Introduction

This fairly challenging hike takes in several sites of natural and historical interest. It begins in prehistory with the tholos tomb of La Lauve. Next, it passes above the St. Barthélémy Valley, where we find several ruins dating from the 8th to the 20th centuries. At the bottom of the valley, we explore some caves, and upon exiting the valley, we pass by the chapel of the same name. But the hike isn't over yet, we follow an aqueduct back towards Salernes and make a short detour to see the castle ruins. On the descent, we see olive oil presses and one of the town's wash houses. Finally, we descend to the river bath on the Bresque, where we can thoroughly cool off.

The facts

11,6 km total distance

4 h 30 min walk time

400 m total elevation

orientation average

mark 45% of the total distance

45% hard-surfaced quiet side streets

35% easy trails

10% parks

5% moderate trails

<5% hard-surfaced country road

<5% cross country

<5% stairs

<5% rack

<5% in the riverbed

dangers exposed sections

children yes, but it's long

useful picnic stuff

required hiking boots, hiking equipment, water and bathing stuff

GPS coordinates (WGS84) of start and end point 43.56211007705434,6.232650602790022

downloads

Public transport

Salernes is accessible by bus on line 812 between Draguignan and Aups. Line 802 connects to Brignoles. Information and timetables are available on Zou! (only french).

The only bus stop, Halte Routière le Pin Bernard, is south of the town. Unfortunately, there are no pedestrian paths through the buildings, you must stay on the roads that run through the town. To reach the starting point, walk along Boulevard de la Libération. It's the junction heading northwest to the right of the only building directly near the Pin Bernard roundabout. Continue until you see the road sign for Entrecasteaux and turn left. At the T-junction, turn right (sign for parking). Enter the parking lot 50 meters further on, on the left, and turn right. You will arrive in a park, and the starting point is located here.

Access by car

The town of Salernes is located in the Var Département hinterland, far to the north and near the Verdon Gorge. It is therefore north of the A8 motorway.

• Coming from Marseille, exit the A8 motorway at Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume and follow the signs for Barjols. From there, first follow the signs for Pontevès, then Cotignac, and then Sillans-la-Cascade. Go through this village and continue towards Salernes. Continue towards the town centre, drive through it almost entirely, follow the signs for Toutes Directions and turn right into the parking lot as soon as the one-way traffic ends.
• Coming from Nice, exit the A8 motorway at Le Muy and head towards Draguignan. Drive through this town and follow the signs for Flayosc. Drive through this village as well and continue towards Salernes. Continue towards the town centre and turn towards Entrecasteaux. Upon reaching a T-junction, turn right, following the signs for Parking. Enter the parking lot 50 meters further on, on the left, and turn right here. The starting point is located here.
• Coming from the north and the Durance Valley, you will pass through Manosque, Vinon-sur-Verdon, Ginasservis, La Verdière, Montmeyan, Fox-Amphoux, and Sillans-la-Cascade. Continue as if coming from Marseille.
• Coming from the south and Toulon, you will pass through Le Luc, Le Thoronet, and Lorgues, and then arrive in Salernes. Continue as if coming from Nice.

Useful parking spaces

The Frédéric Mistral parking lot is located southeast of the town, near the Bresque River and next to the Sous Clastre Park. It's the starting point for the loop.

Hints

The loop is quite long and initially passes through a very arid, south-facing area with no shade. This climb is tough, so it's best to start early in the morning to avoid the heat.

The whole region is a zone with a high risk of forest fires. In summer, but also in other seasons when it is very dry or by strong winds, access to the forest areas can be regulated. As a result, the roads may be closed to traffic and/or the trails prohibited to hikers. Current information: Map of access to the forests of the Var (also english). The map shows the colours green, yellow, orange and red which correspond to levels of danger. The affected area is: Centre Var (6).

The sections

1. A steep climb from Salernes to the Tholos de la Lauve.
2. Follow the limestone plateau west of the St. Barthélémy.
3. Descent to the bottom of the Braque Valley and exploration of some caves.
4. Climb to the Chapel of St. Barthélémy and return to town along the aqueduct, passing the castle and ending at the river bath.

