Discover the GR® de Pays hiking trails around the Ventoux Mountains!
We’ll take you on a trail where you will discover the unique landscapes of the Alpine North, the Mediterranean South, the Brantes foothills and the Comtat Venaissin plain (with Carpentras, Mazan and Pernes-les-Fontaines along the way)
Duration:
10 days
Type:
Hiking
The GR® de Pays hiking trail around the Ventoux Mountains..
Between 2 – 10 days of hiking on foot, or 5 loops to cover as you wish
This walk in the heart of the Mont Ventoux Regional Nature Park can be done all year round. It extends over more than 220 km (on foot, which will be wearing on your shoes… Yes, we hum while we walk, or vice-versa, depending on our mood ) with 5 loops (the summit of Mount Ventoux, the Ventoux foothills, les Jas, Pétrarque, and the Nesque River Canyons (Gorges de la Nesque) to the Plague Wall). 3 of these loops are detailed in the GR® de Pays guidebook, Around Mont-Ventoux and the Dentelles de Montmirail (an indispensable tool to plan your hike).
Expert advice
We prefer hiking in the spring (when the flowers and plants are plentiful and lush) and in the autumn (when Mount Ventoux is adorned with colours, from yellow to blazing browny-red)
The GR® on film
An adventure surrounded by nature
Whether you decide to walk the whole 220 km (wandering over several days with cosy nap breaks, that’s what we would do too), a particular loop or a small section of one of these, one thing is certain: you will reconnect with nature (and turn off your phone)!
Here, among caves and rivers, dry gorges and hilltop villages, secret chapels and legendary summits, this GR® de Pays tour of the Ventoux Mountains is one of a kind. In these beautiful spots, which have been listed as UNESCO “Biosphere Reserves” since 1990, the Southern Warbler and the Ocellated Lizard, which thrive in dry Mediterranean environments, can be found alongside the Boreal Owl and the Greenland hairy poppy, species that all share an affinity for the mountains.
You can also find mountain goats, deer, hares, foxes and more here (if you are lucky, because they often play hide-and-seek with humans). A whole world of wildlife co-exists alongside the herds of goats and flocks of sheep, because pastoral farming is still very much a feature on the “Giant of Provence”. If you love nature and wildlife photography, you will be in your element
Our top tips
Experience this adventure with our tour guides, who will tell you how the story of man is connected to that of nature, teach you how to recognise and protect wildlife (both flora and fauna), and share with you their love for the “Giant of Provence”.
Our must-see spots
When you’re on a hike, it’s lovely to find a nice little spot for a break, where you can take a photo or simply take time to think and listen to nature
Truth be told, we love all the routes in this GR® de Pays Tour of the Ventoux Mountains, but we have a few favourites we’d like to share with you, in no particular order. For us, these spots have an endearing charm, from colours that stir the emotions, to scents that tickle the nostrils: the Combe of Curnier above Bedoin, the Combe Obscure with the Chapel of the Madelène, the Pays de Sault, especially when the lavender is in bloom, Monieux and the Nesque River Canyons (with the Saint-Michel Chapel and the Rocher du Cire), the Plague Wall around St Hubert, above Monieux, the unspoilt Toulourenc Valley, which overlooks the waterways (these very fragile waterways are protected and you cannot travel along them, you must stay on the marked paths), not to mention our hilltop villages (Brantes, Méthamis, Venasque and Le Beaucet).
Even though we already know these places, we always like to go back, because each time we find something new: a summer evening, a spring morning, an autumnal afternoon… At each time and season, there is a unique sensation, that feeling of being one with Mother Nature.
Don’t miss
There are also lesser known spots, such as the source of the Groseau in Malaucène, the Combe de l’Ermitage in Villes-sur-Auzon, the Jas, and more… There is nothing showy here, but you will find a special atmosphere that always wins over anyone who visits
A food-producing region with many delicious delights to enjoy
The Ventoux offers some delicious delights to enjoy over the course of these hiking trails and all year round
Discover Ventoux Saveurs in the autumn, which offers wines from the Ventoux region with the AOC designation of origin, strawberries from Carpentras, asparagus from Mormoiron, black figs from Caromb, black truffles and summer truffles…
Enter the world of the local producers, farm-inns, wine cellars and vineyards and enjoy all the culinary delights the Ventoux has to offer (as they say, “After effort comes comfort”).
Hike on GR® de Pays trails in the Ventoux Mountains
Discover the GR® de Pays hiking trails in the Ventoux Mountains, with its walking loops, unmissable sights and beautiful countryside where you can immerse yourself in nature!
