Country:
City:
Park in the large free car park behind the town hall in Cabrières-d'Avignon
(S/E) Head to Cours Jean Giono and turn left. At the crossroads, turn right onto Grand Rue and follow it up towards the top of the village.
(1) At the first junction (fountain and plane tree), turn left onto Rue du Château and continue along Chemin de la Pourtalette (wash house on the left). Carry on past the castle. At the next junction, turn right past the wayside shrine, towards the Plague Wall. Keep left onto Chemin de la Muscadelle, which is a dead end. Follow the tarmac path to the end and continue along the dirt track. Walk straight up to a wider area with a junction, where you will find a second wayside cross on your left. Continue straight on along the path that leads downhill.
(2) At the junction, marked by the “Mur de la Peste” signpost, turn right towards La Pouraque / La Peithe Est. Follow the Mur de la Peste to the “La Peithe Est” signpost and head towards La Citerne.
(3) At the signpost for “La Citerne”, leave the Mur de la Peste and cross the DFCI (the sign has been broken).
Take the GR®6 - GR®97 opposite. Descend to the bottom of the valley. Just before reaching the Gordes tourist road (D100A), take the fork to the left, then to the right.
(4) Once on the road, head up to the left (take care on this very steep and narrow tarmac roadside). Take the Chemin de Bondelon on the right just after the last bend. Stay on the main road, which is tarmac at first and then becomes a dirt track.
(5) At the “Bastide rouge” signpost, turn right towards Galas then stay on the Yellow route until you reach the canal. Admire the terraced olive groves. On your right, you’ll see a hill topped by a dry-stone wall: this is the Oppidum de Bondelon, which you’ll need to go round.
(6) Cross the canal via a stone bridge, then turn right and follow the canal to the aqueduct.
(7) Cross the Sorgue and enjoy the view from the aqueduct (canal bridge), then continue along the canal to the first bridge.
(8) Cross the canal via this bridge, then continue straight ahead on the path opposite (all the paths opposite lead more or less to the same place) until you reach a T-junction with a fairly wide path. Turn right onto the path that climbs and, at the top, turn left (you’ll find yourself on the valley ridge). Stay on the main path until you reach a fork with numerous fallen trees on the ground. Take the path that goes round to the right. A cairn is visible a few metres further on at the foot of a pine tree, indicating the path on the right that descends to the bottom of the Vallon des Baumes Noires.
(9) Reach the bottom of the valley, and at the junction turn right. At the bottom of the valley and until you reach the gate, take care not to stray from the path and keep an eye on the surroundings.
You will first come across a well on the right, covered with rotten tree trunks. A little further on, after the path has crossed over a rock, look out for a rain water reservoir carved into rock on the left, in very good condition. Beyond this area, the vegetation hides a very steep slope on the right. You will soon pass a private property on the left with a magnificent cave dwelling on the edge of the cliff, before reaching the road (D25).
(10) Cross it and go straight on to take the bridge and admire the Sorgue. Then retrace your steps back to the road. Then follow the road to the right towards Fontaine-de-Vaucluse. At the car park entrance, keep to the right, on the path along the banks of the Sorgue, until you reach the end of the car park. Continue along the road until you find a staircase on the right leading down to the water’s edge. Admire the wash house, before heading back up and continuing on your way.
(11) At the junction, take the dead-end road on the right. Cross the first bridge, continue to the roundabout, then take the bridge opposite. Stay on this path on the left until you emerge in the centre of the village. ''You can wander through the narrow streets or walk up to the resurgence (15 mins there and back), stopping off at the paper mill.''
Then cross the Sorgue. Admire the waterwheel. Then turn right onto the Passage des Sorgues to continue along the water’s edge. You’ll reach the factory chimney of the old paper mill. Take the stairs to Avenue François Pétrarque, then turn right. Stay on the side of the road. At the first junction, continue along the lower road (signpost ‘Les Bastides’, towards Galas).
(12) After the junction with the Gordes tourist road, at the signpost “Les Bastides Ouest”, head towards Lagnes. This path starts behind the building by the roadside. Walk past the houses and follow the GR® de Pays Tour des Monts de Vaucluse. At the top of the concrete area, at the junction, take the small path that heads off to the right and runs alongside the main path marked with a cycle sign. You will pass a beautifully preserved drystone shelter that is not visible from the main path.
Rejoin the main path just a little further on and pass the ruins.
(13) At the junction, turn left then right until you reach a short stretch of tarmac road, continuing to the left. You are now on a short section of the path you took on the way out.
(5) Then turn right onto the GR® (signposted “La Bastide Rouge”, towards Lagnes). “Look for the ruts – rodans – in the ground created by the iron-rimmed wheels of carts and post coaches that used to travel along this main road linking Fontaine de Vaucluse to Lagnes”. Pass an old, fully restored building (a former coaching inn) on your left: La Bastide Rouge. Continue along the path until you reach the road.
(14) Take the road to the right, then immediately the GR® to the left (signpost “Basse Capiane” towards Lagnes). Head straight on until you reach the Lagnes road.
(15) Follow it to the left and, at the next junction, head towards Cabrières. Take care when walking along the roadside for 500 m. After passing the start of the DFCI (Tête du Chat track), take the path on the left that runs alongside the road below.
(16) Take the path on the left then turn immediately right onto the DFCI, the Pouraque track (signpost “Bourbourin” towards Le Mur de la Peste Cabrières). Head to the start of Le Mur de la Peste.
(2) The Mur de la Peste is now on your left. Continue straight ahead and return via the same route you took on the way out to reach the car park where you started (S/E).
Visorando Member
Difficult 
Easy 
