The Blue Thistles of the Fournel Valley

This hike takes us to see the largest concentration of blue thistles in the entire Alpine arc.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 10.49 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 240 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 240 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,627 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,386 m

Photos

Description of the walk

After passing Pont des Albrands and just before the junction with the track that goes up to La Pousterle, park where you can and look for a bridge on the left below you. This is the start of the Blue Thistle Trail.

(S/E) Go down and cross the bridge. Follow the path through the woods until you come to a large meadow, La Murègne. Look for the crossroads.

(1) At this crossroads, ignore the path that branches off to the right and continue straight ahead along the path that crosses the meadow. Continue through the woods until you come to a clearing called Boujurian. Pass the first chalet and continue to a crossroads.

(2) Take the path that climbs to the left, pass in front of some chalets, then continue along the path through the forest and pass through an area of scree caused by winter avalanches. Then, pass through the forest. The path begins to level out and the first thistles appear. This is the entrance to the reserve.

(3) At the entrance to the reserve, continue along the path to the crossroads near a footbridge.

(4) Ignore the trail that crosses the Torrent du Fournel and leads to the car park, but continue straight ahead. Stay on the trail at all times. Cross the Deslioures Biological Reserve and continue along the trail. Enter the forest. The path continues through the forest and ends in an area cleared by winter avalanches. This is Le Ravin des Trois Queyrons, the end point and return point.

(5) Return via the same route to the Pont des Albrands car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,387 m - Pont des Albrands car park - Fournel (rivière}
  2. 1 : km 0.8 - alt. 1,406 m - Crossroads of the La Murègne meadow
  3. 2 : km 2.11 - alt. 1,478 m - Boujurian crossroads
  4. 3 : km 3.33 - alt. 1,553 m - Entrance to the reserve
  5. 4 : km 3.77 - alt. 1,563 m - Crossroads at the bridge from the reserve car park
  6. 5 : km 5.25 - alt. 1,627 m - Terminus (Ravin des Trois Queyrons)
  7. S/E : km 10.49 - alt. 1,387 m - Pont des Albrands car park

Notes

Please respect the site (no picking, etc.)

  • For the return journey, you can of course follow the track depending on traffic conditions.

Worth a visit

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 15 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.9 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.8 / 5
Route interest
4.6 / 5
User 11875143

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 28, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely loop with a return to the trail that is significantly less interesting than the outbound leg through the woods.
The arrival at the thistle reserve is wonderful!

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DENISFRAN
DENISFRAN

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 23, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

An unforgettable moment, this encounter with the blue thistles of the Fournel Valley still in full bloom in mid-July. A very easy hike to a place of great beauty

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Vette
Vette

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 29, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful, easy hike with plenty of shade. We did it in the morning and only encountered three other people. The blue thistles are still magnificent on the shaded slope, but they have lost their beautiful colour in the meadow.
We parked at the Albrands car park, which is easy to reach if you drive slowly.
We'll do it again a little earlier in the season.

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LERCHER
LERCHER

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 29, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful, easy hike to see the blue thistles, which are still in bloom at the end of July.
No difficulty apart from a few rocky sections caused by flooding.

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User 19707024

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 14, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very pleasant route, shaded for half the distance, and what a magnificent reserve, with thistles adorned in a superb blue/purple colour! A must-do if you are in the region in mid-July!
There are a few sections with scree (3 or 4) which can be crossed very easily! Just take your time.
We set off on this hike at around 8.30am, so there were very few people around. On the way back, we came across more people, but it was still reasonable!
We followed the track to the starting point in our Clio 4, driving very slowly. It's doable 😉
Thanks for sharing, in any case.

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laurent.llh
laurent.llh

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 10, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We did this hike during the peak flowering season for blue thistles. It was simply magnificent! A must-do if you're in the area in mid-July. The hike is very easy, and the scenery is just magical!

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GéCof
GéCof

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

A very beautiful short hike, the reserve is superb and must be even more so when the blue thistles are in bloom!
We did this hike on 31 August, too late to see any blue, but some of the thistles were a magnificent golden colour!
Please note that the car park is currently under construction, so we followed the forest road to the reserve car park

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sben
sben

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

We saw more blue thistles in the garden at the Col de Lautaret than in this valley. There were still a few, though, and it's nicer to see them in this setting.
It was a pleasant walk, even though the heat was oppressive.
We parked the car before the bridge and walked to the start of the hike.

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Sandra231113
Sandra231113

Overall rating : 4 / 5

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

No blue thistles at this time of year (perhaps due to a delay in the weather 😉). Hike disrupted by bad weather... at the last car park (for those who don't hike too far), the bridge has been destroyed... So it's best to stop at the Albrands car park. Once you arrive at the site, despite the absence of thistles, there are a multitude of other magnificent flowers to discover... The hike is very pleasant..

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roselynec
roselynec

On Thursday 24 August, given the major works underway at the start of the Chardons Bleus hike and considering the heat and the dusty track ahead, we decided to turn back.
We saw a sign downstream indicating that this hydroelectric development work is expected to last until at least 31 October 2023.

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WillBel
WillBel

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 25, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Major work is currently underway at the start of the hike, which has extended it by approximately 3 km round trip. Apart from that, it is a very easy hike, mostly through forest, making it very pleasant in hot weather. The thistles are mostly wilted in August, but that doesn't spoil the pleasure of the view once you reach the reserve.

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didqnk83
didqnk83

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 22, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Major roadworks spoil the route, the start is moved forward by a good kilometre, and work on the stream means you have to follow the dusty track in full sun for another kilometre before you can join the GR 54A . For the rest of the hike, no problem: the route is easy, shaded and not very busy. A beautiful walk, but the season was too late for the blue thistles. What a shame! This is a hike to do again when the thistles are in bloom and there is no roadworks.

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tcheuma
tcheuma

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 31, 2023
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful, varied route. We saw an abundance of blue thistles, brightly coloured, and lots of butterflies, much to my husband's delight. Only the thistles in the large field were a little past their best, which is normal as they were in full sun. The landscape at the bottom of the ravine is superb.
This route is rated "moderate". I would classify it as easy, even though I am not very athletic and I am 70 years old.

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levequemi
levequemi

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 18, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

The blue thistles are magnificent at this time of year, some almost purple. There were also many other flowers.

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didier du83
didier du83

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 27, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

very beautiful hike, very pleasant, easy
only the thistles in the undergrowth were silvery blue, which was magnificent. Those in the huge field had already changed colour, but you can imagine what it must be like when they are in full bloom
the drought in 2022 undoubtedly had an impact on the flowering
picnic by the river in the shade with our feet in the water before setting off again

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