Villeneuve de Berg - The Forêt des Sens

Description

Park at the Combettes car park, below the D902.

(D/A) If you're looking at the houses overlooking the car park, climb to the right on the square and turn right on the Rue du Fort, after the Caisse d'Épargne. Follow this for about 150m up to a trails signpost.

(1) Turn right on the Grande Rue, pass the Place des Capucins and a house with blue shutters and continue straight on until the crossing with the Rue de la Couronne (new trails signpost).

(2) Turn right until the ford, which you cross. The route is marked by small yellow signs "Forêt des sens". Continue up until you reach a barrier on your left: the signs and "white-yellow" markers invite you to climbs to the left.

Continue climbing straight ahead and keep going on the path opposite on the first intersection.

(3) Continue straight on until the top of the hill. Enjoy a great view of the village toward the end of the climb.

(4) You'll now be at the arboretum and the start of the "Sentier des sens", which is very well marked indicating which path to take (yellow arrows on a black background).

Extract from the leaflet:
...." ' Using your five senses, and with the help of six pulpits, a xylophone(!) and a landscape table, you'll discover the natural, historical, cultural and landscape heritage of the Devois hill and its extensive environment'''. "...

Follow this path. After the xylophone pulpit, take a quick return trip to the right to get to the orientation table and then continue up until you cross the path you took on the climb.

(3) Continue straight on, follow the track that is partially and pleasantly lined with trees, and which curves left around the Devois hill leading to an asphalt track just below a parking area.

(5) Turn left and go down the asphalt track up to the Saint-Andéol-de-Berg road (D259).

(6) At the trails signpost, turn left, go past the forester's house and then take the trail on the right (white-yellow markers) which descends back down to the river "Ibie". Cross the ford and walk back up straight toward the town centre via the Rue de l'Ibie which then continues as the Basse Rue Roger Vallos

(2) Continue straight on. Immediately after the Place des Capucins, turn right on a vaulted passage (Rue Émile Froment) to reach the Place Emile Froment.

(7) Cross the square diagonally to take the Rue Saint John opposite which takes you out next to the church bell tower.

Fork left, cross the square and then take the Rue du Fort opposite and to get back to the car park(D/A).