Glanum and the Alpilles ridges

Description

Depart from the car park at the Antiques de Glanum in Saint Rémy de Provence.
Attention: you have to pay at the car park from 10am - 6pm: €2.70 (May 2014)._

(D/A)From the car park, cross the D5, then turn left in the direction of Saint Rémy along the D5. After the bridge, take the right in the direction of "Egalières", and pass in front of the Cloisters of Saint Paul de Mausole. Follow the red and white waymarkers of the GR6 on the Chemin des Carrières, until you arrive at the oratory (the small chapel for private prayer).

(1) You will see a sign for Saint Clerg directing you uphill to the right. Follow the botanical trail waymarked in yellow. It climbs gently and then at the end climbs a bit more steeply, ending up at the ridgeway route (tarmacked).

(2)Once you're on the route, take the right and then, 10 metres later, take the botanical trail with its ochre-coloured waymarkers and its two inverted arrows, which directs you to follow it to the right. Climb upwards, until you're on top of a small hill. Take the path to the left which goes downhill, then continue your descent on the larger path. You are still on the botanical trail, which leads back to the route we left earlier. Continue straight on until you reach a large car park. Head towards the D5.

(3)Cross over it, heading towards the path with the small wooden barriers. You are on a yellow waymarked trail and will be joined, about 100 metres later, by a path coming from your right. Continue on your left until you quickly come to an intersection with the GR which goes downhill on your right. Don't take it, but instead continue on the path by staying on the GR6 route which goes along the ridges in the direction of "Saint Etienne du Grès" and "Les Baux de Provence". After walking for about 1.5 km, you will see a gap in the rocks on your right.

(4) Turn right through this gap and follow the path downhill. From then on, you will have left the GR6 and will no longer have the waymarkers. Take the path downwards for about 350 metres. On the bend, there will be a cairn on your right, indicating a small path.

(5) Turn right and follow this steep path, which leads, lower down, back to the path which we just left. Once on the path, take the new path straight away on your right (orange cross on the tree), which is not very visible at the start, but which becomes clearer as you go on. It starts with a stony descent, but then becomes more grassy and wild. It ends up, further on, at the GR6.

(6) Turn left to continue going downhill. When the GR comes to a barrier, which you go around, you will arrive at a car park. Take the right in the direction of the dam. At this point, it appears that the waymarking sign is missing or perhaps it's just very well hidden. Nevertheless, you will arrive at Lake Peiroou.

(7)The GR used to lead around the lake on the right, but access to this section has been closed. Instead turn right, ignoring the old path on the left which leads to the lake. After about 200m, turn left along the path. After another 150m, ignore the path on the right and keep going straight on along the path, which bears left to reach the D5.

(8) Turn left and follow the road (caution) until you reach the car park(D/A).

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