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From Gémenos, take the D2 towards Col de l'Espigoulier, Sainte-Baume and Plan d'Aups.
After passing a hotel residence on the left, continue for a few hundred metres to reach the mandatory car park (signposted) on the left. At the car park entrance, follow the signs for "Parking" on the right and park at the top of the car park. Please note: from this point (1), dogs are not allowed on the walk.
(S/E) Follow the signposted path (yellow or yellow/red) towards Saint-Pons Abbey.
Cross the main road (take care) then take the path to the left of the park signposts.
(1) Le Paradou: the Paradou factory (founded in the 17th century by the Marquis d'Albertas) forms, together with the Foulon and the Moulin de la Cascade, which you will discover next, an exceptional mill complex. The presence of the Fauge, a tributary of the Huveaune, which crosses the Saint-Pons valley and never dries up, has allowed activities linked to water power to develop throughout history, such as this cigarette paper factory, which was permanently abandoned in the 20th century.
Continue along the path by the water towards the Foulon, a 16th-century mill used for fulling cloth and textiles, then as a cement mill. Continue on to the Moulin de la Cascade.
(2) To the right of the mill, take the steps up to Saint-Pons Abbey and walk around it (visits can be booked at the park house, near the car park). With a bit of luck, the wooden gate leading to the cloister from the meadow will be open.
(3) Opposite the abbey entrance, cross the bridge over the Fauge and head downhill to the left. At the bottom of the river, on the left near the stream, you will find the 13th-century Cuges wheat mill, accessible via the wheat trail, which starts near the adjoining waterfall. Rebuilt in the 16th-17th century, the mill became the property of the Marquis d'Albertas in 1840. It is unique in that it is equipped with a horizontal wheel.
(4) Turn left and cross the Fauge at the point where access to the equestrian area is prohibited (fenced off further on, so there's no point in trying) and rejoin the path you took on the way there, turning right.
(1) At Paradou, take a detour of a few dozen metres to the right to admire the Chapelle Saint-Martin, Gémenos' first parish church. First mentioned in 1080, the current Romanesque chapel dates from the 18th century.
(1) Return to the car park via the same route you took on the way there (S/E).
