Boulbon and the Moulin Bonnet

Enjoy an easy stroll through the hills of Boulbon, passing by the Moulin Bonnet.

Details

n°58083
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 4.10 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 15 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 449 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 446 ft

  • ▲
    Highest point: 486 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 36 ft
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ City: Boulbon (13150)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 43.86133° / E 4.69317°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 3042OT
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Photos

Description of the walk

Car park at Place Gilles Léontin in Boulbon.

(S/E) From the car park, turn left onto Rue de l’Église, then take Rue de l’Hôtel de Ville, which veers off to the left. When it joins Rue de l’Enclos, turn right and then immediately left onto Rue de la Clastre.

(1) Turn right onto Chemin de la Montagne, then very soon after turn right onto Chemin du Prieuré, which climbs to the right towards the church and the cemetery.
Go round the cemetery on the right, pass through a gate and follow a path that climbs to the right towards Moulin Bonnet.
This path was no doubt marked in yellow at one time, but there are now hardly any trees or markings left. Continue along this path; at a sharp right-hand bend, ignore the path branching off to the left and carry on climbing the track for about 200 metres.

(2) At the junction, turn right to pay a quick visit to Moulin Bonnet, which offers a lovely view of the village of Boulbon.

(3) Walk round the mill and retrace your steps to return to the junction you left earlier.

(2) Then head straight on along this main track to continue the climb along the Montagnette ridge. Ignore all the paths branching off to the right or left and stay on the main track. At one point, you’ll see more yellow markings. Carry on until you reach a crossroads with several tracks. Look out for a small artificial reservoir on the left as a landmark.

(4) Do not take the path on the left leading towards Saint-Michel-de-Frigolet Abbey (it is possible to make a round trip to see it, but the signposting is poor and there are many paths).
Do not take the path straight ahead either, nor the one veering slightly to the right, but take the one veering sharply to the right, marked by a cairn. It descends into the valley and will be clearly marked in yellow all the way to the village. Walk down this valley without worrying about the other paths.

(5) When you reach a bridge, take the path on the left which goes round the castle. Then take Rue Gaston Raousset straight ahead, followed by Rue du Barri, which bends to the right to take you back to the car park where you started (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 36 ft - Car park: Place Gilles Léontin
  2. 1 : mi 0.35 - alt. 39 ft - On the right: Chemin de la Montagne
  3. 2 : mi 0.97 - alt. 341 ft - Turn right at the junction
  4. 3 : mi 1.14 - alt. 354 ft - Moulin Bonnet
  5. 4 : mi 2.94 - alt. 453 ft - Major crossroads
  6. 5 : mi 3.8 - alt. 105 ft - Turn left onto the bridge - Château de Boulbon
  7. S/E : mi 4.1 - alt. 39 ft - Car park: Place Gilles Léontin

Worth a visit

A tour of the village of Boulbon and its medieval castle.

In 2002, the Moulin Bonnet underwent a complete restoration: the tower was once again fitted with a roof and sails. It is the first windmill in the Bouches-du-Rhône to have been brought back into operation.
Open to visitors every other Saturday, it is put into operation on days when the Mistral blows.

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 74 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
JJBOUR
JJBOUR

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 01, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

It started off really well with the view of the Bonnet mill. A lovely vantage point. Then a fairly standard forest fire lookout post. There was a bit of a mistral breeze, which cooled us down. The descent was quite pleasant through a steep-sided valley. The view at the foot of the castle and the cliff facing it is very impressive. Thanks to the person who created this lovely little walk!

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ericdu84
ericdu84

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 08, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk with some beautiful views. We were lucky enough to visit the mill with a very friendly guide who gave us lots of interesting information. The information board next to the mill offers a lovely view. The information provided is accurate.

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GUYDECAUMONT
GUYDECAUMONT

A short, easy walk to get back into shape or to start again!
We did the route in reverse, starting with our feet in the water and returning via the mill!
We picked some wild asparagus along the way!

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mesokanto
mesokanto

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 15, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely little walk with some beautiful views.

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GUYDECAUMONT
GUYDECAUMONT

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 09, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A short, easy hike to get back into shape or start exercising again!

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Golanski
Golanski

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 22, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A superb route through the hills, where we admired the mill and splendid views of the Rhône valley and its surroundings. Visit to Boulbon Castle.

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Chris et Jim
Chris et Jim

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 08, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Thanks to the very clear explanations, we completed the hike without getting lost! This was greatly appreciated.
We took the detour suggested by Moulin Bonnet to the orientation table, which was a real bonus.
A very beautiful hike in the hills.
As we've just arrived in the area, we really enjoyed this route.

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Claje
Claje

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 05, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very pretty course in the middle of the heath
A beautiful view
Easy but not suitable for pushchairs

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Nathalie30
Nathalie30

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 27, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Easy hike. Takes about 2 hours.

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manuprost
manuprost
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 20, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant walk during the Christmas holidays with few people around.
In summer, it must be a different story: heat (little vegetation), potentially crowded (very accessible and easy to get to).

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marie3084
marie3084

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 30, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely, easy and enjoyable walk.
Don't miss the mill.
Suitable for children.

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Malga30
Malga30

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 02, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk with some nice discoveries in the village: a mill and a castle. Enjoyable with children aged 4 and 6.
On the way there, follow the signs for the Bonnet mill and be careful not to miss the descent back to the village on the right at the crossroads marked by a cairn.

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Didou30
Didou30

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 28, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

An easy hike, but beware: two-thirds of the route is in direct sunlight. Best done in mid-season or early in the morning or late in the evening in summer. The nicest part is the last third, on the descent back down to the village. The start is on wide tracks (DFCI) which I didn't find particularly interesting.

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Envisageons
Envisageons

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 20, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very pleasant and peaceful hike.
Beautiful views of the region and the medieval castle.

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Azimut71
Azimut71
• Edited:

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 16, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

When passing through the village, do not follow the directions. The street names are correct, but their locations are not. Fortunately, there are signs to guide you.
The Bonnet mill is very charming.

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