On the trail of the Romans

This walk devoted to the discovery of Roman ruins will introduce you to two medieval Languedoc villages.The scrubland will bring you the fragrance of thyme and the landscapes will enchant photographers. Enjoy without moderation.
Note: To help with orientation, "tricky" sections have been highlighted with blue dotted markers.

Details

100610
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.10 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 20 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 60 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 52 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 61 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 20 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ City: Saussines (34160)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 43.762238° / E 4.060081°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 2842OT
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Photos

Description of the walk

Start from the Saissines school car park.

(S)To the right of the Virgin Mary, take the Rue Saint Victor. At the end turn right and take the Avenue de Boisseron, walking past the festival hall, and after 100m turn left on the Mas de Boulle trail.
At the end(1) Take small path to the left that crosses the stream and leads you to a wide path that you take on the left. When you get to the stream, cross it using the stepping stones, then continue on the other side on the dirt path that passes between Camargue bull enclosures. When you have walked along the camp site, you get to a crossing,(2) Take a short trip to the left to see the Château du Pie Bouquet (where Jackie Kennedy stayed in 1973). Return to the crossing and continue straight on. Immediately after you get to end of the camp site fence, turn right on a small trail that leads to the edge of the Bénovie cliffs, which you walk to the left of. At the end, continue along edge of the river for 500m, then join the tarmac path to the right and which leads to the departmental road just before the Roman bridge(3)
Do not cross the road but walk along the bridge toward the bottom to go underneath. Cross the river on the invert, and walk back along the bridge, admiring the multi centennial cedar tree. Take the Rue des Ramparts, followed by Rue des Douves and the Rue Souvielle; and observe the remains of the ramparts.
When you have arrived at the departmental road (4) cross it to find the Rue de la Carrière. After visiting the quarry, go to the top of the stone steps and follow the wooden fence to the left to descend toward the Rue des Fangades. Take this road to the right and after the bend, take the Chemin des Manardes which leads to the Rue du Tout Blanc which you walk up on the left to get to the cemetery. At this junction, take subdivision road opposite, the Rue de Mas de Barre, and ignore the others. At the end of this path, you'll get to the National road (5) be careful when crossing take the Rue des Hauts de Boisseron opposite, and at the fork stay on the left. Just after the first house on the left, by the street lamp, turn left (2 blue dots) onto a barely visible path which leads to a small mound where silos have been dug into the stone (cylindrical holes which were used to store grain, very rare in France and dating back to the time of the Gauls).
After visiting these silos, return to the house. Walk on the left along the Rue des Lavandes, cross the entire subdivision of Rompudes and at the end of the tarmac road, take the gravel passage (metal post with a blue dot).
Upon existing, turn right, walk down the street and at the bottom turn left and walk up to take a barely visible small path (between a house to the left and a fence on the right) and at the end, which is closed off by large rocks, turn slightly to the right and then almost opposite take the trail which goes toward the scrubland. Follow the path marked by blue dots (take a look but don't go toward the overhanging cliffs, there are spectacular landslides!). See the mill-wheel carved from rock and left where it is. Follow the blue dots carefully to return to the Mas de Boulle(1). When you get to the path, turns left and follow it to the end. Walk alongside the vine to your right for about 100m. Cross the road to take the small tarmac road opposite (6) which will lead you to a junction. Turn right and down to the village to join the start-point car park in front of the schools.

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 35 m - Car park
  2. 1 : km 0.59 - alt. 31 m - Mas de Boulle
  3. 2 : km 0.99 - alt. 30 m - Bifurcation
  4. 3 : km 1.89 - alt. 36 m - Diverticulum towards Château du Pie Bouquet
  5. 4 : km 3.54 - alt. 26 m - Roman bridge
  6. 5 : km 5.08 - alt. 40 m - Towards a career
  7. 6 : km 6.23 - alt. 42 m - National road - caution
  8. 7 : km 6.99 - alt. 45 m - at the road, turn right
  9. 8 : km 8.59 - alt. 36 m - Crossing the D135
  10. 9 : km 9.48 - alt. 61 m - Hairpin bifurcation
  11. 10 : km 10.11 - alt. 43 m - Tarmac road
  12. S/E : km 11.1 - alt. 35 m - Car park

Notes

You can enjoy a picnic in the quarry on stone tables. Take water, boots and a hat.

