The dovecotes of Limans

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

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 4.85 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 10 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 1,030 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 1,001 ft

  • ▲
    Highest point: 2,674 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,788 ft

Photos

Description of the walk

Start from the Place de Mai car park or the Town Hall square.

(S/E) Take Rue du Four on the left, go round the church by turning first right then left. Turn immediately right (red and white markings forthe GR®®6). After about 50 metres, the path narrows to become a lovely country lane. Follow theGR®® southwards towards the hamlet of Ybourgues. Ignore all side paths to the left or right.

(1) At a reservoir, turn left, following the signposts, to reach this hamlet. On leaving the hamlet, turn around and head straight back up into the forest (yellow markings), first along a track and then along a narrow path, up a fairly steep but steady climb.

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

(3) Take the track leading uphill to the right. At the next fork, continue along the track to the right; this is the highest point of this walk. Keep following the track heading north-east (yellow markings) as it descends towards the beautiful dry-stone sheepfold at Tècle.

(4) Continue along the track, which climbs slightly, and admire the lovely view over the valley and Lac de la Laye. Turn right at the fork and carry on straight ahead to the junction at the 594-metre mark.

(5) Turn left to reach Limans and the car park where you started (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 1,870 ft - Place de Mai car park
  2. 1 : mi 1.65 - alt. 1,900 ft - Bifurcation (hamlet of Ybourgues)
  3. 2 : mi 2.55 - alt. 2,421 ft - On the left, with the signposting
  4. 3 : mi 2.77 - alt. 2,533 ft - Small cairn, on the right
  5. 4 : mi 3.73 - alt. 2,323 ft - Dry-stone sheepfold
  6. 5 : mi 4.61 - alt. 1,952 ft - Reference 594, on the left
  7. S/E : mi 4.85 - alt. 1,870 ft - Place de Mai car park

Worth a visit

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

In the Middle Ages, the dovecote held a very special place in rural life. It served a food-related purpose. Furthermore, the droppings (or ‘colombine’), mixed with compost, made an excellent fertiliser for crops.

“Originally, only lords (or members of the clergy) had the privilege of owning a dovecote, provided they owned at least 50 arpents of arable land (approximately 2.5 hectares). This minimum requirement was introduced to limit the risk of these birds foraging for food on neighbouring estates.
For the lord, this was a means of exerting pressure on the peasants, as he could release his pigeons at any time and thus cause considerable damage to crops. The angry peasants repeatedly demanded, in vain, the right to hunt these birds. 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 29 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
User 22663718
• Edited:

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 31, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

A lovely little outing during which we alternated between walking and running. The route crosses a road twice, and the path on the other side isn’t clearly marked. In fact, on the way back, we had to improvise to avoid crossing an area full of brambles (so we ran along the road to get round it).

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Manu d'Aix
Manu d'Aix

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 01, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk. The varied scenery and the peace and quiet are a real treat.
The “detour” to Ybourgues is a must: the fortified farm (the château), currently being restored, is well worth a visit!
The steep climb that follows is more pleasant once it turns into a path.
Thank you!

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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!

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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.

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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!

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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

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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

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