Section 1: Salernes - la Lauve

➙ 2,1 km ... 35 min ➚ 195 m ➘ 0 m ↝ easy

10% parks, without marks

5% hard-surfaced quiet side streets, without marks

15% hard-surfaced country road, without marks

40% hard-surfaced quiet side streets, without marks

30% easy trails, with marks

We leave the parking lot heading north and enter a somewhat wild park. We continue in this direction.

It's called Sous Clastre. A dead-end street has the same name. We don't know what it means, perhaps Under the Cloister? In any case, we're below the town.

After 150 meters in this park, we reach a small road where we turn right uphill.

We reach the top and pass under a house, which leads us back to the main road. We turn left.

This road isn't very attractive, and there's a lot of traffic, this is what a Provençal town looks like that doesn't make the headlines on tourist websites. But this town is authentic, and this hike shows that there's a lot to see right here, starting from the town centre.

We continue in this same direction until we leave the centre. After 250 meters, we arrive at a roundabout where we take the uphill road to the right.

The last houses before the roundabout are terracotta and tile workshops.

An arrow points to Parouvier, the neighbourhood at the top of this street.

The road climbs 70 metres in elevation without any major detours.

We emerge onto the D560 road, which bypasses Salernes to the north. We cross the road and find ourselves in front of some recycling bins.

We turn right and see a drainage ditch and, behind it, a path that climbs the rocky embankment. This is our route to the tholos.

We could debate what's more difficult: the uphill road we just started on or the desolate limestone landscape that continues to rise.

The slope certainly increases here.

On both sides of the path are piles of stones with a hole in the centre.

It's possible that an attempt was made to replant trees here, and that it failed. Does anyone know more? Please use the comments section at the bottom of the page to add to the information on this page!

The tholos tomb at La Lauve dates from between 2500 and 2000 BCE. It is the only prehistoric tomb of this type in the Var department. It is a collective tomb from the late Neolithic period.

A tholos is a circular structure covered by a vault, like the tholos of Delphi in ancient Greek architecture. By extension, this term is applied to all circular structures like this tomb. In Greek, it is a feminine term.

The tomb was excavated in 1950 by André Taxil, a pharmacist from Salernes. It contained the remains of approximately 25 individuals of all ages. In the upper level, the bones indicate the rite of cremation.

The offerings to the deceased, found during the excavations, consisted of flint knives, arrowheads, and various necklace elements made of greenstone, limestone, and shells.

Section 2: La Lauve - Salernes Vieilles

➙ 2,6 km ... 1 h ➚ 125 m ➘ 120 m ↝ average

100% easy trails, faulty marks

<5% cross country, without marks

We set off from the Tholos de la Lauve, heading north. A cairn marks this path, but be careful: there are several paths. Here, turn right to pass to the right of the pine tree.

This path is usually marked in yellow, but the markings are old and difficult to see.

50 metres further on, we reach this crossroads. Keep heading north, so bear left here and then immediately right to resume the northerly direction.

Some 70 metres further on, we arrive at this fork where we keep left.

30 meters further on, we keep left of a ruin visible among the trees.

Next, we walk along a dry-stone wall. These may have been terraces used to create arable land.

A little further on, another significant climb begins.

From here, the trail markings are more distinct. We follow yellow blazes and blue dots, which are private markers.

The climb continues.

It's still uphill, but this path is pleasant and enjoyable.

This relatively flat section doesn't mark the highest point. The path becomes steeper upwards.

Our path passes near this ruined shelter.

60 meters further on, there's a fork in the path, we stay on the main path to the right.

Another shelter, without a roof but with slightly higher walls, is located along the path.

The path's elevation stabilizes at around 420 meters.

We walk alongside other terrace walls here.

100 metres further on, we cross this forest track that descends from the D31 road between Salernes and Aups towards the valley on the right.

We'll take another path to descend into this valley, so we continue straight ahead, taking the path on the right.

