Parc de la Poudrerie and Miramas-le-Vieux

Park in the car park overlooking the roundabout connecting Allée des Cigognes and Place du Général de Gaulle, near the Parc des Sports.

(S/E) Enter the Parc de la Poudrerie via Allée Jean-Étienne Larroque (north-west) and continuestraight on, following the edge of the cliff, until you reach the old powder drying house.

(1) Shortly after the drying house, take the path on the right, pass in front of the waterfall, then continue straight on. At a junction with a sign for “Jardin du directeur”, turn right (the path on the left leads to a viewpoint overlooking a pond). Continue along the path on the left, which leads to a junction of three wide paths (a sign names the path you took earlier as the “Sentier Rolande”). Continue straight ahead, then turn right a few dozen metres further on to follow the Chemin de la Pentrite due north, towards the Grande Halle.

(2) Just past the Grande Halle, take the path on the left that goes uphill: a sign points to the Portail des Oliviers. Walk past the chapel, turn left onto the path and follow it until you reach the Portail des Pins, which is always closed.

(3) Continue left (south-west) along the tarmac path until you reach an information sign about dry vegetation. Turn right onto the dirt track that climbs and follows the fence until you reach the Portail des Oliviers.

(4) Leave the park and turn right onto the path that runs along the outside of the fence. When you reach the road, go up the wooden steps opposite and then follow the road that the steps lead onto. This road ends at the cemetery, but carry straight on, following the bends in the road, until you reach Place Castagne. Cross the square and take the steps, then Rue Frédéric Mistral. Follow this road through the village, turn left at Place du Château, then left again onto Rue Mireille for 40 metres.

(5) Turn right onto the Escalier des Soupirs and go down to the bottom, turn right and follow the road (D10B) to the Croix du Jubilé. Just before you reach it, turn left onto the path leading downhill and head towards the junction with the Étang de Berre discovery trail: a sign indicates the direction of Miramas town centre, 50 mins away. Turn right and follow the path.

(6) Take the Portail de la Gare to re-enter the Parc de la Poudrière. Walk past the gallery and continue to the next junction.

(7) Shortly afterwards, at the crossroads where you can see the Vauban walls, turn right and follow the path (the other path is usually blocked), then continue straight ahead.

(8) When you come to a wooden barrier, turn left to return to the car park (S/E).

Important: please check the opening times for Parc de la Poudrerie (https://www.poudrerie.fr/ and the Miramas town website) to ensure you can go on this hike.
The park is currently open:

• from 1 April to 30 April: Wednesdays and Sundays (^1st,^3rd and^5th of the month) from 9am to 6pm,
• from 1 June to 30 September: Monday to Friday from 7am to 12pm and every Wednesday in June from 7am to 6pm,
• from 1 October to 31 October: Wednesdays and Sundays (^{the 1st},^3rd and^5th of the month) from 9am to 6pm,
• from 1 November to 31 March: Wednesdays and Sundays (^{the 1st},^3rd and^5th of the month) from 9am to 5pm.

Please also note that the Parc de la Poudrerie is a protected nature reserve.

This hike crosses the Pont de Rhuaud massif, which is subject to access restrictions between 1 June and 30 September due to the risk of fire. You can check access on this website: http://bpatp.paca-ate.fr/.

There is a fairly substantial architectural heritage in Saint-Chamas.

There is plenty to do in Parc de la Poudrerie: various remains of the gunpowder mill, a museum, a bird observatory, a waterfall, etc.

The medieval village of Miramas-le-Vieux.