The Castelviel Rock from Aiguèze

de fr

A very pleasant walk starting from the medieval village of Aiguèze, listed as one of the "Most Beautiful Villages in France", overlooking the Ardèche River with a fantastic viewpoint halfway along the route over the tributary of the Rhône.

Details

n°31431923
Creation:
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 8.25 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 00 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 227 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 223 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 277 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 88 m
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Photos

Panorama
towards the rock
Ardèche valley

Description of the walk

Park in the 19 Mars car park at the entrance to the village (paid parking in high season).

(S/E) From the car park, head north-east towards the village of Aiguèze and the Place du Jeu de Paume. At the square, turn right and head towards a signpost where you will find the red and white markings ofthe GR®4. Take the small alley opposite the town hall leading to Rue du Castellas (a balcony street at the foot of the castle offering a beautiful view of the Ardèche). Go to the end of the street and turn left before turning right onto Grand Rue at the next intersection. Then take the Combe des Oiseaux passage and arrive at Place du Portail Haut where you will find a signpost.

(1) Head north-west on a gentle, steady climb on theGR®4until you reach a cross (there are regular views of the Ardèche on this section). After the cross, head further west, still on theGR®4(heath and undergrowth are the order of the day on this section) and you will come to a track that leads to a junction of paths a few metres further on.

(2) Ignore the route leading to Aiguèze, which heads left, and stay on the track opposite. Further on, ignore a path leading off to the right and continue on theGR®4. A few dozen metres further on, you will reach an intersection.

(3) Leave theGR®4and take the yellow-marked trail that branches off to the right (shaded section) leading to the signpost marked Rocher de Castelviel.

(4) Turn left towards the viewpoint, climbing slightly to reach it. Enjoy the wonderful panorama of the Ardèche that unfolds before you, while remaining vigilant.

(5) Return to the previous intersection.

(4) Turn left towards Aiguèze. Further on, rejoin the track you took on the way out and follow it to the left to return to the junction you passed at the start of the route.

(2) Then turn right to return to Aiguèze. This section is a gentle, steady descent and leads to a tarmac track.

(6) Leave this track and take the route on the left leading to a road. Turn left onto this road and you will arrive at Place du Portail Haut.

(1) Just before the square, at the intersection, turn right onto Rue du Barry and stay on this road until you return to Place du Jeu de Paume.
Retrace your steps in the opposite direction until you reach the 19 Mars car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 92 m - 19 Mars car park
  2. 1 : km 0.46 - alt. 94 m - Place du Portail Haut
  3. 2 : km 2.51 - alt. 237 m - Trail junction
  4. 3 : km 3.12 - alt. 269 m - Abandon GR4
  5. 4 : km 3.91 - alt. 237 m - Rocher de Castelviel intersection
  6. 5 : km 4 - alt. 239 m - Viewpoint
  7. 6 : km 7.02 - alt. 130 m - Tarmac track
  8. S/E : km 8.25 - alt. 92 m - 19 March car park

Notes

Do not attempt during periods of high heat!!! Return journey is very exposed.
Caution advised for those prone to vertigo at the viewpoint.

Worth a visit

Don't hesitate to visit the medieval village.
Ardèche Gorges nearby.
Saint-Martin suspension bridge (between Gard and Ardèche).

 Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

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Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 12 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
shumash
shumash

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 12, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Starting from the small medieval village of Aiguèze, which is well worth a visit, the hike took place in a very pleasant landscape with magnificent views of the Ardèche gorges. You can extend the route at your leisure. Don't forget to taste the Vals water.

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ch16089
ch16089

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 25, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant hike with many shaded sections and beautiful views of the Ardèche gorges.
One of the most beautiful villages in France to visit at the end of your hike.

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belu33
belu33

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 22, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very nice warm-up hike, excellent views, moderate difficulty. Honestly, a beautiful hike!

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BG30
BG30

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 17, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant hike with beautiful views.
It is best to wear sturdy footwear as the paths can be quite stony in places.

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maryljoe
maryljoe

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 28, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Apart from the presence of hunters and wild boars, this hike is superb. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's a bit of a climb at the beginning, but once you're in the woods, you can breathe in the nature. And don't even get me started on the view of the rock! Breathtaking. It's definitely worth the detour.

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STEPHANE.WIBAUX
STEPHANE.WIBAUX

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 18, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Part of the route is very busy.

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Chavezdominguez
Chavezdominguez

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 18, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant hike that is easy. No difficulty. Truly a beautiful panorama. To better appreciate it and for a longer hike, we started from Saint Martin d'Ardèche.
I recommend it for beginners.
With Visorando and the map, no worries.

Enjoy your hike, everyone.

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ozogiminy
ozogiminy

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 03, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Quite a bit of hesitation, point 2 seems further away than according to the description, then, but perhaps the GR route has changed. After point 2, it is indicated to leave a path on the right, but this path is precisely the GR 4 which leaves the wide track. Then, at the intersection of the first path on the right, there is a sign indicating the direction of the Castelviel rock,which seems to be recent. In fact, according to the description, this is the way back when returning from the belvedere. On the way back, I followed the direction of the Meisselle barn. In fact, doing it in the opposite direction to the description seems easier to me, as there is no possibility of getting lost.

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brittou
brittou

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 13, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

This route, taken on the Monday after the long Ascension weekend, was not very busy. I can confirm that this hike is best done in spring or autumn. In May, it was magnificent with the cottony rockroses and Montpellier aphyllanthes. Pure bliss if you enjoy walking and admiring flowers. The viewpoint over the gorges is magnificent.
On the way back, the view of Aiguèze with the vineyards in the foreground is enchanting.

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Zoule
Zoule

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 29, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Varied hike with views of the Ardeche Gorges

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alaindessources
alaindessources

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 16, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant hike alternating between woodland and open areas. We followed the GPS track, which was perfect. Thank you to its creator.
Lovely views of the Ardèche on the way there, then of Ventoux and even the Massif de Saoû on the way back. Be sure to stop off in the little village of Aiguèze.
Please note that the indicated car park is paid all year round, but there is a free car park on the other side of the village, which the route passes by at the end of the hike.

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0889936X
0889936X

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 09, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

NO ONE ON THE TRAIL, WE MET A FAMILY OF FOUR IN THE MIDDLE OF AUGUST. AMAZINGLY, IT WAS TRULY HOT. A BEAUTIFUL WALK, WITHOUT ANY DIFFICULTIES
Beautiful views of the Ardèche.

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marieclaire
marieclaire

A very pleasant walk with beautiful views.
We set off from the village of Saint Martin d'Ardèche (add nearly 3 km round trip)
which we visited, as well as Aigueze.
No particular difficulties.

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