The dovecotes of Limans

The small village of Limans is known for its six dovecotes.

Details

524537
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 7.81 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 10 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 314 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 305 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 815 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 545 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Departure from the car park on Place de Mai or Place de la Mairie.

(S/E) Take Rue du Four on the left, go around the church, turning first right and then left. Turn immediately right (white/redGR®6signpost). After about 50 metres, the path narrows to become a beautiful country lane. Follow theGR® heading south towards the hamlet of Ybourgues. Ignore all turnings on the left and right.

(1) At a reservoir, turn left following the signs to reach this hamlet. At the exit of the hamlet, turn around and go straight back up into the forest (yellow signs), first on a track and then on a small path, up a fairly steep but steady climb.

(2) Turn left, still following the yellow markings. The path flattens out until you reach a small cairn at the edge of a track that climbs to the right.

(3) Take the track that climbs to the right. At the next fork, continue on the track to the right; this is the highest point of the hike. Keep following the track heading northeast (yellow markings) which descends to the beautiful dry stone sheepfold at Tècle.

(4) Continue along the track that climbs slightly and admire the beautiful view of the valley and Lac de la Laye. Turn right at the fork and continue straight ahead until you reach the junction at 594 metres.

(5) Turn left, join Limans and the car park at the start (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 570 m - Parking Place de Mai
  2. 1 : km 2.66 - alt. 579 m - Bifurcation (hamlet of Ybourgues)
  3. 2 : km 4.11 - alt. 738 m - On the left with the markings
  4. 3 : km 4.45 - alt. 772 m - Small cairn, on the right
  5. 4 : km 6.01 - alt. 708 m - Dry stone sheepfold
  6. 5 : km 7.42 - alt. 595 m - Reference 594, on the left
  7. S/E : km 7.81 - alt. 570 m - Parking Place de Mai

Worth a visit

For the location of the dovecotes, see the map of Limans.

In the Middle Ages, dovecotes held a special place in rural life. They served as a source of food. In addition, the droppings (or pigeon droppings) mixed with compost made an excellent fertiliser for crops.

"Originally, only lords (or clergy) had the privilege of owning a dovecote, provided they had at least 50 acres of arable land (approximately 2.5 hectares). This minimum was introduced to limit the risk of these birds finding food on neighbouring properties.
This was a means of pressure for the lord, as he could release his pigeons at any time and cause considerable damage to crops. The angry peasants repeatedly demanded the right to hunt these birds, but to no avail. They had to wait until the French Revolution to see the end of seigneurial rights."

 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.

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 27 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.6 / 5
Valerie D
Valerie D

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 18, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A detailed description of the panoramic landscapes on Lure Mountain, a superb sheepfold in Tècle and the dovecotes back in Limans – such diversity!

Machine-translated

tchimboum
tchimboum

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 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 beautiful hike in mid-November with stunning autumn colours. I can confirm that between points 1 and 2, the slope is steep for 2 km. The route is bucolic and worth the trip if only to admire the six dovecotes in the village. There is an alternative route at Point 676 (Lombard) with the option of extending the walk by 2.5 km by turning left onto a small path. This alternative route is clearly signposted at the end of the route.

Machine-translated

jrco
jrco

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

Not many dovecotes to see!

Machine-translated

gise13
gise13

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

Hello,
We followed this route with GPS without any problems and admired the old buildings that gave us a glimpse of a bygone era. Ybourgues is definitely worth a visit, and the map of Limans (a very pretty village) was a great idea, as it meant we didn't miss a thing: the bird's eye view of the village as we arrived was a real treat
Thank you for a wonderful time

Machine-translated

Hérisson vert
Hérisson vert

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 10, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The short stretch along the GR between Limans and Ybourgues is not particularly interesting. The rest is very good. The sheepfold alone is worth the walk.
However, we recommend doing the hike in the opposite direction, as the climb from Ybourgues can be difficult for many people.
Hervé - Monique

Machine-translated

grossouliers
grossouliers

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

very pretty colours

Machine-translated

Morizot
Morizot

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 31, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk along varied paths for the most part. Beautiful views of the village and the Lure mountain. The short sections of track are now paved, but this is only for a short distance.

Machine-translated

MADELEINE.LUNEL
MADELEINE.LUNEL

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 25, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We did this hike with two couples: the village of Limans and its dovecotes, which were very interesting, and the hamlet of Ybourgues, which is worth seeing.
But we encountered a big problem between points 3 and 4: at point 758, the description said "at the next fork, continue on the track to the right" and "descend towards the sheepfold" however, there was a yellow-marked track that descended steeply. After some hesitation, we took it and found ourselves near the hamlet of Ybourgues!
Perhaps a yellow sign should be put up at this point, indicating "Limans via La Tècle" so that other people don't make the same mistake as us!
Also, instead of "Easy" for the difficulty level, it would be better to describe it as "Moderate" because the climb between 1 and 2 was considered difficult by one of our friends who has breathing problems.
We regretted not seeing the sheepfold, otherwise the view of the snow-capped Alps in the distance was superb!

Machine-translated

JPC07
JPC07

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 19, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely family walk. The short detour via the hamlet of Les Ybourges is interesting. Limans is a beautiful village, and Lurs produces excellent olive oil. Forcalquier is also worth a visit.

Machine-translated

pascal1958
pascal1958

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 20, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful, very pleasant and relaxing hike. No particular difficulty except for the steep climb between points 1 and 2. The hike can be completed in 2.5 hours.

Machine-translated

Mandin
Mandin

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 29, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike with stunning views, easy going except for a steep climb when you reach Les Ybourgues...
A moment of calm when you arrive at the sheepfold!
We visited the village of Limans and would have liked to stop for a drink, but the bars weren't open yet...
I recommend it!

Machine-translated

lesvertsterrils@gmail.com
lesvertsterrils@gmail.com

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 08, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A magnificent route. The landscapes are varied and the views are superb.
But the main attraction is the dry stone sheepfold. An architectural marvel that must be preserved.
I highly recommend this hike.
gillou des collines

Machine-translated

nonatine
nonatine

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 09, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A nice short hike, but beware, the elevation gain is all in one climb.
So stop off at the bistro in Limans (which is a beautiful village) for some refreshment

Machine-translated

gypaetus
gypaetus

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 22, 2019
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A pleasant stroll through the Haute Provence region.

Machine-translated

Feolin
Feolin
• Edited:

I would like to reiterate the message posted on 4 March. A beautiful hike in complete tranquillity. The environment is very varied and the view of the valley is unique. A very accessible hike for families. The village of Limans is charming and takes you back to times gone by, particularly the village school. Keep your eyes open to everything going on around you.

Machine-translated

Other walks in the area

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.