Worth a visit

On this walk you'll discover two villages as well as a number of historic sites:
- Roman bridge from the 1st century AD
- fortified gate and ramparts,
- two châteaux,
- A site of Gallic silos (cylindrical holes dug man into the rock for storing cereals).

Reviews and comments

4.3 / 5
Based on 111 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.3 / 5
Route interest
4.1 / 5
FabianC
FabianC

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 13, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Some lovely views: the quay, the Vidourle...
But many housing estates have been built, and almost half the route is on tarmac in town.
The last 2 km through open countryside with no views are of no interest whatsoever.
Disappointing overall.

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Fred et Sand
Fred et Sand
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 24, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk.
The rain from the day before yesterday didn’t bother us; it just added a bit of excitement to crossing the ford over the blocks. The points of interest are clearly signposted – don’t miss the Roman silos; they’re well worth the 50-metre detour.
The view over the cattle ranch’s meadows is lovely to see, as long as you’re on the right side of the fence.
A lovely walk with no major difficulties

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User 25050825

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 21, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

An easy walk with varied scenery.
On leaving point 5, we found the suggested route blocked by houses and had to follow the pine-lined path to reach Rue du Tout Blanc

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bernard coulomb
bernard coulomb

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 05, 2026
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A varied walk that treated us to some superb ophrys orchids, found in abundance in the heath just before points 7 and 8 (see photos).

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A.M._ZURCHER
A.M._ZURCHER

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 01, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We wanted to do this route after the heavy rains: big mistake! As soon as we reached the first river to cross on the stepping stones, we had to give up. So we changed our route, visited Boisseron, and returned to Saussines by other paths. But we'll be back when the weather is better!

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nimesULM
nimesULM

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 07, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful, easy winter hike. Passing through picturesque villages and interesting Roman ruins and natural sites: cliffs, the banks of the Bénovie. The Boisseron quarries are the perfect spot for a picnic.
A wonderful discovery that delighted the group of eleven participants from the association.

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Boby47
Boby47

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 25, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The first part of the route is very pleasant thanks to the quality of the trails and the diversity of sites to discover (rocks bordering the Bénovie, quarries, Roman bridge, Gallic silos, Pié Bouquet estate, etc.). The directions in the guidebook and the blue markers complement each other perfectly. However, the last circular from points 8 to 10 to return to the starting point is not particularly interesting. Despite this, the overall impression of this rather surprising hike is very positive.

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cabanette
cabanette

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 08, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

fourteen people took part in this hike. Everyone enjoyed the route, which was flat with beautiful paths and lovely sites to visit.

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User 25124672

Overall rating : 2.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 28, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Many mistakes in the route. The grass is tall and full of brambles. Follow the yellow signs and not the map. Even if the directions seem clear, some private properties have been included, passages have disappeared, and loops are non-existent

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gff120453
gff120453

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 09, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful route, varied and offering interesting sights (silos, quarries, small cliffs, etc.).
Please note that at point 5, we were not allowed to pass over the top of the steps from the entrance to the quarries. We were asked to return to Rue des Carrières and head towards Rue de la Fangade to rejoin the route.

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Cinéfille
Cinéfille

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 20, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant route, best done in spring. Because of the recent rain, we waded a bit in places and the ford crossing at the start was borderline... But no matter! The route is full of flowers (coronillas, thyme and rosemary, thistles), greenery and changing landscapes: undergrowth, then heath. The gorges of the Bénovie are astonishing. The quarries at Boisseron are an ideal spot for a picnic or snack. The remains of the Gallo-Roman silos on the outskirts of the village are a must-see!

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cham34
cham34
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 28, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant and varied trail. The strata above the Bénovie, the ford, the heath, the old quarry, the silos - in short, there are plenty of interesting sights on this route. Done on 28 February, the ford remains passable despite the Bénovie's high flow.

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malolu34
malolu34

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 27, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : Not used / Not applicable
Very busy route : No

On 27.02.2025 it was impossible to cross the Benovie river, which was in flood. It's a shame because this tour is great. Don't do it after storms or in summer. We will do it again in the spring.
The drystone shelter hike at Saussines is also impassable.

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MMGaudon
MMGaudon

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 18, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

In some places, the existing markings are slightly different from the track. Apart from that, the route was easy to follow.

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A Chasseloup
A Chasseloup

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 10, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

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