The Col de la Baïsse, the Castellaras and the Château des Quatre Tours

Date of your route : Dec 01, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

At certain crossroads, you need to check the Visorando app, and then there's no more problem.

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Jul 28, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Superb hike. For the return trip, we preferred to take the path that branches off to the left a few metres after reaching the road. This avoids the road, which is dangerous and not very pleasant. This path took us back to the lake where we had parked.

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Jul 04, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Towards the end of the route, after rejoining the road and walking for about 600 metres, the signpost is not easy to find as it is not at the side of the road. You need to turn onto what appears to be a private track to find it a little further on.

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Apr 06, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Pleasant walk and beautiful views of the two plateaus

Machine-translated

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

Very muddy at the start in wet weather, lots of people visiting the castle because of a shorter route.

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Oct 06, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The start of the route from Thorenc is very pleasant and green, following the Ravinette valley.
At the top of the oppidum are the magnificent ruins of Castellaras and a beautiful 360° view.
We weren't sure if it was allowed to get too close to the castle with four towers, a beautiful castle that seemed to be on private property.

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Aug 15, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very nice hike, mostly in the shade. The only downside: at point 9, it was difficult to find the fork to the right after walking 200 metres along the track. We had to retrace our steps, but thanks to the trail, we found our way back. There were no yellow markings on this section.
A very beautiful walk and thank you for this route.

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Jun 28, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike in the shade during the first part to Lake Thorenc, with lovely picnic areas.
Please note that approximately 1 km after the first marker (no. 148) at the start of the trail, you will come to private property where trespassing is prohibited. Follow the yellow markings along the stream until you reach the wooden bridge, which you will leave on your left.
Continue along the path to the large gate marking the entrance to the private property and resume the hike, which is fairly easy until marker 146, indicating the very steep climb to the ruins of Castellaras Castle.
Once you reach the top, you will be rewarded with a magnificent view.
Continue to the beautiful statue of the Virgin and Child.
Then descend to the road at point 9. The path is barely visible; I couldn't find the yellow markings and got a little lost before picking up the road that descends to the village of Thorenc.
Otherwise, it's a very beautiful route!

Machine-translated

There appears to be an error regarding the hike in question.

Machine-translated

Hello, as I don't know whether you received my comment about the BOUCLE DE L'ESTELLIE, I am sending it again:
It's a magnificent hike, but hikers without a QR code reader may struggle. Once you've parked in the main square, you won't find any yellow markings in the village. So you have to take the cobbled street to reach a small square where you'll find markers 7 and 8. The big problem is at point 2 in the description. There are no markings or markers between 8 and 112! There has probably been severe weather that has washed everything away, and you have to walk along the bed of the Bouyon river, which runs underground, to find a good path on the right. Do not continue west, or you will find yourself at the junction of the obscure valleys and the gravel pit. A real pain. The rest of the route is easy, but after Bouyon, the descent from the "trapped house" (sic) is very difficult. At marker 111, do not take the disastrous shortcut indicated on the sign: it is completely overgrown and full of brambles, whereas there is a good mule track that you can take from the turning area 20 metres higher up on the road. The slope is steady and the path is wide.
It would be useful to have the signpost moved by the departmental council. Have a good and enjoyable walk.
P.S.: for "older" people who do not have access to computers, it would be a good idea to indicate the IGN map: here, TOP 25 / 3642 ET.

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Dec 27, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Hello,
Hike done in two stages.
I tried it in early December, but there was snow and hunters were nearby.
Did it on the 27th on a beautiful sunny day. I really enjoyed the climb up Vallon de L'ubac in a beautiful, very dark forest.
The description and the app are very useful for taking the right direction at point 4.
The climb to Castellaras is easy. From a distance, it looks harder than it is!
Thank you for this route.

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Dec 19, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

The hike will take place in spring, it is sure to be beautiful.

Thank you.

Machine-translated

There is an error because the title of the hike you mention does not correspond to the one I published.

Machine-translated

Hello,

Regarding your proposed hike: Notre-Dame Oratory from St Jannet Chapel (No. 4188514),

I would like to point out that since 2017, the section of the trail that crosses the restored farm near the Oratory has become private property.
meaning that it can no longer be used and significantly shortens the route because, from point No. 5 on your map, you are blocked by the owners of the estate, who are within their rights as this part of the trail is neither a GR "red and white marker" nor a PR "yellow marker".

Please warn future hikers so that they are not surprised and know that they must turn back at this point on the route, as we did.

Best regards

Machine-translated