Ruins of the old village of Allan and Siméon's Cross

This hike to the ruins of Old Allan offers panoramic views of the Rhône Valley between Donzère and Cruas. The first part of the trail alternates between wide, open woodland paths and, halfway along, you will discover the Croix Siméon. The trail then becomes narrower and more winding, remaining shaded and sheltered.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.56 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 20 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 210 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 208 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 373 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 204 m

Photos

Description of the walk

The walk starts at the Old Allan car park.

(S/E) Go up the tarmac road, then the dirt track to reach the entrance to the ruins.

(1) Enter the old village through the south gate, take the second path on the right to climb the stairs and reach the top of the village. Exit through the two successive gates to the north of the enclosure.

(2) Once outside, ignore the wide path on the right that goes downhill and take the smaller path on the right that goes uphill.

(3) At the three-way junction, take the path that goes up to the left and continue to the crossroads
at the large open space.

(4) Descend to the right onto this wide forest path lined with pine trees, then further on you will see a parallel path slightly higher up on your left.

(5) On your left, the pine tree avenue disappears, giving you a better view of the parallel path and your own path coming together. Continue straight ahead along this very short, grassy section to join the path going uphill on the left.
At the three-way junction, take the almost flat path on the right. At the next three-way junction, keep right and then, 10 metres further on, climb up the narrower path on the left under the pine trees to reach the Croix de Siméon near a power line pylon.

(6) Just before the cross, turn onto the path on the right which descends and then immediately left onto the steepest path.

(7) Leave the undergrowth and walk along it for 15 metres to the right, ignore the wide track and stay on the narrow path (not marked on the map) immediately to the right, which leads into the brambles and dense vegetation towards the north-west. Do not take the wide path in front of you.

(8) The slope is steep but very short, with steps created by the roots. Follow the path opposite, which climbs slightly and then descends. The path is hollowed out in the middle by the passage of water. Join a track.

(9) Follow it to the right and continue to the right at the next fork. Leave the woods and continue straight ahead.

(10) At the tarmac road, turn left. Climb up Chemin de Fontvieille on the right, pass the metal barrier further on the dirt track to return to the old village and the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 233 m - Old Allan car park
  2. 1 : km 0.27 - alt. 257 m - Gate to the ruins
  3. 2 : km 0.57 - alt. 281 m - Exit the enclosure
  4. 3 : km 1.19 - alt. 289 m - Ascent to the left
  5. 4 : km 2.35 - alt. 306 m - Wide forest path
  6. 5 : km 3.71 - alt. 309 m - the parallel paths are set to meet.
  7. 6 : km 4.56 - alt. 372 m - Before the Siméon Cross
  8. 7 : km 5.24 - alt. 318 m - Fork to the right
  9. 8 : km 5.87 - alt. 280 m - Crossroads
  10. 9 : km 6.51 - alt. 230 m - Fork to the right
  11. 10 : km 7.73 - alt. 208 m - Route
  12. S/E : km 9.56 - alt. 233 m - Old Allan car park

Worth a visit

You can wander around the ruins as you please, but be careful as signs indicate that there is a risk of rockfalls in some places.

Reviews and comments

4 / 5
Based on 25 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.1 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.1 / 5
Route interest
3.9 / 5
Babs Sirène
Babs Sirène

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 02, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hike done on a Saturday morning. Lots of hikers, dogs and cyclists at the start of the hike in the ruins of the old village.
Very beautiful route, very shady and therefore very pleasant at this time of year. Some very technical sections due to heavy rain last month.
The only downside was the surprise encounter with a herd guarded by a Patou dog (who had a litter of puppies) in the middle of the woods, shortly after the village of Allan. I had my two dogs with me (on leads). The dog came towards us very aggressively. Fortunately, we were able to continue the hike without any serious damage.

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etancre
etancre

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 05, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk, fairly well signposted. Hiking boots and a GPS are still essential, though.

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Rurustl
Rurustl

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : Yes

Easy hike with very detailed information. Completed in less than 2 hours. Pleasant paths sheltered from the wind. We encountered quite a few mountain bikes.
Thank you for sharing this hike.

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lumodu
lumodu

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 03, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful, easy walk, but wear hiking boots rather than trainers as there are some rocky sections. It's a good idea to take a satnav as, despite the explanations, it can be easier to follow. Children aged around ten can do it, but younger children may find it too long.
I only came across four people at La Croix de Simeon. Thank you to the trail markers

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Laurjim
Laurjim

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 01, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Pleasant hike in the forest but very few viewpoints

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JLE12
JLE12

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 13, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We were only able to complete the first part of the hike: between points 4 and 5, after encountering signs indicating "No public access, danger, logging in progress," we were stopped on the forest path by a machine loading cut tree trunks onto a trailer that occupied the entire width of the path, forcing us to turn back.
We found a way to return to the old village of Allan without taking exactly the same route, but without passing by the Croix de Simeon
The part we did complete was still very pleasant and the old village was very interesting.

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Patrick Knepper
Patrick Knepper

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 13, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful hike, well marked

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brunorando26
brunorando26

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 18, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

First of all, thank you to Ceros for the walk we just did.
We will soon be doing it again with a group of walkers near Nyons.
Before setting off, you can find a map of the old village online to help you find your way around (church, keep, tower, esplanade and knights' house): type in 'images vieux village d'Allan'. The route is easy but should not be attempted after rain; wait a few days, as it is very muddy after No. 7. For a picnic and to see the Maquis Pierre memorial (add an extra 1.2 km, about 30 minutes there and back), Simply turn left after the Siméon cross and follow the pleasant path for 600 metres until you reach a track. The memorial is on the left, where there is a low wall, ideal for sitting down. Return to the cross, turn left and follow the original route. You are now at approximately km 6.
This hike is sheltered from the wind and follows tracks and paths. There are other pleasant hikes by the same author: the Citelles stream at La Touche and the Château de Rochefort en Valdaine in Espeluche. Enjoy your hikes.

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abcdef26
abcdef26

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 21, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

A little disappointed by the first part of the hike, however, the signage was practically non-existent. Fortunately, I had downloaded the GPX file, which is good.
I liked the trail after the Siméon cross.

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mm07
mm07

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 16, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A circuit well sheltered from the mistral wind.
The return journey after the Simeon cross is through the woods and does not offer much of a view
The site of Allan Castle is very beautiful and offers a lovely view of the valley

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damien.26
damien.26

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 18, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike that takes 3 hours at a leisurely pace, a shaded route sheltered from the wind, magnificent views at the starting point and a very pretty area to explore.

However, GPS users should be aware that there are some issues with the accuracy of the route compared to the actual trail, particularly between points 6/7, 7/8 and 8/9 (as observed on my Garmin eTrex 20x GPS), which may lead you to believe that you are not on the right route, but if you follow the path and the descriptions, you will arrive at your destination.

Special attention should be paid by people allergic to ragweed, as there is a high concentration of this plant between points 8/10 in various places along the route.

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veronique974
veronique974

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 20, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

a very beautiful walk, completed in 3 hours

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jim2607
jim2607

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 22, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful hike, easy and sheltered from the mistral wind in many places.
No need to worry about navigation if you follow the Visorando GPS regularly.
Actual time: 2 hours 20 minutes without running...

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ceros
ceros

I have just rewritten the description, which is now more precise, for those who only use the text to find their way around.
Enjoy your visit, and feel free to leave a comment.

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Roucher Thérèse
Roucher Thérèse

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 01, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely, easy hike, best done on a day with beautiful weather.

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