The ruins of Chabrières Castle via the Enclume site

Coming from Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux, there are several parking options from the roundabout at the bottom of the village: on the right as you go up in front of the town hall, on the left just after the roundabout, or in the car park of the medical centre, below the pharmacy.

(S/E) From the medical centre car park, cross Rue du Pont and go up opposite to Place de la Mairie. Cross the square, take the street opposite, follow it to Grand Rue and turn right to exit through the fortified gate, Porte Rose. Turn left to follow Montée des Remparts.

(1) Turn left to walk along the ramparts, then turn right onto Chemin de la Baume. Turn right onto Chemin du Front de Taille and walk a few metres, then turn left onto a stony path, Chemin du Réservoir. Cross the Route du Belvédère and continue straight ahead on Chemin du Ribian, which runs alongside the monastery grounds. Ignore a turn-off to the right leading to private property.

(2) When you reach a farmhouse, turn left onto Chemin de Chabrières.

(3) Shortly after passing over cart tracks in the stone, turn right onto a path for a round trip to the Patiface resurgence. This is on the right, after passing a ruin.

(3) On your return, take Chemin de Chabrières on the right.

(4) Leave the Chemin de Chabrières and descend the^first path on the left towards the Enclume site. Pass over clearly visible cart tracks in the rock and turn immediately right. Descend opposite, then turn right onto the rock (steps) following the tracks. On a small esplanade surrounded by rocks, keep left under the rock overhang, then continue along the well-marked path that curves to the right and leads to a rocky clearing.

(5) Continue to the imposing rocks that form a barrier above the cliff. (You can climb up carefully to enjoy a wide panorama, from the Baronnies to Mont Ventoux and the Dentelles de Montmirail). In front of the rocks, follow the marked path on the right which descends and then climbs again. At the T-junction, turn left and climb the path that goes around the rocks. Behind the rocks, the path approaches the cliff, offering views of the Château de Chabrières, Bollène, the Dentelles and the Ventoux. At the next fork (not visible on the map), climb to the right. The path becomes sandy.

(6) On an esplanade in front of a large rock, turn left. Follow the path that runs alongside other rocks, ruins of dwellings and stone walls, offering beautiful views of the plain below.

(7) Ignore a path that descends to the left (not visible on the map) and continue towards the castle that you can see. At the next fork (not visible on the map), keep right twice, then left. Cross a small copse and arrive in front of one of the castle's two towers. Descend to the left, going back and forth under the castle. Caution! Risk of falling rocks inside the ruins. Back on the path, turn left, then right to go around a grove of oak trees (it looks like a roundabout created by walkers). Then climb up to the left on rocky steps to rejoin the marked path to the castle.

(8) Turn left onto this path (red and green markings on a tree trunk). Follow this well-marked main path (signposted "château" in the opposite direction), ignoring the paths on the left that lead to viewpoints.

(9) You will come to a crossroads in front of a large rock. Turn right onto steps carved into the rock. Further on, ignore the signpost for "Retour B3 et village troglodytique" (Return B3 and troglodyte village) and continue straight ahead. Ignore another path branching off to the right. You will see a view of Barry Castle in the distance and the weather station sphere.

(10) At the next crossroads, at marker B11, turn left onto mountain bike trail 8-9. At marker B10, turn right. Caution! There is an unsecured extraction well.

(11) At marker B9, turn right onto mountain bike trail 8. Follow the path, which is marked with yellow^PR® signs^. After a ravine-like descent, turn left at the T-junction. The path becomes a wide track and then a small tarmac road. Follow it until you reach Route du Belvédère (D218). Cross carefully before continuing right on this road. Pass a residence and turn left onto Chemin de la Bistoure.

(12) At the end (which looks like a dead end), pass in front of house No. 304 and go down the path (not very visible) to the left of the gate. The descent becomes steep. At the bottom of this path, turn right onto the 8-12 mountain bike trail to reach the Montée des remparts.

(1) Turn right. At the cross, descend to the left onto Place de la Résistance, where you will find a fountain and a wash house with goldfish and water lilies. Take the street on the left, then descend under the car park. Continue straight ahead on Rue du Pont. Return to the car park where you started (S/E).

Between points (4) and (8), numerous paths not shown on the map make it difficult to follow the route without the assistance of the app's GPS.

At the end of the hike, don't hesitate to visit the village: 12th-century Romanesque church, 11th-century funeral tower, Maison de la Tour, fountains and wash houses fed by Roman springs. If you continue on to the Chapel of the Holy Sepulchre (16th century) and the "Sentinelles, hommage aux carriers" (Sentinels, tribute to the quarry workers), a work by artist Claude Rutault erected on a ledge, you can enjoy views of La Lance mountain, Saint-Restitut and Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux.