The Alzon tour via tunnels and viaducts

This loop around the village of Alzon is ideal for families, allowing you to hike along an old railway line through tunnels and over viaducts. Bring a torch for certain sections.

Details

2330796
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 8.28 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 10 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 290 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 295 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 758 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 579 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park near the Alzon holiday village.
Follow the yellow markings, no particular difficulties.

(S/E) Take the path north, which runs a short distance along the Vis. Before the hamlet of Curel, turn left at the hairpin bend to reach the footbridge over the Vis.

(1) Cross the footbridge to cross the river, then join the Villaret road (D231), which you follow to the right for a few dozen metres before turning left, leaving theGR®71Aon your left.

(2) Further on, take the yellow-marked path that follows the route of the old railway line. You will reach thefirst tunnel.
Note: this tunnel is the longest on this hike.

(3) Enter this tunnel, then cross two viaducts offering unique views of the forest to the north and the Causse de Campestre to the south. You will reach the Valcroze Viaduct.

(4) At the end of the viaduct, turn right towards the north (not left, which is private property) and then return south, passing under an arch of the viaduct you previously crossed. Continue until you reach the hamlet of Valcroze, then the stream of the same name.

(5) Cross it and follow it along its right bank. You will soon reach theGR®71A.

(6) Take it on the left and follow it to the entrance to Alzon. Turn left onto the D814 to reach the holiday village car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 598 m - Alzon holiday village car park
  2. 1 : km 1.17 - alt. 604 m - Wooden footbridge over the - Vis (rivière)
  3. 2 : km 1.43 - alt. 619 m - Old railway line
  4. 3 : km 2.29 - alt. 645 m - Longest tunnel
  5. 4 : km 4.57 - alt. 685 m - Valcroze Viaduct
  6. 5 : km 5.36 - alt. 662 m - Valcroze stream
  7. 6 : km 5.84 - alt. 668 m - GR71A junction
  8. S/E : km 8.28 - alt. 597 m - Alzon holiday village car park

Notes

See the Alzon Town Hall website for more information and to discover other enjoyable walks. The Round of Tunnels and Viaducts.
Walk around Alzon to discover the circular hiking trail around the village.
This trail, approximately 7 km long, is both tourist and cultural in nature, showcasing our railway architectural heritage as well as older structures from the Roman road commonly known as Chemin du Pont de Paris.
There is plenty of shade along the route.
Note: bring a torch for the first tunnel, just in case.

Worth a visit

(4) The viaduct can be used for bungee jumping (booking required in Le Vigan).

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 19 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.4 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
User 10969909

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 13, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very beautiful hike. Worth repeating

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MBtx
MBtx

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 21, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very pleasant and varied

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Cathrol
Cathrol

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 26, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful loop. Varied landscapes and views. Easy, well-marked hike. After Valcroze, due to heavy rains last week, the ford crossing was a bit tricky... but we made it!
Thank you for sharing.

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bg34
bg34

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 12, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

poorly marked hiking trail. At times, it was difficult to find the yellow-marked trail. After the last viaduct, the markings became complicated. It's a shame for such a beautiful hike.

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mimijulien
mimijulien

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 11, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Impressive viaducts, tunnels that leave you speechless when you think of how hard our ancestors must have worked to build these marvellous structures (after one of the tunnels, take a look at the wall made of octagonal stones, which is a little overgrown but still reaches up to the sky...). Walk between the houses and quickly descend into the meadow to cross the stream, then continue straight ahead. Thank you for this beautiful hike.

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YannickV
YannickV

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 11, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A hike full of interest thanks to its unusual passages. Didn't see a single person. But BEWARE, from point 6 to the finish, there are a multitude of paths, none of which lead anywhere and none of which are marked. It is impossible to use GPS, which leads to 3-metre pits in the stream or impassable vegetation. When you happen to come across a yellow trail, it leads back up to the road.

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Pedibusien
Pedibusien

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 05, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Superb route, mostly shaded.
Yellow markings are sometimes very discreet and not always very well positioned.
The route takes 3 hours to complete and is not difficult.
It's a shame that the village bar and restaurant isn't open all day: a few drinks and ice creams would have been welcome at the end of the walk!

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nath91410
nath91410

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 23, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Lovely walk

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Zibounu
Zibounu

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 30, 2023
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A varied hike with viaducts and tunnels, then back along a river (unfortunately dry).
It might be worth updating the route to take into account comments and changes reported by hikers.
Thank you for this wonderful experience.

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Lolabeltran
Lolabeltran

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 02, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very good route, great discovery, but it took me 2 hours to complete it instead of the 3 hours indicated! There is still a big difference between the estimated time and the actual time.

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RAILSETDRAILLES
RAILSETDRAILLES

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 14, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Well-marked and signposted route, except on either side of the hamlet of Valcroze, which has remained unchanged but offers a surprising stretch of "Roman road". Very spring-like atmosphere (as expected for the season) on the trail in the valley. Interesting village of Alzon. No cattle grids, but some very ingenious little gates. All in all, a good time.

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fcourtois
fcourtois

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 21, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Nice route. Easy. As several people have already mentioned, when you come off the last viaduct, you need to turn right rather than left. Please update the map.

Quite shady, lots of plums and blackberries along the way. A few figs too.

Very nice. Thank you to the author.

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scullyw
scullyw
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 21, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant family-friendly hike with beautiful views from the viaducts.
The tunnels are refreshing on hot summer days and intriguing for children.
After the last viaduct, which serves as a pontoon for bungee jumping, the initial path on the left seems to disappear into the undergrowth, apparently due to lack of use.
At the end of this viaduct, there is a kind of station that had been converted into a guinguette (open-air café) and is now abandoned. In front of it, a forest path descends to the right and passes under the viaduct, rejoining the original trail.
I therefore confirm the comment made by the previous visitor, Saint Victor.
Thank you for this pleasant walk.

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saint victor
saint victor

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 05, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike with no difficulty whatsoever. After the viaduct (point 4), take the path on the right that descends to pass under the viaduct and reach the Valcroze stream.
Thank you for this route

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issanlat
issanlat

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 31, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Please note that wild boar hunts take place on this route. We encountered the hunters, but they had already finished

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