The lower Verdon Gorges in Artignosc

A pretty walk off the beaten path. The views are breathtaking in diverse landscapes, all from the beautiful little hilltop village of Artignosc-sur-Verdon.

Technical sheet

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 3.20 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 1h 10 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: Yes
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 81 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 82 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 507 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 431 m

Photos

Description of the walk

The signposted car park is located in the village centre near the town fountain.

(S) Once you have parked in the town car park, take the steps leading down. It is located past the small lawn and you will be able to see three spruces next to the cliffs of Bas-Verdon.

At the bottom of the stairs, turn right, and continue past a superb, semi-circular wash house. At the end of the T-shaped path, turn left (on the right we can see a pretty sixteenth-century dovecote).

After a few metres you will reach a road which you should take to the left, then turn right towards the small Saint-Christophe Chapel. Go around it and turn left onto the path called Les Fourches. During this section between the scattered houses you can admire the peaks of the Alps and the cliffs of the Verdon Gorge fault.

At the end of the paved road, pass the hundred-year-old oak tree on the left and go down the rocky road towards Verdon along a gently sloping field for 250m.

(1) At the T-junction at the end of the path, turn left heading around the field. Turn left at the fork 200m after: the trail crosses a landscape of pleasant smelling scrubland.

After rounding a viewpoint you will reach a larger rocky road. Then make a detour to the right after a few metres and reach a very nice picnic area. In view of the picnic area there is a sign indicating a viewpoint 10 metres away (2).

Warning, this will be the most difficult 10 metres of this route but reward of the view that awaits you is well worth the effort. In front of you are the low gorges of the Verdon in all their splendour. You will have views of the villages of Saint Laurent and, further on, Montpezat. The 4 Radio Monte Carlo antennas are visible in the distance, each taller than the Eiffel Tower!

Return to the trail. Come back to the picnic area and follow the path between fields of truffle oaks, rocks and scrubland. The path turns left and soon finds the village of Artignosc perched up high. On your right a branch of the Verdon can be glimpsed between groves and up above, an old watchtower seems particularly inaccessible.

At the first crossroads (3), a sign points towards the old mill, which is in ruins. Continue on the left to reach, after a few metres, another crossroads where this time you turn right. The trail passes through the short grass fields, skirting a grove of quince trees and a water tank. It then goes straight to Artignosc not without passing along a field with a few grazing donkeys.

(4) At the cross, turn left to reach the village and car park (E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 496 m - Municipal car park
  2. 1 : km 0.97 - alt. 489 m - T-junction, left
  3. 2 : km 1.74 - alt. 460 m - view of the Verdon - Gorges du Verdon
  4. 3 : km 2.29 - alt. 431 m - Crossroads, sign, keep left
  5. 4 : km 3 - alt. 484 m - Cross, turn left
  6. S/E : km 3.2 - alt. 496 m - Municipal car park

Practical information

This is a fairly straightforward hike, good shoes are useful and depending on the season and given the heat, a water bottle will come in handy.

In Artignosc, during the right season, there is a hostel near the fountain and a nice little grocery store open all year. We leave it to you to find them.

(3) The old mill is the starting point of a tiny trail that provides access to the lake (’route does not appear on the map).

In the nearby area

Picnic area halfway along the route.
Two picnic tables with two benches apiece are available here to enjoy what food and drink you brought with you. Remember to take all your rubbish away with you as there are no bins in this still untouched natural environment.

Feel free to wander through the medieval streets of Artignosc. There is not much risk of getting lost in the few tens of minutes you'll take on this route.
Artignosc-sur-Verdon

Reviews and comments

4.2 / 5
Based on 52 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.1 / 5
Clarity of route map
4.2 / 5
Route interest
4.2 / 5
LesDeuxLoulous
LesDeuxLoulous

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Nov 09, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Easy walk to follow with my two dogs. Beautiful views.

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Fabiss
Fabiss

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 08, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Busy trail : No

Nice walk, easy to follow but of limited interest as there are few views of the gorges. The village of Artignosc is very nice though.

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Ratus84
Ratus84

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 16, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Easy, great views over the gorges. The village is well worth a visit.

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alice M
alice M

A short, relatively easy walk. The village is interesting: wash-house, pond, etc. The countryside section is less so. The countryside section is much less interesting; there are a few views of the Verdon and the route is not very bucolic.

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nonolulu
nonolulu

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Mar 23, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Nice discovery with a 360° view from the chapel. The tunnel was flooded following the previous rains, but the rest of the route was passable without a problem.

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Pelo12
Pelo12

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of walk : Dec 02, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Busy trail : Yes

It's a short circuit; the part in the village is quite interesting given the small size of the commune: 2 wash-houses, a pond, a fountain, some old buildings, a park with games for children and picturesque lanes. The "countryside" part is less so, except for the view over the Verdon and some pretty panoramas.
The picnic table was occupied by a couple, the only people I met.
I didn't go down to the few remains of the mill (because I'd already seen them and they weren't very interesting). As far as access to the water is concerned, it's a lovely, discreet spot where you can go for a swim; I frequent these gorges by kayak and every time I pass through the area, I make the diversions to this charming, shady spot that's not very popular.
To sum up: this is a short walk that you should plan to enjoy for 1 or 2 hours, without too much change in altitude and without any significant danger. On the way back, you can cool off in the village café.

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jolarando
jolarando
• Last modified:

Following Graziella's comment, I went to do the Imbut trail.
Nothing has changed, the prefectoral decree banning access to the path is still in force.
Many people ignore it because access is still possible, but what happens in the event of an accident?
The slightest immobilisation requires a helicopter.

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P'tit Léon
P'tit Léon

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of walk : Jul 19, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Clarity of route map : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

The start of the hike is very precise. However, the going gets tough after that. To get to the hunting tower, there are several forks in the path for which there are no signs.

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mimininou11
mimininou11

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Jan 12, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

It's a very easy route with some great photos of the gorges.

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chm 13
chm 13

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Jan 08, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Good walk, easy and very beautiful viewpoints.

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glaciers
glaciers

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Nov 06, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

A pleasant walk.
The entrance to the car park is in the street just before the municipal fountain.
In point 3 of the description, it would be good to indicate whether a visit to the old mill is worthwhile.
We saw the sign, but without any advice, we ignored it...
No donkeys on the way back...
At point 4, the old cross is overgrown...
The views over the lower gorges of the Verdon are magnificent.
Thanks to the author for sharing.

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oponcin
oponcin

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 03, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

You can extend the walk as you wish and enjoy a swim on the banks of the Verdon. Beautiful views of the lower gorges.
Video of the route: https://youtu.be/oAez0oLWDpw

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RANDONYVES
RANDONYVES

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of walk : Feb 18, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Busy trail : No

Apart from two or three magnificent viewpoints over the Gorges du Verdon, the route is very disappointing and of little interest. Wide D.F.C.I. type paths open to the bull, paths with rubbish. There are many nicer walks to be had in the Verdon gorges and the hinterland. However, we did visit the old village of Artignosc (on the right at the end of the hike), which is charming with its stone houses and narrow flower-lined streets that have recently been tastefully renovated. We had a great time wandering around this typical Provencal village. Don't miss it, and well done to the local council for promoting this village!

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monange
monange

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 27, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

if you're in this village, this is the walk to go for. it's a bit of a struggle to find your way through the heath at first, but the view is great and there's a small swimming spot by the ruined mill.

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