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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 (yellow and redGRP®® markings) until you reach the next fork.
(1) Continue left towards Notre-Dame d'Aubune. Reach the bridge over the Canal de Carpentras. Leave theGRP®® to cross this bridge, then turn right to continue along the canal on the other bank.
Pass a second bridge leading to private property and turn right at the third 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 return walk following the signs takes you up to the terraces 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 around 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 path.
(5) At the fork, head up to the right onto a very rutted path alongside a vineyard. This path then turns right between the vines (yellow markings) to join a small tarmac road further up. Follow it and, at the bridge, turn right until you reach the junction.
(6) Leave the tarmac and continue to the right along the Chemin d’Embrosi, following the GRP®® markings. There are stunning views of the Dentelles de Montmirail throughout the route.
Just after the 202m 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 route is no longer passable. Walk to the Grottes d’Ambrosi and back. The path runs along the cliff. First, note the old cavities, some of which have partially collapsed. Further on, take a moment to explore two beautiful caves which appear to be regularly visited. Turn back.
(7) On your return, pass through the gap, descend opposite following theGRP®® markings through an oak wood until you reach a viewpoint in front of the Rocher du Diable. Magnificent 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 between 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 staircase. Above this staircase, there are tombs carved into the rock.
Then follow 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 a must-see when the irises are in bloom. Superb views.
Continue eastwards to 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 below the site’s car park to reach the tarmac road. Turn right onto this road. A very beautiful view stretching to 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 woods below the vineyards. Caution: tricky, heavily eroded section. View of the old village of Beaumes-de-Venise. You’ll reach a wide cross-path; cross it to continue on the path below. Caution: the path becomes increasingly steep. Go round a fallen tree and descend to the tarmac road, following it to the right. The view opens up to Mont Ventoux on the left and the castle ruins overlooking Beaumes-de-Venise on the right.
At the EDF pole, turn right onto the path that 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, but climb the three steps on the right to continue along Rue du Château. Two terraces offer a lovely view.
(10) Take the time to look at the remains of the old cave dwellings carved into the rock. Head 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, go down past the fountain with its mascaron (18th century) to reach the market square (S/E).
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