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Park in the Balazuc school car park.
(S/E) Go up the stairs and, on the left, follow Rue Principale, passing by pretty hanging gardens. A little further on, take Rue de la Chapelle Romane on the left (signposted). You will arrive at a small square in front of this chapel (Église Sainte-Madeleine, information panel; exhibitions from May to September).
Ignore the cross-shaped hiking sign and climb the stairs on Rue de la Roquette opposite. At the top of this short climb, on your right, take the stairs alongside the chapel to reach the top of the bell tower for an amazing 360° panorama. Not to be missed!
Once you come back down, follow the narrow street that turns and descends through a series of vaulted passages until you reach the ruined chapel of Saint-Jean-Baptiste in front of you. Pass in front of a playground under the hanging gardens, previously seen from Rue Principale.
(1) Turn right and take an old paved slanting street that climbs up to the "Croix de Bois". At the crossroads, take the small road opposite (road sign: dead end). Follow this road, ignoring the turnings on the right and left.
After about 500 metres, the road turns into a track and then a path between two types of terrain:
- on the left, small plots of arid land separated by high dry stone walls,
- on the right, slightly below, a gently sloping plain bordered by piles of stones, suggesting a very old river or doline (Polje?).
You will reach Champ Vacheret.
(2) Turn left, and after a short climb, the path reaches the edge of the plateau, revealing a spectacular change in the landscape with a large alluvial plain of the Ardèche, cultivated with vineyards and orchards. The path winds down to the plain: a track running alongside this plain takes you to the hamlet of Les Louanes.
(3) Take a break and visit this small hamlet with its beautiful houses and impressive porches! Take the road to the left of the square for about 100 metres, then turn slightly right onto the path going uphill, which has been badly damaged by storms, leading to the vineyards of Les Clos.
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(4) Turn right (in bad weather, you can turn left and return directly to the car park) then left onto Chemin de Serre Merlas, towards the houses in the Chazotte district. There is a lovely view of the valley with the bell tower of Saint-Maurice-d'Ardèche, the Col de l'Escrinet and the Coiron volcanic massif.
Go around Chazotte on the left via Chemin de la Chazotte to reach the D294.
(5) Take care when crossing the road.
Pass in front of the mansion and follow Chemin de Translatour on the left towards Translatour (signposted). Continue along Impasse de la Planchette, lined with tourist facilities (bed and breakfast, campsite).
At the end of the road, turn left and continue straight ahead to the end of the cul-de-sac (post) on the shaded path lined with a fine example of dry stone walls on your left (discreet white-yellow markings) and boxwood until you reach the "right" marker (very discreet).
(6) At the entrance to house no. 266 on the right below the path, take the path on the right towards a white-yellow marker. This path descends and turns right to a crossroads. Continue left in a hairpin bend (white-yellow marker on a rock near the ground) and do not continue straight ahead.
Follow the markers carefully as this narrow, steep path (be careful with children) is not marked on the IGN map but is indicated on the OSM Trails map.
Enjoy remarkable views overlooking a bend in the Ardèche river and the hamlet of Servière, then, a little further on, enjoy the panorama of the cliff on the right bank with its many climbing routes, which are very popular in fine weather. You will reach a crossroads of tracks.
(7) Do not take the track that goes uphill (Chemin du Château) but the one below on the left that joins the Rue Principale D294.
Go up there and, after the bend, look out for Rue de la Fachinière (fachinière = witch in the local Occitan dialect) on the left in a small, narrow vaulted passageway (end of the signposting). Enter it, stroll and wander at random through the medieval streets to reach the car park (S/E).
Visorando member
Difficult 
Moderate 