Our path remains flat, but it does make a hairpin turn to the left.

Shortly after, we pass near another shelter. One might wonder what these shelters were really used for.

We emerge onto another forest track where we turn left for a few meters.

This track would lead back up towards point 425 along the D31 road.

However, we turn right at the first opportunity. A tree bears the yellow and blue markers.

The path climbs slightly, and we walk along a wooded ridge, as we can see down to the right and left between the trees.

It looks like a fork in the path, but the main path descends here to the right.

We leave the marked trail here and continue straight ahead.

The marked junction descends towards the Chapel of St. Bartholomew.

Our path turns right, descends slightly, but then begins another climb.

This ruin marks the highest point of the loop at nearly 455 metres.

The pile of stones also marks a fork in the path, we turn right here, heading from now on south!

60 metres further on, we reach a fork in the path marked by a cairn. We initially take the right-hand path towards some ruins, a viewpoint, and a cave.

The other fork (yellow arrow) marks our later descent into the valley, this will be described in the next section.

Our path follows a ridge.

In a hollow lies this small sinkhole. The opening is small, but it drops off deeply.

The ridge widens, the trees are taller, and the ground is less rocky.

A little further on, we come across the first ruins of the fortified village of Salernes Vieilles.

These are the remains of the northern enclosure wall, with double walls.

A little further south is a series of adjoining rooms or buildings.

Besides the foundations of the ruins, we find terracotta fragments from tiles and amphorae.

This fortified settlement controlled the old road descending from Aups towards the Argens valley.

This fortified site was therefore not a permanent settlement. The flat, terraced areas, which may have been used for cultivation, likely did not provide enough sustenance for the people stationed there. The settlement is mentioned in 1043 as a ruin, at a time when Salernes already occupied its current location. The ruins therefore date back to at least before the year 1000.

We continue along the path beyond the ruins, heading south. Yellow markers and blue dots are still visible.

In any case, we descend and keep to the left.

This path skirts the plateau at a lower level.

We arrive at the marked pine tree. We turn right here, continuing along the rocks.

We are now off the marked path. We move from rock to rock, avoiding the vegetation that grows in the crevices between them.

On this descent, we pass to the left of a large bush. Shortly after, we pass a small cave.

We descend to the viewpoint overlooking the Saint-Barthélémy chapel.

It is theoretically possible to descend from here, but it is very steep, the bushes are thorny, and the rocks are sharp.

This rock is a good vantage point from which to admire the panorama beyond the chapel.

Straight ahead to the south, to the right of the chapel, are the cliffs that form the valley descending to the southwest of the chapel.

To the east, to the left of the chapel, lies the Brague Valley, also bordered by cliffs.

Further to the left, we can see a plateau in the distance, this is the eastern part of the Canjuers military camp.

This descent is a dead end for us. We return to the pine tree with the two markers.

Section 3: Salernes Vielles - Vallon de la Brague

➙ 1,8 km ... 1 h 20 min ➚ 60 m ➘ 110 m ↝ difficult

10% cross country, without marks

30% moderate trails, faulty marks

55% easy trails, faulty marks

5% stairs, faulty marks

We return to the pine tree with the last yellow and blue marker. We then turn right to pass under the castrum and skirt around it counterclockwise.

There are no more markers here, and the path is difficult to discern. After a short descent, it continues its steady climb.

We pass under a first cave with another opening higher up.

We can go through it, but then we return towards the base of the cliff.

It's easier to stay on the path outside, even though it's not clearly visible.

Shortly after, we reach a second cave with a slightly larger opening.

There's also a hole higher up here, it probably leads to the plateau, but access is impossible without serious climbing.

The path begins to disappear as the cliff on the left flattens completely. Now is the time to climb under the small trees to rejoin the path on the ridge.

This ascent can be blocked by a multitude of oak trunks, so you really have to look for your way uphill to the west.

As soon as we're on the path, we quickly reach the junction with the cairn.

We take the right-hand path and continue uphill for a few more metres.

