Along the hillsides of Bordeaux

You can access the Parc de l'Ermitage via Rue Saint-Cricq. Car park: Chemin des Iris.
Tram A: Iris
Bus: Iris 94/96
Bus: Allende 32/93

(S) Once in the park, follow the path directly in front of you. Ignore the paths branching off on either side and continue to the suburban refuge: Le Nuage.

(1) Continue along the lake and, when you reach the end, take the path on the left that runs along the hillsides. Keep going straight on until you reach Rue Gabriel Dedieu.

(2) Turn left onto it and follow it to the end, then turn left into Rue Banlin to reach the Lissandre wash house.

(3) Turn right, go under the bridge, then turn immediately left into Rue Edmond Martin. Continue straight on and climb the steps leading to La Buttinière.

(4) Turn right onto the bridge to cross the tram tracks and the road. Then turn right and immediately right again to go round the stadium on the right, going anti-clockwise.

(5) When you see Château Palmer, keep to the right, on the path leading downhill, at every junction.
Once you have passed the hairpin bends, take the road on the left (Chemin des Carrières) for a few dozen metres, then turn left onto a path that leads straight to Chemin de Pichelièvre.

(6) Turn right and then take Rue du Maréchal Foch on the left. Cross the street and take the stairs immediately on your right. Once you reach the back of the buildings, walk along their right-hand side, continue uphill, cross Rue Marcel Paul, pass between the two buildings and turn immediately left. When you reach Rue Jean Raymond Guyon, take the first small path on your right.

(7) At the end of this path, take Rue du Maréchal Galliéni on the right. Then take the first gate (entrance to Parc du Cypressat) on the left-hand pavement. Follow the path (keeping to the right at each junction) until you reach the Fontaine du Cypressat.

(8) Continue on and, once you have gone round the two retention basins, take Route de Bellefonds on the right. Keep going straight down and, once you reach the bottom, take Côte de Montrepos on the left.

(9) Take the first right onto Côte de Caumont. About 250m further on, take the steps on your right to reach Rue de Sybirol, which you will follow to the left. Then turn left at the first junction to reach Avenue Pierre Semirot (cemetery), which you will follow to the right. Ignore all the streets on either side to reach the Bordeaux Observatory.

(10) Continue left along Rue de l'Observatoire to reach Saint-Vincent Church.

(11) In front of the church, turn left onto Avenue Jean Lassauguette, then take the first right onto Côte du Cimetière. Once at the bottom, turn right onto Avenue du Président François Mitterrand. At the roundabout, continue straight ahead, then take the first road on the left.

After crossing Rue Henri Beraldi, continue straight ahead and then take the first left. Cross Rue des Merles and then take the first path on the right. Continue straight ahead until you reach Chemin des Plateaux, which you will take on the right. At the junction, turn left onto Chemin de Beaufeu, which curves to the left. Continue straight on until you enter a forest (La Burthe). Pass a path on your right and you will reach a crossroads.

(12) Take the path on the right, turn left at the fork and, once you reach the bypass, turn right: a tunnel will take you underneath it. Once you’ve come out of the tunnel, carry on straight ahead, ignoring the paths on the left and right, until you reach Chemin de la Patte.

(13) Follow it to the right. At the roundabout, continue straight on almost opposite, then take the first right. About fifty metres further on, turn left onto Chemin Laffue. At the T-junction, turn right.

(14) At the junction, turn left onto Chemin de Passerieu then right onto Chemin de Fourneys. At the next junction, turn right again (Escaliers de Brousse). Continue straight ahead, ignoring three paths on the left, until the paths split. Then turn left to join Chemin du Bourg, which leads further on to Rue Louis Brochard. Follow this street to the right. At the junction, cross to the right in front of the town hall, then turn left to arrive in front of Saint-Siméon Church.

(15) Then turn right onto Chemin de l'Ermitage, which was renovated in early 2017 and leads to the bottom of the hill, Route de Latresne (E).