit of the village, before the Joyeuse bridge
  2. 1 : km 0.62 - alt. 252 m - Path
  3. 2 : km 2.14 - alt. 312 m - Hamlet of Replat
  4. 3 : km 3.8 - alt. 335 m - Junction D213
  5. 4 : km 5 - alt. 262 m - Hairpin bend
  6. 5 : km 5.95 - alt. 337 m - Road junction
  7. 6 : km 6.74 - alt. 391 m - GRP®Tour de Pays de Saint-Marcellin
  8. 7 : km 8.92 - alt. 349 m - Bel Air locality
  9. 8 : km 10.58 - alt. 244 m - Chemin de la Maladière
  10. S/E : km 11.07 - alt. 231 m - North exit of the village, before the Joyeuse bridge

Notes

We strongly recommend that you take IGN map no. 3135SB with you. Hikers must be self-sufficient, but professional guides are available if needed. Emergency number: 18 or 112.
Information available from the Valence Romans Tourist Office in Romans: 04 75 02 28 72 / inforomans@valenceromanstourisme.com / www.valenceromanstourisme.com
Other walks on the website www.valenceromanstoursime.com/a-faire/nature/la-randonnee/

Worth a visit

Walnut trees
The Grenoble walnut extends its AOC territory to the north-east of the Drôme. The walnut tree, whose Latin etymology "Juglans" comes from "Jovisglans" meaning "acorn of Jupiter", is renowned for the taste of its nuts, the nobility of its wood and the use of its husk in dyeing. However, it has a sinister reputation in popular tradition. It is recommended not to fall asleep under a walnut tree, lest you be visited by the Devil. This superstition is based on a botanical peculiarity: juglone, secreted by the bark and leaves, oxidises on the ground and prevents the growth of surrounding plants.

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 7 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.9 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.9 / 5
Route interest
4.4 / 5
jean-luc.ruef
jean-luc.ruef

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 12, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Insufficient local signage

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pallandre chantal
pallandre chantal

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 13, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A pleasant hike, enjoyed under beautiful winter sunshine and with no wind; varied landscapes, beautiful panoramic views with a snack break at the orientation table. Even though they are tarmac, the small roads we took were pleasant. We "chatted" with a few horses that came to greet us at the edge of the field and with some dogs that signalled our presence with
a few barks, which made the walk more lively. To be repeated.

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cocleco
cocleco

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 06, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

This route offers a wide variety of environments: woods, wheat fields, walnut groves. Easy to follow. Beautiful ridge walk with panoramic views of the first peaks of the Vercors. We even shared the path with deer, fawns and a large hare.

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duchier
duchier

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

Hike to do in May or June. Very well marked, very easy route.
Fields full of flowers with birds singing
Very pleasant and relaxing

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cchic26
cchic26

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 07, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful, easy walk, taking around 3 hours (not including stops for picnics, orientation tables, etc.). The route is well signposted (you can also follow the yellow markings from start to finish). There are beautiful views in all directions, so it's best to do this walk on a clear day. It's best to avoid days when it's very windy, as it can be quite dangerous on the ridge.
Includes quite a few (all) small tarmac roads with little or no traffic.

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dougere
dougere

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 29, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful panoramas

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Schop
Schop

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 14, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Easy hike to follow as it is apparently a 'PR' marked in yellow.
The route is both logical and pleasant.
Too many dogs barking at farms and villas, but hey, we're in France, and it's even worse in the south-east...

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