Circular Thurins via Grand-Croix, Les Bruyères and Croix des Barons

By car: park in the large car park at Thurins Town Hall, Rue du Rampeau.

(S/E) Return to the car park entrance and walk up Rue du Rampeau on the left, following the yellow marked trail. Pass two streets on the left and reach a crossroads where the slope becomes less steep.

(1) Leave the road that veers to the right and take a marked path opposite. Walk along an orchard, then descend to cross the Ruisseau de Vallière stream and, immediately afterwards, turn left, climbing into the woods, then onto open ground to reach a road at the Matillon farm.

(2) On this road, go around the farm on the left and continue straight ahead for 100 metres until you reach a crossroads. At the unmarked sign, ignore the road opposite and the one on the left. Go up to the right for 300 metres, towards Le Jaricot.

(3) At the "Le Jaricot" sign on the hill, leave the path to La Picolette on your left. Continue towards La Croisée des Chemins. At the start of the hamlet of Le Jaricot, turn right onto the lower path, which soon joins the upper path, and continue straight ahead. After 100 metres, ignore the road climbing left towards Le Rat and continue to a fork. Take the left fork; the right fork leads to Servigny. The road continues along a path that leads to a crossroads.

(4) At the "La Croisée des Chemins" sign, go up to the left towards Plat Saint-Romain. After a left-hand bend, at the fork (elevation 545), leave the path on the right. Join a road and follow it to the right until you reach an X-shaped crossroads (elevation 601).

(5) At the "Plat Saint-Romain" sign, take the road on the left towards Grand-Croix. Walk along the edge of a wood for 60 m and climb the path on the left in the opposite direction. At the edge of the wood, make a wide right turn and continue climbing through the wood (west). Pass a high point (altitude 690) and descend to a crossroads (altitude 657).

(6) At the "Grand-Croix" sign, turn left (south) towards La Picolette. After 50 m, at the "La Picolette" sign, continue south towards Les Granges. At La Picolette, continue down the road and reach an intersection in the hamlet of Les Granges (elevation 526).

(7) At the "Les Granges" sign, turn right towards Les Pins. In the woods, at the fork, continue straight ahead. At the fork in the fields, keep to the right and you will come out onto the D25 road.

(8) At the "Les Pins" sign, go down the D25 to the left towards Les Bruyères. After 250 m, at the end of the left-hand bend, leave the road and go down the path on the right. Ignore the side paths. At the bottom of a small valley, cross the Goutte de Pié Froid stream. You will come to an X-shaped crossroads.

(9) At the "Les Bruyères" sign, take the path in the opposite direction to the left towards Le Julin. Cross the stream again and, at the edge of the woods, ignore the path ascending to the left (elevation 473). In the wide right-hand bend, ignore the path to the right. At the edge of the hamlet of Le Julin, you will come to a fork in the road.

(10) At the "Le Julin" sign, follow the direction of Plat du Mont opposite. After 50 m, leave the road as it curves to the left and take the path descending to the right. Join a road, follow it to the left for 20 m, then ignore the road on the left and turn right after 200 m.

(11) Cross the bridge over the Garon. Ignore the road on the right and continue climbing straight ahead. At the hairpin bend, take the steep path on the right. Immediately, ignore the path on the right and, after 200 m, at the intersection, turn left and you will come to a road.

(12) At the "Plat du Mont" sign, take the Croix des Barons direction on the right. Go to the crossroads just after the cross.

(13) At the "Croix des Barons" sign, turn left towards La Burlière. At the bottom, after the house, turn right to reach a fork.

(14) At the "La Burlière" sign, continue left towards Le Violet. Cross Route D311 with caution, then cross the Artilla stream. Follow the old C.R.L. railway line. At a bend, ignore the path ascending to the right, cross two small streams in succession, and ignore a path branching off to the left towards greenhouses to reach a fork.

(15) Leave the path and take the trail on the left. After crossing a small valley and its stream, leave the path opposite and turn onto the one climbing in the opposite direction on the right. On the left, take the old railway line and join the GR® 765.

(16) At the "Le Violet" sign, continue straight ahead for 50 metres until you reach the "Le Pin des Meules" sign. Continue straight ahead towards Croix Faroussa, ignoring the side paths. You will come to a crossroads (elevation 414).

(17) At the "La Croix Faroussa" sign, follow the direction of Maison Familiale opposite. After 50 metres, at the fork, stay on the path. Ignore the side paths and continue to a road.

(18) At the "Maison Familiale" sign, descend to the left towards Thurins, le Bourg. Cross the bridge over the Garon. In the left-hand bend, leave the road and climb the steep slope opposite. Cross the D311 with caution. Go up the stairs and continue straight ahead on the uphill street, Chemin du Mathy. Pass Rue Barthélemy Delorme and arrive at the intersection with Rue de la Poste.

(19) At the "Thurins, Le Bourg" sign, take Rue de la Poste on the right, then 30 metres further on, leave it to cross an arched passageway on the right. Pass the narrow Place de Verdun, which leads to Rue du 8 Mai 1945.

(20) Go up to the left, cross Rue du 19 Mars 1962 and, on Place Dugas, walk along the main façade of the church. Follow a footpath on the right that passes in front of the town hall and leads back to the car park (S/E).