Mazaugues - Pivaut Ice House

A lovely walk leading to the beautifully restored Pivaut ice house (1880).

Details

238802
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 8.82 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 00 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 1,086 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 1,102 ft

  • ▲
    Highest point: 2,267 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,220 ft

Photos

Description of the walk

(S/E) Start just outside Mazaugues (83136), 800m past the village on the Route de la Sainte-Baume. Large car park on the right.

Cross the road (take care) and immediately take the path (tarmac at the start) to Saint-Victor opposite, which climbs quite steeply in places and which you follow for 1.8 km to reach a crossroads of paths.

(1) Turn right and continue uphill to the junction at the 568m mark.

(2) Continue to the right again, then on to a new junction a little further on.

(3) Turn left and follow the path without any further junctions to reach a crossroads approximately 300m after the 687m mark.

(4) Head down the wide track to the right, which leads to the D95 road.

(5) Take the road to the left for a few dozen metres.

(6) Turn left onto a boardwalk on stilts leading to the Pivaut ice house.

(7) Walk around it, keeping to the left to go slightly higher up behind it to one of the old basins where ice was once made. Return along the same path to the junction you passed on the way out.

(5) Cross the road and turn left onto a downhill path (sometimes stony) to reach the D95.

(8) Continue straight on, following the road for a few hundred metres, until you reach a junction with a track on the left at the exit of a right-hand bend.

(9) Leave the D95 and take this flat track.

(10) At the junction, turn left, then keep left at the next two junctions. At the final Fork in the road, continue right to join the D64.

(11) Take this road on the right. Turn left at the junction with the D95 and follow this road to the car park at the start (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 1,266 ft - Car park on the side of the D95
  2. 1 : mi 1.11 - alt. 1,699 ft - At the crossroads, turn right
  3. 2 : mi 1.53 - alt. 1,864 ft - Elevation 568m, junction, turn right
  4. 3 : mi 1.63 - alt. 1,864 ft - At the junction, turn left
  5. 4 : mi 3.65 - alt. 2,257 ft - At the crossroads, head down to the right
  6. 5 : mi 4.39 - alt. 2,005 ft - D95, turn left for a few dozen metres
  7. 6 : mi 4.49 - alt. 2,031 ft - Take the boardwalk path on the left
  8. 7 : mi 4.61 - alt. 2,087 ft - Pivaut Ice House
  9. 8 : mi 5.74 - alt. 1,555 ft - D95, go straight on to follow the road
  10. 9 : mi 6.45 - alt. 1,427 ft - Leave the road and take the track on the left
  11. 10 : mi 7.78 - alt. 1,230 ft - At the junction, turn left
  12. 11 : mi 8.18 - alt. 1,220 ft - D64, turn right
  13. S/E : mi 8.82 - alt. 1,266 ft - Car park on the side of the D95

Notes

There is no water on this route. All the elevation gain is on the way out to the ice house.

Worth a visit

In Mazaugues, if the Ice Museum is open, it’s worth popping in to learn about ice harvesting in the area.

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 42 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.2 / 5
User 19640847

It was too hot to do it, so we’ve postponed it until the autumn

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User 27259136

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 14, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

Apart from the glacier, which is truly impressive, this hike isn’t exactly unforgettable;:

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User 4182149
• Edited:

A lovely walk; the first section through the woods presents no particular difficulties. The Pivaut ice house is well worth a visit and makes for a nice spot to take a break. On the way back, apart from the waterfall and a lovely viewpoint, there’s nothing else of interest, especially as you’re walking alongside a road. Be careful: the descent on the way back is quite stony.

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Provence49
Provence49

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 04, 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. A challenging climb and a very stony descent. Make sure you choose the right season to see flowers and water in the streams. Walked in April

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gisyl
gisyl

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 16, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely, easy walk for older people, though it does get a bit long towards the end.

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User 7531518

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 02, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant hike, a route with remarkable scenery.

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castellas
castellas

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 19, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

With an external visit to certain ice houses in Sainte-Baume

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rando7
rando7

Lovely hike in magnificent scenery in glorious sunshine.
There was one small problem: after the Pivaut ice house, the route of the hike was on the edge of a hunt in action.
No problem! the pivaut ice house is very beautiful.

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marquounet
marquounet

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 21, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

21/07/2024 overcast but pleasant walk, especially the uphill section to the glacier ....Damage very little water...no waterfalls...quiet return without difficulty. 1 km from Mazaugues violent storm to add a little spice!!!!

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Chantal&Olivier
Chantal&Olivier

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

Quite a pleasant walk up to the 8th, after that it was a bit daunting.

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Carlos Carlito
Carlos Carlito

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 21, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant walk on the first part to the Glacière de Pivaut and the waterfall just after the little bridge. Nice place for a picnic and a rest. The return journey is a little less pleasant by road.

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JO. CHAPELIER
JO. CHAPELIER

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 26, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Nice walk on the way back, avoiding the tarmac, with lots of parallel paths, but be careful on the D64 section to reach the parking area.

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The best 83
The best 83

I didn't get the chance to do this walk.

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randoleshautes
randoleshautes

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

A pleasant walk with a well-restored pivaud cooler, but keep a close eye on the last kilometre, which is on the road.

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GG13
GG13

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 03, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely, shady walk in the first part, on slightly more exposed paths on the way back, but still charming.
You can avoid the road altogether by taking the path on the left down to the valley at hill 464, then the first path on the right towards the Agas valley. You can rejoin the itinerary path by turning off at hill 395 towards hill 407, or continue down the Agas valley as far as the D64 road.

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