Sainte-Christine Chapel tour - Valcros and the Trubis Cave

This route takes you along rediscovered paths and, above all, through the hamlet of Valcros with its square, chapel, tree and oven. Next, head to the Trubis cave when there is water.
Afterwards, head towards the Castellas oppidum, but that will be for another time, and return to the Saint-Christine Chapel to appreciate its history and the view.

Details

n°470851

Creation:
01 Feb 2017

Last update:
26 Dec 2024

Last review:
02 Feb 2026

Activity: Walking
Distance: 9.57 km
Average duration: 3h 50
Difficulty: Moderate
Back to start: Yes
Ascent: + 374 m
Descent: - 375 m
Highest point: 329 m
Lowest point: 122 m

Country: France
City: Solliès-Pont (83210)
Start/End: N 43.217655° / E 6.044149°
IGN map(s): Ref. 3345OT, 3346OT
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Description of the walk

Park in the car park at the Sainte-Christine Chapel in Solliès-Pont.

(S/E) Go down to the left, then turn left onto the DFCI track, following the sign (green heart).

(1) Take the stairs on your left and at the bottom, turn right, then right again.

(2) At the crossroads, go straight ahead, passing over a few pallets. After about 700 metres, turn left.

(3) Turn left again onto the DFCI track and head towards the CES1 cistern, keeping a north-westerly direction. Pass the cistern.

(4) Once at the three-way junction, turn right. Continue along the road and, at the crossroads with another road, take the road opposite, slightly to the left. The road descends.

(5) At the end of this path, turn right towards Valcros and the chapel. You will see the oven a little further on the left in the hamlet. After the chapel, not far from the millstone on the house opposite, there are fossils on the walls.
Retrace your steps.

(5) Do not take the path. Stay on the road and at the next intersection, turn right and descend towards the Trubis Cave. Stay on the main path.

(6) Continue right on the main path.

(7) Turn right at the house with white shutters and head towards the Trubis Cave. Retrace your steps until you reach

(6) Turn right uphill, in a large bend (the path is difficult to see and there is rubbish), and you will change hills. There are hairpin bends; follow the path and keep to the left.
Be careful as there are many paths not marked on the map.
There is private property: the owner has put up signs, but you are far from the chain marking the entrance.

(8) Continue straight ahead.

(9) Turn right at a small private property sign, go through a collapsed stone wall and step over a fence lying on the ground. At the large crossroads, turn left. Go downhill. It is very slippery when wet. Follow the boundary of the canton capital.

(10) At the bottom, turn left, then right, then stay on the left to reach the car park (S/E).

If you wish to visit the Sainte-Christine Chapel, go up the stairs on the right at a 90° angle.

Waypoints

S/E : km 0 - alt. 240 m - Parking - Chapelle Sainte-Christine
1 : km 0.57 - alt. 223 m - Stairs on the left
2 : km 0.77 - alt. 230 m - Crossroads, straight ahead
3 : km 1.56 - alt. 315 m - On the left
4 : km 2.72 - alt. 312 m - Three-way junction, on the right
5 : km 3.66 - alt. 228 m - Road, on the right
6 : km 5.72 - alt. 182 m - Crossroads of the return journey
7 : km 6.5 - alt. 129 m - Turn right at the house with white shutters - Grotte de Trubis (Cuers)
8 : km 8.11 - alt. 280 m - Straight ahead
9 : km 8.39 - alt. 294 m - On the right
10 : km 9.21 - alt. 175 m - Crossroads, on the left
S/E : km 9.57 - alt. 240 m - Parking at Sainte-Christine Chapel

Worth a visit

Sainte-Christine in Sollies-Pont: its history.

Legend has it that one day in 1041, a terrible storm arose. On board a ship caught in the storm, Irenée, Prince of Archaie, promised to build a chapel if he was saved from the waters.
The hamlet of Valcros.
The Trubis Cave.

Reviews and comments

3.8 / 5

Based on 56 reviews

Reliability of the description
3.6 / 5

Ease of following the route
3.7 / 5

Route interest
4.1 / 5

biloba

02 Feb 2026 at 12:33 3600

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 02, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Not very clear at No. 9, apparently private property, the signposting leads into a part of the

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vébé83

17 Feb 2025 at 11:05 3600

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 13, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful route, with the Turbis cave, which was overflowing with water, for the first time (out of three visits). Passed through the beautiful hamlet of Valcros.
As a result, much of the route was muddy and there was water at the bottom of the small natural streams.
If you set off around 10 a.m., you can picnic on the steps of the Sainte Christine chapel when you arrive, in the sunshine with a beautiful view of the southern valley of the Gapeau.

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gegemft

14 Nov 2023 at 19:20 3600

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 05, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

The area is very popular with runners, walkers with their dogs and hunters. However, there is room for everyone! The elevation gain is gradual and does not present any significant difficulties. It allows you to maintain a good pace and enjoy the surroundings. I took advantage of this route to do a variation via the Castellas oppidum on the Cuers side. It takes 20 minutes to reach the top of a steep climb. The village of Valcros is worth a visit. You can pass through the property at point 6 by going straight ahead (to be confirmed). A beautiful hike in a green setting.

