Les Drailles hike - Viols-le-Fort

This loop under beautiful holm oaks follows ancient drailles lined with low dry-stone walls. It skirts several dolmens and megaliths, then the sheep-scented mas de Roussières.

In the footsteps of our ancestors.

Loop through the garrigue, along ancient drailles (transhumance paths) lined with low dry-stone walls, to discover megalithic sites. Return to the paths of the past.

The drailles.

At a vineyard, leave the tarmac path and turn right onto the draille (ancestral path lined with low walls). At the crossroads, turn right to reach a large crossroads.

At the bend of a dolmen...

Go up to the left, past the dolmen, continue for 50 m, then leave the track to the right via the passage in the low wall. The path winds through the high garrigue. Cross the D127, go straight ahead and reach a clearing.
Descend to the left along the wide-open path. Take the right-hand track for 100 m, then turn left onto the path which passes under the power line, then under the D32 bridge. Follow the stream bed and reach a large meadow.

Between hundred-year-old oaks and departmental estate.

Cross it in the direction of the hundred-year-old oaks and reach the Domaine Départemental de Roussières (picnic and play area). Go around the buildings to the left and, on the road, reach a gate.

The dry stones.

On leaving the estate, cross the track and continue along the path opposite.

Cross the D32 and take the path that weaves its way between boulders and past a lavogne. Take the left-hand track, go round the D 127 and continue along the path opposite (interpretation trail), ignoring the junctions. It leads back to the crossroads of the drailles on the outward journey.

Back to our time.

Take the left-hand path down to Domaine de la Rouvière, then follow the D127 to the right for 80 m. At the bend in the road, take the path to the right and continue left along the chemin des oliviers for 500 m.

Take the left-hand road for 50 m, then the right-hand road to the first houses in Viols-le-Fort. Take the third street on the left into the heart of the village, and on the Place du Jeu-de-Ballon, use the Passage du Fort (Del Fabrègol tower, 15th century) on the right. Reach the church, then cross the D32 to the parking lot.

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