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Park in the car park of the Ulèzes shopping centre, where you will find Établissements Merlin and the Netto supermarket, along the southern ring road of Saint-Donat, Avenue Général de Gaulle, opposite the Espace Collines.
(S/E) Exit the car park via the eastern entrance on Avenue Général de Gaulle. Cross the road carefully at the pedestrian crossing: caution: there is a lot of traffic on this road. Walk up the avenue on the left and take the first path on the right.
Turn right 50 metres further on at the first fork and ignore the paths on the left. The path crosses straight through the gardens, then turns right and enters a wood, narrowing as it goes.
(1) Just before leaving the woods, look for a path that branches off sharply to the left to follow the Herbasse river. Ford a small stream, which is an irrigation canal. After about 400 metres, the path curves to the left and joins a track which you should take to the right. This track curves widely to the left and runs alongside the Ulèzes campsite. Join the road to Romans.
Turn left to follow the road uphill and rejoin it at the campsite entrance.
(2) Cross this road carefully and you will find another path opposite. Take it to the right. It is symmetrical to the one you have just left and rejoins the banks of the Herbasse, turning into a trail. This section is marked in red and white; it is theGR® 422: In the footsteps of Charles IX.
Walk along the Perrenot company car park, then enter a wooded area. About 150 metres further on, you will see a fork where theGR® trail branches off to the left and heads back up towards the road.
Be careful here: the path that continues straight ahead along the river is a dead end.
Follow theGR® to a crossroads at a place called Pont de Chabran.
(3) Turn right at the crossroads, still following the GR®. A few metres further on, theGR® turns sharply left, passing under the road and heading north. Leave it and continue straight ahead, still following the river. This section to the lake is marked with yellow lines. The path becomes a track as it runs alongside the water treatment plant, then enters the Lac de Champos campsite.
(4) Then go around the lake on the right. It is best to leave the small road and walk on the grass closer to the lake. When you reach the first-aid station, you can go around it on the right and climb the hill (dyke) behind it.
Reach the top where the water slides of the leisure centre are located. Walk along this hill, from where you have a panoramic view of the lake and the campsite.
Descend the hill to continue around the lake on the left bank and return to the crossroads where you arrived.
Take this path in the opposite direction to the Pont de Chabran bridge to rejoin theGR® and the crossroads at this bridge that you passed on the way out.
(3) Do not take theGR® trail on the left, but continue straight ahead between the road and a field. Follow the path that runs alongside this field until you reach the back of the villas in the L'Eau Vive housing estate. Do not continue straight ahead, as the path goes back up to the road, but turn 90° to the left, between the low walls of the housing estate and the field.
Be careful here: follow the footsteps of other walkers and do not try to cut across diagonally.
At the other end of the housing estate, turn right and cross a small ditch. Walk along a small irrigation canal, which is the diversion of the Herbasse river, and you will come to Route de Romans or Avenue Raymond Pavon.
(5) Turn right. The pavement is very wide on this section, allowing you to walk away from the traffic. Reach the first roundabout at the entrance to the town. Go around it on the right and carefully cross the Route de Charmes sur l'Herbasse to enter Rue des Balmes opposite.
After about 100 metres, turn left down Rue de la République, then take the first street on the right, Impasse des Jardins. This leads to schools and ends at a roundabout where cars can turn around.
(6) On the left side of this roundabout, there is a marked pedestrian path. Walk along thefirst school building, then turn left towards thesecond building. Walk past it and continue around it on the left.
You will come to a small bridge over the canal, where you have two options:
- go straight ahead to return to the Les Ulèzes shopping centre car park (S/E),
- turn right, which is the route shown on the map, to reach the bridge over the Merdaret stream further on, passing behind the Netto building.
(7) Cross this small bridge to reach Georges Bert Park. Walk around the small lake to discover an old mill wheel and the small island with its magnificent cedar tree.
Please note: the footbridge that used to provide access to the island has been closed due to safety concerns.
Return to the small bridge, cross it again and turn right to enter the car park on the left, walking alongside Netto (S/E).
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