The two dams starting from Le Tholonet

An easy walk starting from Le Tholonet, allowing you to see the two dams and walk through the woods with a view of Sainte-Victoire and the entire surrounding valley. Easy to follow as the route is on main paths

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.71 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 30 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 244 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 242 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 373 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 175 m

Description of the walk

Easy parking at the Parking Paysager des Infernets car park in Le Tholonet.

(S/E) With your back to the car park, turn right onto Route de Cézanne. Pass the Château du Canal de Provence on your right, continue towards Aix-en-Provence for about 300 metres and turn right onto Chemin de la Paroisse.

(1) Follow this path in a generally northward direction.

(2) Ignore the path towards the Zola Dam and continue to the left. Join a dirt track on the plateau.

(3) Follow a nearly flat path to the right, which is very pleasant in the undergrowth of a magnificent pine forest. At the next fork, turn right. A few hundred metres further on, enjoy a beautiful view of the Zola Dam.
Follow the main path along the ridge, then cross the car park towards the Bimont Dam.

(4) Continue on to the Bimont Dam and admire the view of the lake. Continue on the main path and take the opportunity to admire Sainte-Victoire.

(5) At the three-way junction on the plateau, at the start of a wide left-hand bend, turn right towards Le Tholonet (signposted). A few metres further on, turn right and follow a steep descent on concrete to reach the aqueduct at the bottom of the valley.

(6) Leave the aqueduct behind you and turn right onto a slightly uphill path. Continue for about 250 metres until you reach a three-way junction.

(7) Turn left and after about 200 metres you will find a path starting on the left.

(8) Leave the main path and take this trail on the left, climbing over the roots (there is a yellow sign 10 metres away). Follow the yellow dots down a fairly steep descent, then join a tarmac road. Leave the cemetery on your right and descend to the Moulin de Cézanne.

(9) Continue to the right and join the Infernets car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 180 m - Infernets landscaped car park. Cross the - Cause (rivière)
  2. 1 : km 0.44 - alt. 183 m - Chemin de la Paroisse
  3. 2 : km 1.45 - alt. 287 m - Fork in the road, left
  4. 3 : km 2.2 - alt. 340 m - Path on the right
  5. 4 : km 6.04 - alt. 317 m - Barrage du Bimont
  6. 5 : km 7.57 - alt. 362 m - Three-way junction, towards Le Tholonet
  7. 6 : km 8.36 - alt. 278 m - Aqueduct
  8. 7 : km 8.65 - alt. 294 m - On the left as you descend
  9. 8 : km 8.86 - alt. 278 m - Path on the left
  10. 9 : km 9.46 - alt. 198 m - Cézanne's mill
  11. S/E : km 9.71 - alt. 180 m - Infernets landscaped car park

Notes

(S/E) If you still have the energy, you can end the day playing boules on the magnificent boules court in Le Tholonet.

Water point at the Bimont Dam

Worth a visit

Zola Dam.
Bimont Dam.
Hydraulic structures.
Pine forest.
Magnificent view of Sainte-Victoire and the mountains towards Marseille.

Reviews and comments

4.9 / 5
Based on 17 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.9 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.9 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
Karole13860
Karole13860

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 15, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A pleasant route with beautiful scenery and no great difficulty.

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titscoqs83
titscoqs83

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 02, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very nice, pleasant route with magnificent views of Sainte Victoire
We did the hike following the trail rather than the recommendations
Dress lightly as it gets hot quickly
It took us an hour less
Lots of people around the Bimont dam

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LIONEL13118
LIONEL13118

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 24, 2025
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Thank you so much for sharing these unforgettable landscapes!

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Etoile.Angy
Etoile.Angy

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 16, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Beautiful view of Sainte Victoire
Easy access

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BCC
BCC

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 04, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Even during the week and outside of school holidays, this hike is popular, but the site is very beautiful. The only slight difficulty is the descent to the Zola dam, as we take this detour rather than returning via Doudon to the village of Le Tholonet

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yvesbou
yvesbou
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 11, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely trail that lives up to its promise. No particular difficulties, beautiful views. We walked this very pleasant trail on a sunny Sunday – 10 November – so there were lots of people, especially around the dam. We completed the circuit in 2½ hours (compared to the advertised 3½ hours).

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Mi-Clo
Mi-Clo

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 28, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

An easy route. Numerous viewpoints, ideal for a family hike. Crossing the dam is remarkable!

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pbrie
pbrie

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 22, 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 hike with Sainte Victoire always more or less nearby. Not difficult and enjoyable

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Pitou41
Pitou41

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 28, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very pleasant hike with free parking available at the Infernet car park.
Picnic facing the Zola dam below and an equally pleasant and easy return trip with the GPS app
GPS app.

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Fontenotte
Fontenotte

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 03, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Cezanne's landscapes are always magnificent, you never tire of them!
Be careful, there are two possible routes! To avoid getting lost, head west and pass in front of the castle...

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Fontenotte
Fontenotte

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 03, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Cezanne's landscapes are always magnificent, one never tires of them!

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pudou
pudou

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 08, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We missed a turn once

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Joyce
Joyce
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 19, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I recommend this hike for its wide variety of points of interest, evenly distributed throughout the route: ochre earth, pine forest, terraced views, crossing the dam, the Sainte-Victoire façade, aqueduct, mill...
The start is on the right, with your back to the car park.
At the end of the route, once you reach the aqueduct, turn right and then immediately left against the grain: this will take you to the cemetery and then the mill, as described, whereas on the IGN map, this section is marked in another colour, dotted pink if I remember correctly, instead of the red we have been following since the start.
Enjoy your hike!

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gise13
gise13

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

A very beautiful hike
We all enjoyed it. Thank you for a wonderful time

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Oliv2497
Oliv2497

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 07, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very pleasant walk. We started from the Bigemus car park. We descended to the Zola dam and then walked counter-clockwise. We returned through the pine forest. Excellent!

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