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Park in the large car park in front of the tourist office, behind the cemetery.
Please note: weekly market on Tuesday mornings.
(S/E) Leave the car park between the library and the post office. Cross Boulevard Raspail (D21) then head straight on along Chemin du Pasquier (marked in yellow and red by the GRP®) until you reach the next junction.
(1) Continue left towards Notre-Dame d’Aubune. Reach the bridge spanning the Canal de Carpentras. Leave theGRP® route to cross this bridge, then turn right to continue along the canal on the opposite bank.
Pass a second bridge leading to private property and turn right at the third bridge to rejoin the tarmac road.
(2) Follow it to the right as far as Notre-Dame d’Aubune. Don’t miss the spring just below Notre-Dame. The underground passage is open to visitors on Thursday mornings (free tour organised by the Académie de Beaumes-de-Venise). Then head up to the information boards at the Verger Conservatoire.
(3) From there, a round trip following the signposts takes you up to the terraces, which have been redeveloped by the conservatory’s participatory workshops. Here you’ll find, in turn, the vegetable garden, the apiary, the book hut, the rain water reservoir carved into rock and the stonemasons’ forge.
(4) Turn round and head back to the canal bridge.
(2) Turn right and continue along the canal to the next bridge. Cross it, follow the tarmac path to the right, then continue left onto a stony track.
(5) At the fork in the road, head up to the right along a very rutted track running alongside a vineyard. This track then turns right between the vines (yellow markings) to join a small tarmac road further up. Follow this and, at the bridge, turn right until you reach the junction.
(6) Leave the tarmac road and continue to the right along the Chemin d’Embrosi, following the GRP®® signposting. There are some beautiful views of the Dentelles de Montmirail throughout the route.
Just after the 202-metre mark, look out for a gully-like path climbing quite steeply to the right; take this up to a gap in the rocks at the top.
(7) Just before this gap, take the path on the right marked with a cross, as a rockfall means the full length of the path is no longer passable. Walk to the Grottes d’Ambrosi and back. The path runs along the cliff face. First, you’ll notice some ancient cavities that have partially collapsed. Further on, take a moment to explore two very beautiful caves which clearly see regular visitors. Turn back.
(7) On your return, pass through the gap, then descend opposite, following the GRP® markings through an oak woodland until you reach a viewpoint in front of the Rocher du Diable. Magnificent panoramic views stretching as far as the Alpilles, with Notre-Dame d’Aubune directly below the rock at the very bottom.*
Then head back up to the gap without crossing it and continue along the path to the right, which passes in front of a rock. Walk amongst the oak trees. Look out, below the path, for an unfinished drystone shelter on a cleared area. Head towards it and descend a series of small stone steps leading to the remains of the Oppidum des Courens necropolis: a hut built into a stone wall, a sarcophagus and a flight of steps. Above this flight of steps are tombs carved into the rock.
Then continue along the path through the oak trees on the plateau to reach the Chapel of Saint-Hilaire.
(8) Information boards provide details of the magnificent restoration of the building. The gardens are well worth a visit when the irises are in bloom. Superb panoramic views.
Continue eastwards to the Castellas de Durban.
(9) Cross the site along a footpath. Restoration work on the medieval site is still underway near the chapel. There are numerous information boards and a large picnic table (visible on the OSM map). At the crossroads of paths, turn left (to the right, the path descends to the village through a gap) then right beneath the site’s car park to reach the tarmac road. Turn right onto this road. A very beautiful view stretching as far as the summit of Mont Ventoux. Then leave the tarmac and take the path that climbs to the right into the woods (yellow markings). Further on, head back down into the woodland below the vineyards. Caution: a tricky section with deep gullies. View of the old village of Beaumes-de-Venise. You’ll reach a wide cross-path; cross it and continue along the path below. Caution: the path becomes increasingly steep. Go round a fallen tree and descend to the tarmac road, then follow it to the right. The view opens up to Mont Ventoux on the left and the ruins of the castle overlooking Beaumes-de-Venise on the right.
At the EDF pole, turn right onto the path which climbs up and passes to the left of the rampart before descending towards the village.
Do not go all the way down the steps leading to a fortified gate; instead, climb the three steps on the right to continue along Rue du Château. Two terraces offer lovely views.
(10) Take the time to look at the remains of the ancient cave dwellings carved into the rock. Walk down via the Théâtre de Verdure, the Grande Rue and the Place de la Liberté with its fountain.
Leave the old village through the fortified gate facing the church, then walk down past the fountain with its mascarons (18th century) to reach the market square (S/E).
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