Col de la Grande Limite

False duplicate.

A hike to discover the heritage of Marsanne, passing through the southern part of the forest. Discover the Sanctuary of Notre-Dame de Fresneau and the old village. Enjoy panoramic views of the Valdaine plain, the Rhône valley and the surrounding mountains.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.60 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 335 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 335 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 581 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 246 m

Description of the walk

Park in the car park of the Salle des Fêtes in Marsanne.

(S/E) When leaving the car park, turn right onto Rue Jean Moulin towards the village centre. Pass the town hall, then at the intersection of the Montélimar and Crest roads, continue straight on along Route de Loriol towards Mirmande.

(1) At the Émile Loubet School, turn left towards Fresneau via Chemin de Fresneau (road).

(2) Pass behind the Notre-Dame de Fresneau Chapel on the left to take the Combe de Fresneau trail.

(3) When you reach the intersection with the upper track, turn left towards Serre de Paruel.

(4) Leave the Serre de Paruel trail on your left (return to Marsanne) and then, 100 metres further on, take the path on the right corresponding to the red mountain bike route no. 20 towards Creux des Alexis. Once at the top of the path, enjoy the view of Valdaine and the surrounding mountains. At the end of the path, continue to the right to rejoin the main track and climb towards Creux des Alexis.

(5) Turn right. After about 150 metres, leave the track at the barrier and take the track on the left.
When you reach the intersection of three forest tracks, turn left towards Gros Fayard to rejoin the main track of La Grande Limite.

(6) At Gros Fayard, turn right towards La Grande Limite. After about 150 m, leave the main track and take the path on the left which runs parallel to it and offers a view of the Rhône valley.
After rejoining the main track and passing the power line, leave the main track again and take the path on the left that borders the forests of Mirmande and Marsanne. After 150 metres, turn right to rejoin the main track of La Grande Limite, follow it to the left and after 200 metres, turn right to join the path overlooking Combe Brugier.

(7) At the end of the path, continue to the right to cross the heart of the old clay pigeon shooting range and reach the Col de la Grande Limite car park.

(8) Stay to the right of the car park and take the botanical trail, then turn right down the Sentier des Fileuses.

(9) After crossing the Route de Loriol, follow it and, at the road sign, descend to the left into the meadow to reach the old village via Rue du Prieuré.

(10) At the foot of the climb to the Prieuré de Saint-Félix, turn right onto the path and then take the stairs. At the bottom of the stairs, turn left. At the exit of the Place de l'Ancien Hôpital, turn right onto Rue de la Fontaine, which leads to the old mutual school, now converted into a pottery workshop: Émile Loubet grew up in this school.

Turn left to return to the village of Marsanne via Rue du Comte de Poitiers. At the bottom of the street, turn left to pass behind the town hall via the boules stairs, after crossing Route de Crest.

Follow Route de Roynac to the left for a few dozen metres, then turn right onto Chemin des Buis to return to the Salle des Fêtes (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 246 m - Village hall
  2. 1 : km 0.65 - alt. 282 m - Émile Loubet School
  3. 2 : km 0.98 - alt. 315 m - Chapelle Notre-Dame de Fresneau (Marsanne)
  4. 3 : km 1.94 - alt. 457 m - Main trail
  5. 4 : km 2.58 - alt. 495 m - Serre de Paruel junction
  6. 5 : km 3.63 - alt. 539 m - Creux des Alexis
  7. 6 : km 4.76 - alt. 581 m - Gros Fayard
  8. 7 : km 6.18 - alt. 518 m - Former clay pigeon shooting range.
  9. 8 : km 6.49 - alt. 513 m - Grande Limite botanical trail - Col de la Grande Limite
  10. 9 : km 8.33 - alt. 329 m - Loriol road
  11. 10 : km 8.95 - alt. 309 m - Ascent of Saint-Félix - Prieuré Saint-Félix (Marsanne)
  12. S/E : km 9.6 - alt. 246 m - Village hall

Notes

Water point and toilets at the Sanctuary of Notre-Dame de Fresneau.

Avoid hiking during hunting season: on odd-numbered weeks, hunting takes place on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays in this area of the Marsanne forest.

Hiking boots or trail running shoes.

Worth a visit

Enjoy the various panoramic views of the old village, the Valdaine plain and the surrounding mountains, and the Rhône valley.

Visit the Chapel of Fresneau and taste the "miraculous water" from the Fresneau fountain.

From the starting point (10), you can climb up to the Priory of Saint-Félix and then to the orientation table to enjoy an exceptional view of the Valdaine and the surrounding mountains. The round trip adds 1.8 km and 120 m of elevation gain to the initial route.

Visit the "Point du Jour" pottery located on the site of the former boys' school where Émile Loubet was one of the pupils.

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 7 reviews

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

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 07, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk that’s relatively sheltered from the wind

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papou26200
papou26200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 12, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant walk in the Marsanne forest. The route follows part of another route, so we took the second track before reaching point 6. Without regret, the track turns into a path that crosses flower-filled undergrowth. It then becomes less pleasant as you have to walk through areas where trees have been felled for firewood, but crossing the undergrowth more than makes up for this inconvenience. From the car park, the return path, which is enclosed, allows you to avoid traffic noise. Thank you for the hike.

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Monique 2607
Monique 2607

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 11, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Well done to whoever created this route. Walking along the paths on a beautiful autumn day is a real treat. The paths are often lined with shrubs whose foliage varies in colour from golden yellow to purple, orange and red – it's magnificent. Although the cold wind was blowing strongly, we weren't bothered by it as the paths were well protected by the vegetation.
The old village of Marsanne is well worth a visit.
Once again, well done and thank you very much.

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BARNAVON
BARNAVON

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 02, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Much of the route (especially the final descent) offers no view of the surrounding area. The main attraction of the route is the village of Marsanne.

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cak2511
cak2511

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 25, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant hike, sheltered from the north wind and very open. Magnificent views of the 3 Becs and, at the end of the route, the old village, which is currently being renovated, is still very charming. To be enjoyed without moderation.

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alaindessources
alaindessources

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 22, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike that offers a welcome change from the wide trails of the plateau and Marsanne forest. The GPX track is well done, so all you have to do is follow it. Thank you to the author of this hike.

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Bernard Montélimar
Bernard Montélimar

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 05, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful walk, well sheltered from the wind. ND de Fresneau and the old village of Marsanne are particularly interesting.

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