The mills on the Vidourle and the Montredon ruins

A pleasant, easy hike. Mostly on paths, sometimes on small roads. Landscapes of garrigue, vines and woods. Several mills line the route. You must make a short round trip to the Vidourle to admire them and enjoy the river's restful calm (on this day!!).

Technical sheet

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 15.89 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 00 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: Yes
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 152 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 151 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 98 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 22 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Departure point: Esplanade on the left bank of the Vidourle river, near the Arènes.

(S/E) Descend to the Vidourle and take the Pas de Graveresse causeway which leads to the opposite bank where the first mill is located: Moulin de Vanderesse. Cross the Salinelles road D6110 "(caution)" and continue to the right along the track.
At the roundabout, turn left onto Rue des Anciens Combattants and continue along Chemin de Montredon to a crossroads.

(1) Turn right to reach the Montredon ruins. After wandering through the ruins, turn back.

(1) Here you have a choice of 3 paths forming a crow's-foot. Choose the one in the middle (heading south). At the end of this path, turn right and pass under a power line. At the road, turn right.

(2) Leave this road to the left towards Mas de Rosier. Continue, turning left and then right.

(3) Take a slight right turn onto Chemin Reine Blanche de Castille. Pass near Mas de l'Olivier and continue, ignoring the paths to the right and left.

(4) Turn right, then right again shortly afterwards. Continue straight ahead on this path, which joins a road.

(5) Go left and turn right at the first crossroads. You're now on the Chemin de la Plaine de Montredon. Follow it under a power line.

(6) At the corner of a vineyard, turn left onto Chemin du Mas d'Arqual. Follow it, again passing under the same power line.

(7) Turn right onto Chemin de la Fontaine de Montredon and continue straight on to the Chapelle Saint-Julien de Montredon.

(8) You're now at the Chapelle Saint-Julien de Montredon, where you can visit the exterior. For a visit, a telephone number is displayed on the door: 0670595731. You can enter the adjoining cemetery and admire its calm.
Continue along the Chemin de Saint-Julien de Montredon, passing under the D35 to reach Salinelles.

(9) Go down a few steps to the right to visit the wash-house and the waterwheel. Go back up to the street, cross it and see the waterwheel at the château on the left. Return to the street and continue straight ahead to leave Salinelles.

(10) Leave the Salinelles road and turn left into the village, before turning right into the Chemin de Runel, which leads down to the cemetery. Return to the road and, shortly afterwards, turn right into Chemin de la Carrierrasse, which leads to the Vidourle. Make a short round trip to the Vidourle before continuing at right-angles along this riverbank path, which returns to the road. Continue to the right.

(11) Leave the road and turn right towards the Vidourle, which you will cross via a submersible bridge. From here, you can see the Moulin de Runel on the right bank and the causeway over the river.

(12) After this passage, turn right at an acute angle to take the path that follows the Vidourle downstream.

(13) Leave the path, pass under the old railroad bridge and wind under the evergreen oaks on the Chemin du Vila. Pass in front of the old railway station on the path called "Le moulin et la gare".

(14) Turn right around Mas du Brut and head towards the Vidourle to discover Moulin de Pattes on the right bank. Retrace your steps as far as the bend and follow the path through the woods to the right.

(15) Pass under the railway line and, immediately afterwards, climb the track, which becomes a "voie verte". Pass over the Aigalade stream and, as soon as you cross the bridge, turn right and continue along the path closest to the stream, which veers off to the left.

(16) This brings you to the Moulin de Villevieille. Continue down to the Vidourle, where the Moulin de Fontibus can be seen on the opposite bank. Return to the original path. Continue along this small asphalt road.
On the plain, you'll come to a large information panel on the work carried out to retain trees and branches during floods on the Vidourle: "le peigne à embâcles" (the log-jam comb).
Pass under the road and follow the asphalt road to the entrance to the car park, which you cross to find your car parked alongside the Vidourle.(S/E)

