From Lurs to Ganagobie and back via the Promenade des Évêques

In the woods of the hills of Lurs and Ganagobie with beautiful views of the Alps, the Durance and the Montagne de Lure.

Details

47557987
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 13.59 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 20 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 511 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 507 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 669 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 379 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐
    Area: Alps
  • ⚐ District: Lurs (04700)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 43.966676° / E 5.88747°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 3341OT, 3342ET, 3342OT
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the large car park to the south at the entrance to the village of Lurs, near the cemetery.

(S/E) Head left, north-east, past the town hall, take a small path on the left and reach the crossroads at the viewpoint.

(1) Turn right downhill onto the well-marked yellow trail and continue through the forest to reach the Saint-Pons signpost.

(2) Turn right onto the wide track, leave it at the next crossroads on the left and continue downhill to reach the Roman bridge.

(3) Cross it and take theGR®653D, which is the Way of St James. Then begin the climb parallel to the D30. Continue on theGR® and its red and white markings to reach the monastery car park.

(4) Now walk almost horizontally to reach Ganagobie Monastery and continue to the church.

(5) Now follow this route downhill to return to the Roman bridge crossroads.

(3) Turn right to stay on theGR® and reach a ford in a small valley.

(6) Continue up a few hairpin bends and you will come to a crossroads. Keep left on theGR® and after a hairpin bend you will reach thePR® crossroads with a signpost.

(7) Keep right on theGR® and exit the forest to find a Y-shaped crossroads.

(8) Turn left onto theGR® to re-enter the woods and walk almost horizontally. You will then arrive at the Notre-Dame de Vie Chapel.

(9) Continue along the Promenade des Évêques, enter Lurs and return to the initial crossroads you passed on the way there.

(1) Turn right and follow the same route as on the way out to return to the cemetery car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 559 m - Parking at Lurs cemetery
  2. 1 : km 0.25 - alt. 574 m - Crossroads of the circular loop
  3. 2 : km 1.55 - alt. 519 m - Saint-Pons marker
  4. 3 : km 2.92 - alt. 385 m - Pont romain de Lurs
  5. 4 : km 4.78 - alt. 648 m - Notre-Dame Abbey car park (Ganagobie)
  6. 5 : km 5.47 - alt. 659 m - Prieuré de Ganagobie
  7. 6 : km 9.45 - alt. 429 m - Ford in the valley
  8. 7 : km 10.85 - alt. 500 m - GR PR crossroads
  9. 8 : km 11.28 - alt. 552 m - Y-junction
  10. 9 : km 12.76 - alt. 589 m - Chapelle Notre-Dame de Vie (Lurs)
  11. S/E : km 13.59 - alt. 559 m - Parking at Lurs cemetery

Notes

Actual walking time approx. 4 hours 15 minutes

Worth a visit

(S/E) Lurs
(5) Ganagobie Abbey: only visits to the monastery's Romanesque church are possible in the afternoon. The site is particularly remarkable for the mosaics in the central apse and the contemporary stained glass windows created by Father Kim En Joong, a Dominican monk.

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.3 / 5
Based on 9 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.1 / 5
Route interest
4.2 / 5
eaglefoot
eaglefoot

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 25, 2025
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

By mistake, we took the same route back, avoiding points 1 to 3, which made it 19 km
I confirm the previous observations:
the most beautiful places are the village of Lurs and its surroundings and around the priory
few people even around the priory (on a Saturday at the end of October)

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jplesgo
jplesgo
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Ganagobie is rather disappointing as you can't see anything of the monastery apart from the surrounding walls. Overall, the route is fairly average, with a very long straight descent from Lurs following the gas pipeline to reach the Roman bridge. After the return to Ganagobie, you walk along the DFCI track for a very long time without any scenic views. Fortunately, you eventually leave this track and head back up into the woods. This section makes up for the rest, and the arrival in the magnificent village of Lurs is the reward.

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FANFAN25!!
FANFAN25!!

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 14, 2025
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 allows you to discover the magnificent village of Lure, with the option of cooling off on a small terrace in the centre of the village with a superb view of the Durance valley. The climb to Ganagobie monastery is difficult for inexperienced hikers, but the location is magnificent, especially near the church! Finally, the ridge trail or bishops' walk is really pleasant and shaded!

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CPA67
CPA67

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 16, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike starting from the pretty village of Lurs, which is also worth exploring.
There is a good climb from point 3 to point 4, alternating between sections on trails and on the road. You need to pay close attention to the red and white markings to find the footpaths (the GPS track also helps).
The trail is very quiet except at Ganagobie Monastery. The views over the Durance valley and the snow-capped Alps are truly superb.

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Tagliaferri Marie
Tagliaferri Marie

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 29, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful hike, to be done at least once to visit the village of Lurs and the Ganagobie plateau.

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lionelguin
lionelguin

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 24, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Beautiful views of the Durance valley and the Alps - Recommended extension (2 km round trip) from the Ganagobie priory to the ruined village of Villevieille via the cliffs on the north side of the plateau and the bird fountain.

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Montgalland
Montgalland
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 12, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Lurs is a beautiful village and the Ganagobie plateau is well worth a visit.
We extended the circular path from the church and cross in Ganagobie towards the old medieval village ruins of Villevieille, walking along the cliff (follow the unmarked path) then returning towards the GR trail that we crossed. At this point, where three paths meet, we headed towards the bird fountain (yellow markings), a path that runs along the cliff with beautiful views of the Lure mountain and the surrounding area. Return to the car park at Notre-Dame de Ganagobie Abbey.
The first part from 1 to 2 is very beautiful. The section from 3 to 4 there and back requires more attention but is not difficult. On the way back, the section between 3 and 6 on the track is monotonous, but the last section between 9 and 1 from the N.D de Vie chapel in Lurs via the Promenade des Evêques with its oratories is worth the detour.

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1950bba
1950bba

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 26, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful hike.
However, quite a few sections are rather dull and without shade (particularly from 3 to 6).
It's a shame because the route also includes some lovely paths (at the start, the downhill path after 1, and the return path through the forest from 7).
Best done in early spring.

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danvass
danvass

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 13, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Very beautiful hike, look for the path in places.

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