The Bez Botanical Trail

A circular route in the Serre Chevalier ski area to explore the botanical trail. The numerous information boards help you identify the various plants and trees.

Details

n°1982061

Creation:
18 Apr 2019

Last update:
28 Apr 2019

Last review:
04 Sep 2025

Activity: Walking
Distance: 6.17 km
Average duration: 2h 35
Difficulty: Moderate
Back to start: Yes
Ascent: + 297 m
Descent: - 292 m
Highest point: 1,671 m
Lowest point: 1,383 m

Country: France
Areas: Alps, Ecrins, Dauphiné
District: La Salle-les-Alpes (05240)
Start/End: N 44.94596° / E 6.558939°
IGN map(s): Ref. 3536OT, 3536OTR
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Description of the walk

Park in the large car park opposite the Villeneuve Tourist Office.

(S/E) Take Route de Roze and walk past the shops on Chemin de l'Oratoire. At the right-angle bend, leave this tarmac road and take the path running alongside the canal. You will reach the cemetery.

(1) Stay on this path, go around the Club Méditerranée village, continue on and rejoin the wide forest track leading to the mountain pastures.

(2) Take it on the left and follow it to the junction with the botanical trail.

(3) Leave the track and start climbing this path on the right. After a relatively easy climb, you will reach a new crossroads.

(4) Take the right-hand branch, which quickly leads to the highest point. Then begin the descent in a north-westerly direction to reach a hairpin bend near a spring.

(5) Change direction completely here and follow the path south-east. You will reach a right-angled crossroads.

(6) Turn left and head towards the electricity substation. Go around it to reach the track running parallel to the Guisane.

(7) Take it on the right and follow it, walking alongside Lake Pontillas before returning to the car park where you started (S/E).

Waypoints

S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,384 m - Car park opposite the Villeneuve Tourist Office.
1 : km 0.47 - alt. 1,399 m - Cemetery
2 : km 1.22 - alt. 1,471 m - Forest track
3 : km 1.58 - alt. 1,507 m - Start of the botanical trail
4 : km 2.23 - alt. 1,650 m - Botanical crossroads
5 : km 3.33 - alt. 1,510 m - Crossroads source
6 : km 3.94 - alt. 1,477 m - Crossroads before the electrical substation
7 : km 4.56 - alt. 1,399 m - Track along the edge of the Guisane
S/E : km 6.17 - alt. 1,384 m - Car park opposite the Villeneuve Tourist Office.

Notes

Benches are available throughout the route.

Worth a visit

Take advantage of all the information panels to learn the names of the plants and trees along the route.

Reviews and comments

4.3 / 5

Based on 8 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.4 / 5

Ease of following the route
4.5 / 5

Route interest
4 / 5

M Grisel

04 Sep 2025 at 09:00 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

Circuit completed in August 2025 in grey weather. It is located in the forest, well marked, with no difficulties except for a slightly steep descent that is best tackled with caution. Very pleasant.

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migar

04 Aug 2025 at 11:15 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

While one of the girls was doing a via ferrata, we took the opportunity to walk around the trail. We were glad we did. The trail is well marked, and the view of the valley is very pleasant. We didn't take the exact route indicated. We started from the meeting point with the guides. But we completed the loop. It was easy to follow the markers. The climb is a little steep, but manageable.

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Gounet

19 Aug 2024 at 10:50 7200

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 19, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : Yes

A pleasant short hike.
However, references to "botany" are rather limited.
Like the hiking trails in the Serre Chevalier Valley, these are often poorly marked. This is surprising, as it gives the impression that the hiking routes are not well maintained.

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kinkkafik

16 Sep 2021 at 10:14 7200

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 14, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful views with a lunch break on a bench overlooking the valley.
Interesting information boards along the way to learn about the vegetation.

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elianearch

31 Aug 2020 at 15:05 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 09, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike with a bit of difficulty in the last few metres.

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clement462

15 Aug 2020 at 08:20 7200

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 12, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : Yes

We didn't walk the entire length of the trail, but we were quite bothered by the music coming from the Club Med resort at the bottom of the path.

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Lerandonneurdu06

11 Aug 2019 at 16:53 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 03, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Very good route, the start is not clearly marked but then you find the "botanical trail" sign all along the route.
The return trip is in the sun.
I completed the route in 2 hours.

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Boby53

29 Jul 2019 at 10:49 7200

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 29, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : Not used / Not applicable

The description suggests that once you've parked, you can start the route. Wrong! You have to walk for about half an hour along a forest path, which is pleasant enough, but leads to a dirt track where vehicles drive down and cover you in dust. You then have to climb for another 15-20 minutes to reach the very start of the route...which climbs up the hillside and is quite good, according to the tourists I met that day. The tour lasts about two hours, but I didn't do it as I wasn't equipped for it. And above all, the route is different from the one described! It was 5.30pm, so I gave up.

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