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Start: Park in the Saint-Michel Church car park in Malaucène.
Note: Be sure to follow the description and not just the signs, which are only indicative in some places.
(S/E) From the Église Saint-Michel car park, head South on Avenue de la Libération, go straight ahead at the roundabout and continue another 100m on Avenue de la Libération.
(1) Take the small road on the right (Chemin du Col de Ronin, marked GR® Red and White). At the intersection, turn right for a few metres, then left (still Chemin du Col de Ronin) and, at the next intersection, continue straight ahead on the track. At a bend, join the D938 and follow it to the right for a few metres.
(2) Leave it (at the Chemin du Col de Ronin sign) to take a path on the right between a path which climbs and another which runs parallel to the road (GR® signposting), passing the yellow signs on the right. At the intersection with a small road, continue straight ahead. Ignore a path to the left, then, in quick succession, a path to the right and then to the left.
(3) Shortly afterwards, take the next path on the right, which runs alongside an orchard on your left. When you reach a road, follow it to the left for a few metres, then take the path to the right. Shortly afterwards, ignore a track on the right, pass a house on the left and continue until you reach a road. Turn right for a few metres to reach the Col de la Chaîne, from where you have a fine view of the Dentelles and Mont Ventoux .
(4) At the small parking area and a water tank, take the path on the left (yellow signs and red and white GR®4 markings). At a fork, turn right, and at the next fork, shortly afterwards, turn left, following the GR® signs.
(5) Further on, at a fork (marked 415, les Issards), continue to the right, following the red and yellow GRP® (Tour des Dentelles de Montmirail) signs towards the Abbaye Sainte Madeleine. Ignore a path to the left and right at the start of a vineyard (on the right), then at the next fork leave the GRP® and turn right, leaving a group of houses on the right and continuing straight ahead on the road.
(6) At the intersection, turn left for a round trip to the remains of the magnificent aqueduct. Return to waypoint (6).
(6) Continue on the track opposite and, at the crossroads with the road, take the small road opposite to reach the Abbaye Sainte-Madeleine du Barroux, built in 1978 by Dom Gérard Calvet. It is occupied by monks.
(7) After the visit, retrace your steps to the crossroads with the road, and follow the GRP® back to the left. At the fork, turn right.
(8) Then turn left onto a footpath, still following the GRP®, then ignore all the right-hand paths until you reach a road, the Route de Suzette. Follow it to the left. Further on, ignore a small road on the right and arrive just after at a fork in the road, at the yellow signs.
(9) Follow the road to the right, towards Le Barroux-centre. Enter Le Barroux. Shortly after, turn left at a fork in the road, then, just after, turn left, ignoring the Chemin du Jas de Court. Ignore the Chemin de Laouse on the left and, opposite, turn right onto a wider road (opposite, Le Barroux-centre road sign). Continue left (still on Route de Suzette).
(10) At the roundabout, leave the GRP® and continue straight ahead, towards the château which can be seen from above, Rue de la Peratoure. Ignore Chemin du Pré on your left and, at the end of the street, continue on the path that runs alongside it to reach Rue Marius Jouve. Follow this street to the left. On the left, steps rise up to the château, which is built on a rocky promontory. From here, the view extends to the Ventoux, the Dentelles de Montmirail and the Comtat Venaissin plain. Back on Rue Marius Jouve, continue past the Mairie, Place de la Barbièpe, then pass the café with a fountain to La Garenne and Rue du Jubilé. Further on, come to an intersection marked with a cross.
(11) Turn right, then immediately right, towards the village-centre, Cours Louise Raymond, back on the GRP® (Red and Yellow markings on a tree). Just before the first house on the left, turn left onto a path at the yellow signs. The path curves right, left, left, right, left and right and descends to the D938. Take a few steps to the right, cross over and descend behind the low wall opposite (GRP® signposting). Pass the pumping station on the right and continue uphill. Further on, the path bends to the left, then bends to the right.
(12) At the "Malaucène" sign, turn left, and when you reach the olive grove, turn right at the top. Continue on the asphalt road (Chemin de Font-Mourelle), which follows the path through a right-hand hairpin bend. Arrive at a crossroads.
(13) Turn left (Chemin de Pied Conieu) to reach the D938. Cross the road and continue on the path opposite, passing the pumping station on the left. Turn left at the next fork, then right at the T-junction onto a road.
Follow the road to the right, passing the Abbaye Notre-Dame de l'Annonciation (Benedictine nuns). At the next crossroads, marked by a cross, continue right on the road (Chemin Vieille Route) which leads to the D938.
(15) Immediately take the small road to the left and follow it for about 1.2 Km, ignoring all the paths to the left and right.
(16) At the crossroads with another road, by an electrical transformer substation and yellow signs, look for the red and white GR® markings and follow them to the right. At the intersection, turn left onto the D938 at a junction already encountered on the outward journey.
(2) Return to the Saint-Michel church car park via the same route as on the outward journey. (S/E)
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