The Granges Necropolis

The Granges Necropolis is one of the most important dolmen sites in Ardèche. This short, easy circuit allows hikers to discover some of them while enjoying the landscape, vegetation and waterways of the limestone plateaus of lower Ardèche.

Details

1037966
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 5.87 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 1h 50 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 51 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 51 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 179 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 120 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Depart from Berrias, parking 100 metres east of the church, for example. Other car parks are signposted.

(S/E) Take Rue du Four then Rue de la Fontaine, following the signs forGR®4.

(1) At the end of the street, a raised stone passage follows the stream on the right. Continue straight ahead, leaving the larger stream on your left. Climb up the carefully constructed water channel on the left-hand side (more comfortable path). Continue to a three-way junction, where you keep to the right, crossing the water channel (usually dry).

(2) Walk along the left side (first quite far away, then closer) of the Graveyron stream (where there may be a little water), still following theGR®4markings. Cross this stream. On the way up, the fairly bare landscape becomes a little wooded. When you reach a flat area, a path leaves theGR® on the right.

(3) Take this wide path on the right, which descends slightly, then passes through a small valley towards a small, more wooded ridge. In the first wide bend on the right, look for the first dolmen on the left. Continue to the junction with a wide path that branches off to the left.

(4) Take this path on the left. There is a first dolmen on the right. Continue to the first hairpin bend (before a gate). There is another dolmen a little way off to the right.

(5) Retrace your steps and continue left along the Chemin des Granges, cross the hamlet, then take the road on the right (you can walk along the vineyard above to avoid the tarmac) and left at the three-way junction. Cross the small bridge.

(6) After the bridge, turn right and follow theGR®4markings to Berrias (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 128 m - Parking is available 100 metres east of the church.
  2. 1 : km 0.21 - alt. 128 m - Stone passageway by the stream
  3. 2 : km 0.8 - alt. 145 m - Built drainage
  4. 3 : km 1.79 - alt. 179 m - Chemin des Granges
  5. 4 : km 2.81 - alt. 148 m - Round trip to the dolmens
  6. 5 : km 3.02 - alt. 149 m - Dolmens
  7. 6 : km 4.56 - alt. 120 m - GR4 after the bridge
  8. S/E : km 5.87 - alt. 128 m - Car park 100 metres east of the church

Notes

Even though the circuit is not very long, bring water, especially in hot weather.

The paths are good, but there are a few rocky sections, so hiking boots are useful.

The watercourses are often dry, but be careful in stormy weather.

Worth a visit

Dolmen hunting is a very peaceful activity that children may enjoy. Depending on your motivation, you can spend an hour or two, or even the whole day. The description above indicates the easiest dolmens to find. To find more, you can consult, for example, "Dolmens de l'Ardèche" by Bruno Marc and Gary Duchez (Les Presses du Languedoc) and online, with GPS coordinates , "la nécropole des Granges".

Most of the dolmens in the necropolis are located to the left of the Chemin des Granges in the direction of this route. Look for the fairly well-marked paths that branch off to the left to find them.

(4) There is a dolmen with its capstone after the sharp bend on the left, before Les Granges (well-marked path on the left, you have to climb a little). Most of these dolmens (which may date back at least three thousand years) have lost their lids, but a few beautiful coffers remain and the vast stone surrounds bear witness to the original burial mounds, giving an idea of their size.

 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

4.1 / 5
Based on 26 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.1 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.1 / 5
Route interest
4 / 5
HORTENSA
HORTENSA

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 10, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very pleasant hike.

Machine-translated

Vinciane25
Vinciane25

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 09, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Nice walk
Starting point: the village of Bérrias
Not recommended during very sunny periods as there is very little shade.
Dolmen at the start of the walk not observed.
It's a shame that the end of the walk is on a tarmac road for about 1km - 1.5km.
Did not see any signs to continue elsewhere

Machine-translated

Solano Chantal
Solano Chantal

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 20, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk and the beautiful village of Bérrias, where you can see trout spawning freely in the river.
For the hike, wear good shoes as the paths are stony.
Please note that the trail is not very well marked at points 3 and 4.

Machine-translated

jpr0205
jpr0205

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 02, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We really enjoyed it, even though we had trouble finding the first dolmens. However, the necropolis and the rest of the walk are simply sensational. Not to be missed. The necropolis is surrounded by ruined walls. A must-see.

Machine-translated

Azimut71
Azimut71

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 29, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful hike, very rocky. You don't see many dolmens, or perhaps I didn't look hard enough. The elevation gains listed are completely wrong.

Machine-translated

Blum07
Blum07

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 10, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Many black squares appear on the downloaded map, making it difficult to read and find your way around without another device (map, GPS, etc.). That's a shame.
The hike is varied: stream, "limestone desert", forest, but it is difficult to find the dolmens (especially on the necropolis)
Nice walk

Machine-translated

BOOUVIER
BOOUVIER

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 05, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We searched in vain for the dolmens, but otherwise the hike was interesting, starting from Berrias.

Machine-translated

boninmi
boninmi

The signposting is not the responsibility of Visorando or the authors of the walks.
The appeal of such a site is precisely that it allows you to venture off the beaten track; otherwise, you can obtain guidebooks from tourist offices. Ultimately, it's a matter of personal preference.

Machine-translated

Janot25
Janot25

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 07, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

Poorly marked trail. Difficult to find the GR4 markings in the stream bed.
To turn right at point 3, the signposts are hidden by bushes and nailed behind a tree trunk.
There are piles of stones everywhere, which you eventually realise are burial mounds.
When you leave the woods (elevation 126), follow the road between the blocks of houses. Do not take the road towards the ponies as it is very busy.
At point 6, follow the wall on your right just after the first small bridge over a dry stream.

Machine-translated

DENIS0108
DENIS0108

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 01, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

impossible to find your way around, lack of signposting, dolmen! landscape not extraordinary, good after, I'm not very good at finding my way around. GPS does not work in the area

Machine-translated

Graillat Joly
Graillat Joly

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 25, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We tried to follow the route described with the map in hand, but some of the signs marking the GR trail were very faded and the paths were very overgrown (probably not used for a long time due to lockdown?). As a result, we didn't find all of the points of interest mentioned (dolmens), only a few. However, the walk was enjoyable and the scenery very pleasant.

Machine-translated

boninmi
boninmi

And now, stay indoors!
(preferably not under a dolmen:whistle)

Machine-translated

Jales07
Jales07
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 15, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

use GPS coordinates for certain junctions

Machine-translated

Aiemesgenoux
Aiemesgenoux
• Edited:

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 23, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Nice walk, but be warned that it gets very hot there, even in February 2020! Remember to leave the stream bed at 2 and take the path on the right.

Machine-translated

Pelatant Michèle
Pelatant Michèle
• Edited:

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 13, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average

A short hike that is very rocky at the start, with little shade, pleasant in winter. None of the dolmens are complete, but there are many burial mounds. At the end of the route to Berrias, follow the GR4 after La Rouvière on the left, but be aware that the markings are not very visible.

Machine-translated

Other walks in the area

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.