From the starting point by the road, head north towards the mouth of the valley and then to the gorges following a winding track. (1) After a slight rise, bear right as soon as possible to walk along the riverbed. Follow the riverbed to a section equipped with a ladder and follow on.
From this point on, follow the waymarks (blue dots). You'll reach the first site of a mill's ruins very quickly, then continue through the bottom of the gorge. The route is very easy, since following the riverbed, you can't get it wrong. The walk continues past a succession of cauldrons, cairns and mills.
(2) After a fairly large sinkhole filled with water, the walk seems to come to an end at the remains of the last mill. Look carefully to the left, along the wall. The old penstock shaft is still there with a length of rope to help you crawl through and reach the top of the mill. The path continues past some dammed-up ponds and to a secondary road. The pretty village of Murs comes into view and is the finishing point of the walk.
The sequence of features in the gorge:
- moulin des Grailles
- moulin Cabrier
- moulin Jean de Mare
- moulin du Puits de Cata
- moulin de la Charlesse
- moulin du Dévissé
- moulin des Étangs
- barrages des Étangs
Gorges de Véroncle
The walk starts near Gordes (listed as one of the most beautiful villages in France) and passes through the Véroncle gorge to Murs and its castle.
A very pleasant, energetic walk in the ravine of the Véroncle gorges, discovering the remains of old mills from different periods along the way.
There are a few ladders and ropes, and an old sluice shaft that cannot be avoided.
-
Activity: Walking -
Distance: 5.83 km -
Calculated time: 2h 30 -
Difficulty: Difficult -
-
Return to departure point: No -
Vertical gain: + 303 m -
Vertical drop: - 10 m -
-
Highest point: 502 m -
Lowest point: 206 m
-
Area: Monts de Vaucluse -
District: Gordes (84220) -
Start: N 43.915875° / E 5.228356° -
End: N 43.951216° / E 5.242313° -
IGN map(s): Ref. 3142OT -
Description
Waypoints
- S : km 0 - alt. 206 m - Véroncle (rivière)
- 1 : km 0.34 - alt. 223 m
- 2 : km 3.85 - alt. 420 m
- E : km 5.83 - alt. 502 m
Useful Information
N.B. There is a risk of getting wet feet in places.
No equipment needed.
The sluice shaft may obstruct some hikers.
Always stay careful and alert while following a route. Visorando and the author of this walk cannot be held responsible in the event of an accident during this route.
During the walk or to do/see around
Gordes Village, which is listed as one of the most beautiful sites in France (close to the starting point) and Murs at the finishing point, with its castle and old centre, are worth a visit.
Reviews and comments
5 / 5
4 / 5
5 / 5
Overall rating : 4.7 / 5
Date of walk : 26/06/22
Clarity of route description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Walk interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Some tricky ascents / decents which requires some upper body strength. We’ll worth the time spent. The gorge is lovely and has historic interest.
Overall rating : 4.7 / 5
Date of walk : 20/05/19
Clarity of route description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Walk interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Great walk and views. The problem is getting back to the car. We hitched to gordes and then walked down the road to our car.
Other walks in the area
The Véroncle mills
Walker 
10.00 km
+310 m
-301 m
3h 45
Difficult
Departure from Gordes (84 - Vaucluse)
The route leads up the Véroncle canyon then down the south-facing slopes of the Monts de Vaucluse.
The Trois Termes via La Sénancole
Walker 16.00 km
+382 m
-377 m
5h 40
Moderate
Departure from Gordes (84 - Vaucluse)
Loop around Gordes and its dry stone dwellings, through the valley of Sénancole and its unique Sénanque Abbey.
Around Murs via the Grande Blaque
Walker 12.67 km
+291 m
-286 m
4h 25
Moderate
Departure from Murs (Vaucluse) (84 - Vaucluse)
Lovely hike without much difficulty. After climbing uphill for just under a kilometre, just enough time to reach an altitude of 700 m, where the the panoramic view of Lubéron with its lowlands and further below the valley behind Murs, opens up to you. Just for your enjoyment, this view will last for more than 4 km. The majority of the circular hike is through forest paths.
Around Roussillon and its ochre cliffs
Walker 
9.05 km
+191 m
-191 m
3h 10
Moderate
Departure from Roussillon (Vaucluse) (84 - Vaucluse)
Walk offering beautiful landscapes and viewpoints on Roussillon and its ochre cliffs.
⚠️ There is a difficult part at the end of this walk : please read "Practical information section."
Lioux - The Madeleine cliff
Walker 
12.90 km
+341 m
-340 m
4h 40
Moderate
Departure from Lioux (84 - Vaucluse)
Circuit around Lioux returning through the Madeleine cliffs, with fine views of the Vaucluse ranges.
Vaumale valley - Lioux valley
Walker 12.54 km
+311 m
-311 m
4h 30
Moderate
Departure from Lioux (84 - Vaucluse)
Walk up Vaumale valley along a beautiful trail equipped with climbing aids and then come back down the wilder and less rocky Lioux valley.
Fountain of Vaucluse from Cabrières-d'Avignon
Walker 
12.31 km
+420 m
-414 m
4h 45
Moderate
Departure from Cabrières-d'Avignon (84 - Vaucluse)
From Cabrières-d'Avignon, this is a nice circle route leading to Fontaine-de-Vaucluse going along the Wall of the Plague (Mur de la Peste) and passing by Fontaine-de-Vaucluse castle.
Discovery trail west of Cabrières d'Avignon
Walker 7.17 km
+183 m
-182 m
2h 35
Easy
Departure from Cabrières-d'Avignon (84 - Vaucluse)
A short trail to discover the hidden attractions of the western part of Cabrières d'Avignon: olive groves, vineyards, hills, cedars, the Plague Wall (the "Mur de la Peste")
For more walks, use our search engine.
The GPS track and description are the property of the author.