The Montagnac bee-hives from Montfrin

A picturesque walk that allows you to discover two villages (Montfrin and Théziers) as well as the largest bee wall in France.

Technical sheet

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 14.37 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 30 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: Yes
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 124 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 116 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 67 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 10 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Start : Park in the Montfrin Tennis Club car park, Place de la Liberté.

(S/E) Leave the car park, turn left, take the covered passageway that joins the Cours Jean Jaurès. Turn right. Reach the crossroads on the Avenue du Docteur Félix Clément where you will find the Fontaine des Rameaux signpost.

(1) Follow the road in front, continue along the Chemin des Moulins. Turn left onto the castle rise. Reach the Château de Montfrin. From there, you have a very beautiful view.

(2) Go back down to the Fontaine des Rameaux sign.

(1) Turn left onto Avenue du Docteur Félix Clément and go past the school.
At the roundabout, continue on the D500, pass in front of the police station and arrive at the le Pesquier signpost.

(3) Turn right onto the chemin du Rhône, pass under the TGV railway bridge and arrive at the le Limas sign.

(4) Continue on this road, pass over the Briançon stream and reach a new intersection.

(5) Turn left, direction Théziers. Cross the D126, continue straight on, passing by the Mas du Soleil. Pass again under the TGV tracks and continue until you reach the D500.

(6) Follow it to the right, cross the level crossing and take the Avenue de la Gare as far as the l'Escalier bus stop.

(7) Just in front of this bus stop, take the path on the right, which joins the GR® 42. Take it by turning left at the T junction and follow it until you reach the Ecide signpost.
Turn right to reach the Chapelle Saint-Amand, nestled in its pine grove.

(8) Go around the chapel, go down to the road D19, turn right, direction Théziers to reach the wash-house.

(9) Turn left onto Avenue de la Gare (or D500). Shortly after, turn right onto the Grand Rue and follow it to the Saint-Grégoire Church, passing the Post Office and the Town Hall.

(10) Turn left into the Chemin de Coste which goes down to the bottom of the village. Turn left into the Chemin du Queyron, then take the first road on the right and leave it a few metres further on to the right to pass under the railway.

(11) After the passing the railway bridge, turn right, follow the track until the first path on the left.

(12) Follow this path until the next crossroads, go straight on, on a stony path. Arrive on the plateau of vineyards. Continue to the Massay signpost, which is near a large cypress hedge.
Stay on the GR® 42 in the direction of Montagnac.

(13) Leave the GR® by turning to the right onto the road to the site of the Baume and arrive at the Montagnac bee-hives.
''The Montagnac bee-hives are the largest bee wall in France; they have 76 niches dug in the rock where the hives were placed."

(14) After the visit, rejoin the road, turn left and continue down towards Montfrin. Continue until reaching the D351, turn left, pass in front of the cemetery. Pass through the village with its picturesque streets, pass in front of the Commanderie and the church. Return to the Fontaine des Rameaux signpost.

(1) Turn right again to reach the Tennis Club car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 15 m - Le Gardon
  2. 1 : km 0.17 - alt. 18 m - Fontaine des Rameaux signpost
  3. 2 : km 0.57 - alt. 47 m - Château de Montfrin
  4. 3 : km 1.78 - alt. 13 m - Le Presquier signpost
  5. 4 : km 2.59 - alt. 11 m - Le Limas signpost
  6. 5 : km 3.42 - alt. 12 m - Turn left towards Théziers
  7. 6 : km 6.66 - alt. 12 m - Junction with the D500
  8. 7 : km 7.11 - alt. 14 m - Pathway to the right, opposite the bus-stop
  9. 8 : km 8.44 - alt. 32 m - Saint-Amand chapel
  10. 9 : km 8.92 - alt. 26 m - Théziers wash-house
  11. 10 : km 9.66 - alt. 45 m - Saint-Grégoire church
  12. 11 : km 10.23 - alt. 14 m - Passage under the railway
  13. 12 : km 10.54 - alt. 15 m - First path on the left
  14. 13 : km 12.6 - alt. 62 m - Chemin de la Baume
  15. 14 : km 12.82 - alt. 52 m - Montagnac bee-hives
  16. S/E : km 14.37 - alt. 15 m

Practical information

Start : Park in the Montfrin Tennis Club car park, Place de la Liberté.

Parking : Park in the Montfrin Tennis Club car park, Place de la Liberté.

Facilities : No water point on the route.
Picnic area at the Montagnac bee-hives.

In the nearby area

To see: the Castle of Montfrin, the Chapel Saint-Amand, the church of Théziers and the bee-hives of Montagnac.
Nearby: the cooperative of the wine growers of Montfrin where you can see a whole mammoth skeleton.

 Always stay careful and alert while following a route. Visorando and the author of this walk cannot be held responsible in the event of an accident during this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

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The GPS track and description are the property of the author. Do not copy them without permission.