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Kzimir59

18 Oct 2023 at 08:01 7200

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 18, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

Please note that the cave is fenced off and inaccessible. In addition, part of the hike is on a private road, so please take care during hunting season.

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Perrye83

08 May 2023 at 14:26 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 06, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant hike with plenty of shade except on the "track" section. We did it clockwise. On the way up, we came across a path blocked by a "no entry" sign, which we easily got around to return to the marked trail. Access to the cave is closed off by large bars for obvious safety reasons, as it is a resurgence that can be dangerous, but the site is worth a look. The hamlet of Valcros is very charming with its wash house, liberty tree, public pizza oven, etc.
Thanks to the author for his work and explanations.

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Giel83

10 Apr 2023 at 14:07 7200

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 10, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Two points to note: The large crossroads towards Les Trois Ragages, with an unmarked path 100 m further on, then the fork that you must not miss when descending towards Belgentier (hidden by vegetation)

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diamsazur

20 Feb 2023 at 18:51 3600 • Edited: 10 Apr 2023 at 15:16 7200

Thank you for sharing your experience
Biz mumu

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AlainB08

20 Feb 2023 at 18:28 3600

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 16, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant route, even though we didn't have time to visit the cave. We had a little trouble finding the right path at the start, then again on the way back near the private property, especially after climbing over the collapsed wall, where we came across a "Beware of dogs" sign. Luckily, the trail is well marked. The paths are varied and would certainly be very pleasant in summer as they are well shaded. On the downside, there are relatively few clear views. The detour via the hamlet of Valcros is really interesting, especially as we were lucky enough to meet some locals who were delighted to tell us about their region.

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LAÏFA

25 Sep 2022 at 17:18 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 25, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello, No access to the cave!
There are lots of "Private property" signs, but we went in anyway. The paths are rarely used and therefore difficult to navigate in places because nature has taken over.

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Belette83

21 Apr 2022 at 22:06 7200 • Edited: 20 Feb 2023 at 22:49 3600

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 21, 2022
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Route completed using an IGN map, accompanied by my dog.

The route starts on the DFCI at the sign... No difficulty in finding your way, just follow the DFCI for 80% of the route... You need to pay attention to the map and it's easy going.
The only potential difficulty is at the private property (point 9, the chain in the middle of the path is surprising)....I checked with the dog's GPS that the blue markings went around the property and back to the chapel.
After that, the trail leads you straight to the chapels....it's obvious.

The walk is interesting, both for the views and the visit to Valcros (I missed the fossils on the wall), and the Truebis cave is very pretty....

Not enough time to go down to the oppidum, next time...

Thanks for the walk

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jmgg

22 Mar 2022 at 15:55 3600

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 21, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant hike, but a GPS is essential to successfully complete the circuit without getting lost.The two chapels, Valcros and the cave, are definitely the most interesting parts of the hike. At point 9, be sure to take the small path on the right (cairn) before the "private property" sign, which seems to take you back in the opposite direction, but look carefully after a few metres and you will see another small cairn on the left that will take you back along the large terraces towards Ste Christine. You will rejoin the original route after about 10 minutes. It would be a good idea to modify the GPS route to avoid the private property and the anxiety of getting lost off the planned route. The entire trail was fairly well maintained. We had a good day. Thank you for this hike.

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christdona

11 Feb 2022 at 17:37 3600 • Edited: 11 Feb 2022 at 17:39 3600

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 11, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Hello,
I saw the cairn at point 6, excellent initiative.
On the positive side, the hamlet of Valcros is worth seeing, as is the Trubis cave, but the Valcros stream is completely dry.
I think there is a way to avoid this place and the "private property", "no trespassing" and "beware of the dog" signs.
between points 6 and 10, the path is poorly maintained (vegetation is taking over) and GPS seems welcome.
Passed points 6 and 7 but the track wasn't deleted from the GPS.

We changed our plans for the day because on Saturday 5th there were hunters and dogs "everywhere" etc.

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Yvn_Hrl

14 Nov 2021 at 12:17 3600

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 12, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Thank you very much for sharing this tour.
I loved discovering this cave, which I didn't know about, and I found it really nice and, above all, unexpected.

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valcol9387

07 Jun 2021 at 18:13 7200

Overall rating : 4 / 5

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

Hello,

I did this hike again this weekend

We added a cairn at point 6
We felt the same uneasy feeling at point 9 when we saw all the signs saying "private property", "no trespassing" and "beware of the dog"
Can you tell me if we are in the right or if we are trespassing on private property?

Otherwise, it was still a very pleasant walk with beautiful vegetation.
Next time, I'll try going directly via the DFCI track, avoiding the pallets!

Thanks again

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JeanVar

17 May 2021 at 21:26 7200

Overall rating : 2.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 15, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

The positive aspects of the hike (discovering the two chapels and the hamlet of Valcros) are outweighed by the negative aspects: (a) why make us trudge through a dry river bed between points 1 and 3, when it would be so easy to stay on the DFCI track? (b) the steep descent to the cave made me give up after a few steps, fearing I would have to retrace my steps, (c) on the path between points 6 and 10, there is nothing to see and the path is not maintained (vegetation is taking over).

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