Hiking in the Enclave des Papes
Is there a better season than autumn to enjoy the vineyards of the Vaucluse? This is the time of the last act of a play started in the spring when the vine, still young, carried in it the seeds of the harvest to come at the end of the summer. The grapes have now reached the tanks to begin their vinification. Only the vineyard remains, repainted by Nature with the flamboyance expected at this time. A gift offered to hikers passing through Visan between October and November before the great winter break.
Duration:
3 hours
Type:
Hiking
1 – Visan, Discreet Jewel of the Enclave des Papes
Visit and Explore the Village as a Prelude to the Hike
Visan is the southernmost gateway to the Enclave des Papes, an unusual bubble formed in the department of La Drôme and separated from the Vaucluse, to which it belongs, by the Eygues valley open between Orange and Nyons. Here the vineyard is king, spreading to the plains of the Comtat after having gone down the small mountains looming behind the village. Visan was born a little more than 2000 years earlier under the Latin name of Avisanum attributed to it by the veterans of the Second Legion who set up home there. Later the Popes would come. Seven centuries of possession the opulence of which is still suggested by the elegant and richly decorated facades of the Renaissance and Baroque mansions glimpsed while strolling through its streets. A signposted historical circuit will serve as a cultural prologue to the walk before the great immersion in vines the circuit promises.
24 Million Years Ago …
The Mediterranean came up to what would be Comtat, fuelled by rivers from the still young Alps. The sands and clays have shaped the current landscape, substrata of the future vineyard where the AOC Côtes-du-Rhône Villages is produced today.
2 – In the Great Bath of the Visan Vineyard
The Five Secrets of the Terroirs of Visan
Every Thursday in summer, follow an oenologist specialising in the terroirs of the Rhône valley, Georges Truc, for a guided tour of the vineyards of Visan before meeting the actors for a pleasant tasting.
An Easy Autumn Loop in the Heart of the Wine Estates
While you can enjoy a first glimpse of the vineyard around the Saint-Vincent chapel, it is mainly from the heights of Le Coteau Pointu that the full potential of this journey to the heart of the vineyards is revealed. Up there, at more than 300 metres above sea level, straddling the Comtat plain and the Euche valley, the vine explodes all around the trail, reinforced by the presence of the great Provencal peaks on the horizon. Mont Ventoux and the Dentelles to the south, the Montagne de Linceuil and the Baronnies further east. Not to mention the Montagne de la Lance in neighbouring La Drôme. An unexpected outlook that provides, for a little effort, much more than the fleeting emotion that its Sunday walk feel would entitle you to expect. Interspersed with segments in undergrowth, the immersion confirms the vineyard as a magical setting. Without any doubt the most successful example of osmosis between a human agricultural activity and Nature.
3 – The Chapels of the Monts de Visan
Discovering a Heritage that Does not date from Yesterday
At the entrance and exit of the circuit, two chapels recall the ever very strong ties maintained by religion and viticulture. Whether it is that of Saint-Vincent, sober and rustic, or Notre-Dame-des-Vignes, more fancy on the other hand, the walker sees the still living grip of folklore, tradition and superstition. On an annual pilgrimage that brings together residents, winegrowers, their families and friends, we come to pray for the success of the harvest. This business is taken very seriously as evidenced by the permanence of the Confrérie Saint-Vincent de Visan, founded in 1475, which always blesses the “souc” there – the vine in Provençal – before bringing it back to the Place du Marot, under the ruins of the castle, so it can be burned. A careful observation of the arch of Notre-Dame-des-Vignes reveals the inscription “Posuerunt me cortodes in vineis”: “they placed me as guardian of their vines”. A role that, in 2024, has never been denied.
Notre-Dame-des-Vignes
The particularity of Notre-Dame-des-Vignes is that it has always been the responsibility of female rectors. Even today, Dominican sisters live in the small convent adjacent to the chapel.
An autumnal getaway in flaming vineyards which offers particularly generous views of Visan and its surroundings. A walk to pair with exploring the little village and conclude with a visit to an estate.
David Genestal
Carnets de Rando
Hiking in Practice
Download:
– GPX route of the hike
In détail:
– Distance: 9 km
– Elevation gain: 264 m
– Duration: 3 hours
– Difficulty: easy
Public Transport:
From Orange, take the Zou 903 bus line, Place Jean Moulin stop.