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 25 m - Esplanade on the left bank of the Vidourle
  2. 1 : km 1.23 - alt. 72 m - Bifurcation
  3. 2 : km 2.68 - alt. 79 m - Left towards Mas de Rosier
  4. 3 : km 3.02 - alt. 88 m - Small step to the right
  5. 4 : km 3.71 - alt. 59 m - To the right
  6. 5 : km 4.64 - alt. 74 m - Left at the road
  7. 6 : km 5.72 - alt. 38 m - On the left, Chemin du Mas d' Arqual
  8. 7 : km 6.2 - alt. 31 m - Right Chemin de la Fontaine
  9. 8 : km 7.2 - alt. 42 m - Saint-Julien de Montredon chapel
  10. 9 : km 8.08 - alt. 39 m - Wash-house and waterwheel
  11. 10 : km 8.68 - alt. 45 m - Left at the three-way junction
  12. 11 : km 10.04 - alt. 31 m - Submersible bridge - Vidourle (fleuve)
  13. 12 : km 10.28 - alt. 30 m - To the right along the Vidoule
  14. 13 : km 10.73 - alt. 34 m - Passage under the old railway line
  15. 14 : km 11.91 - alt. 37 m - Mas du Brut
  16. 15 : km 13.08 - alt. 29 m - Ride the future greenway
  17. 16 : km 13.91 - alt. 28 m - Moulin de Villevieille and Fontibus opposite
  18. S/E : km 15.89 - alt. 25 m - Esplanade on the left bank of the Vidourle

In the nearby area

At the end of the route, from the road underpass, you can continue along the Vidourle. You can cross the Pisse Saume stream on a stony path. The starting point is soon reached.

Can anyone point to a website where you can find out how the norias at Salinelles work? Or explain it for us?

The length of the route may seem long, but it includes technical stops, a morning coffee and banana break, a leisurely lunch at the Chapelle Saint-Julien and photo stops.

Reviews and comments

4.1 / 5
Based on 41 reviews

Reliability of the description
4 / 5
Clarity of route map
4.3 / 5
Route interest
4.1 / 5
celinemma
celinemma

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of walk : Jan 22, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

A lovely walk with the Vidourle in great shape. Not too many roads and lovely paths. Very pleasant walk.

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athmos.oner
athmos.oner

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Dec 14, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

A real Sunday walk in every sense of the word.
Easy, accessible and more of a road walk than a trail hike, which normally annoys me.
However, on this Sunday after the rain, there were no cars and the scents of autumn were very nice and the walk was really pleasant.
GPS was compulsory to find your way around and enjoy the ruins and some lovely viewpoints.

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Edipie
Edipie

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : May 12, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

Very nice walk

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Candirandos
Candirandos

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Jan 28, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

Nice walk

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marcelle marie
marcelle marie

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Dec 17, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : Yes

We had a lovely picnic on the banks of the Vidourle with a kingfisher on a tree.

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fdwilliam
fdwilliam

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Dec 03, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

A short circuit with beautiful, tranquil scenery. A relaxing stroll with no difficulty, so you can have a good time without any effort!

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Sultane
Sultane

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of walk : Nov 19, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Clarity of route map : N/A
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Busy trail : No

Too much tarmac
Very little signposting
No picnic spots on the route
The few forest paths are pleasant, especially in hot weather.

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bernbla
bernbla

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Oct 07, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Thank you for this easy walk, which is perfect for the whole family, and it's worth noting that the green route (point 15) now exists.

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Monique verrey
Monique verrey

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Mar 05, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

A pleasant and interesting walk
(chapel, castle, waterwheel, several mills)

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Marc heur
Marc heur

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of walk : Feb 15, 2023
Reliability of the description : N/A
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

A very pleasant and easy walk.Although there are sections on tarmac roads, these are not very busy and are quite pleasant.Between the ruins of Montredon, the chapel, the mills, the wash-house and the noria, there's a lot to see.I'll add that a few metres before point 7 (about forty metres) there's a superb drystone shelter.The Vidourle can be seen at various points throughout this walk.

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Bocca
Bocca
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of walk : May 14, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

A pleasant, easy walk alternating between sunny and shady sections.
The GPS track is very useful for avoiding getting lost at several junctions.
Avoid in midsummer or after rainy spells.
It's a shame that the ruins of Montredon don't benefit from a rehabilitation programme!

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Bidule34130
Bidule34130

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Apr 25, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

A very pleasant, easy and varied walk. You can avoid the tarmac on the way back by following the path along the banks of the Vidourle. Thank you for visirando.

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malolu34
malolu34

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Mar 02, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

it was impossible to park in the car park provided, due to work on the bridge.
We parked in the vidourles car park and crossed by the footbridge.
the hike was shortened, we shortened at the level of the 1 after the ruins of Montredon to the 6 very well for us.
drystone shelter, chapel, waterwheel and washhouse and the mills as well as the embacle combs.
.a varied and very beautiful walk in fine weather. Thank you visorando

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Annie et Jean-Marc
Annie et Jean-Marc

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 04, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Very pleasant walk. Do it again

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Permaf30
Permaf30

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Mar 26, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

Too many tarmac roads but nice walk

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