We're back up higher, with a good view to the northeast through the trees.

We're quite far north here, more specifically north of the Brague Valley. Here, the Brague River flows through the Plérimond Gorges, which could be used to reach Aups. However, there's no path in it.

We find a marker indicating the correct route, we turn right at the pine tree, and the descent into the valley begins.

Oddly enough, the IGN map doesn't show this path.

The descent is rapid, we drop drop metres in altitude over a distance of barely 400 meters.

There are a few rocky steps to descend.

We also pass rock faces that are part of the gorges of this large valley.

It's only much lower down that we reach the denser vegetation of the valley.

Further down, we come across this No Entry sign. This isn't a general prohibition, it only applies to this first cave.

We follow the wooden fence to reach a footbridge. We are now on the main path of the Brague Valley.

The caves are numbered, but not all of them are visible, and some are inaccessible.

This one, in any case, is on the left as you head north.

Human bones dating from the Neolithic period, bearing tool marks, were found in one of the caves. A dozen skeletons were studied in the Fontbregoua cave, and all had been butchered and deboned. The reason could be famine, religious practice, or conflict, the victims could also have been young prisoners. Similar events are reported throughout Europe during this period, but they remain rare.

The path through the valley is wide and easy.

However, the gorge gradually narrows.

At the bottom of the gorge, there is always water, and the trees are much taller than on the plateau.

This cave is at the bottom of the gorge and is easily accessible.

These are all more or less semi-circular scour caves that generally lead nowhere further.

There are also caves higher up, dating back to a time when the gorge was at this higher level.

A little further on, there is a steel ladder on the right. This is the last possible exit from the canyon and also the access to the Plériomond Gorge.

We remain in our main valley, however, even though it is a dead end.

The gorge narrows. To the left, a vertical wall, to the right, small scour holes.

The dead end becomes obvious. Although we're walking uphill, the path descends.

Here comes the insurmountable climb.

It's time for us to turn back.

We already know part of the way up.

We stay at the bottom of the valley for the rest of the way, and the path crosses several footbridges.

We didn't count the footbridges, there must be about ten in the valley.

We eventually arrive at a large meadow shaded by tall trees. It's a picnic and play area where you find many locals on weekends.

There are many paths here. We stay to the right.

And so, we arrive below the Saint Barthélemy Chapel.

Yes, it's one last climb of about ten metres.

Section 4: Château de Salernes - Bain fluvial

➙ 5,1 km ... 1 h 30 min ➚ 20 m ➘ 170 m ↝ easy

<5% stairs, faulty marks

5% easy trails, faulty marks

30% hard-surfaced quiet side streets, without marks

<5% rack, without marks

20% hard-surfaced quiet side streets, without marks

10% parks, without marks

25% hard-surfaced quiet side streets, without marks

<5% in the riverbed, without marks

5% hard-surfaced quiet side streets, without marks

5% parks, without marks

This chapel was built in the 16th century and remodelled in 1814.

The nave is adorned with recent frescoes by the local artist Alain Dalmasso.

We descend from the chapel and turn right to leave the valley.

More footbridges follow.

We arrive at a somewhat landscaped area under large planted plane trees, with a few stone picnic benches.

A final footbridge leads us to the last parking area accessible by car from Salernes.

There are restrooms here.

We ignore a forest track on the right that would take us back up to the tholos.

We stay on the small paved road to finally leave the valley.

After a water reservoir, we arrive in an area of villas with olive and cypress trees.

We stay on this winding road heading south.

About fifteen minutes after the Vallon de la Brague barrier, we spot a dead-end sign and a fire hydrant at number 333 Chemin de Saint-Barthélémy.

We turn right onto it.

We pass between thuja trees on the left and a tufa wall on the right.

We turn left at the next fork, at number 339.

We are now walking along the route of a canal diverted from the Brague River at the Vallon's exit. There is still some water here.

This canal leads us to an aqueduct bridge. We follow this way.

We cross the D560 road, high above the ground, on steel plates under which the canal runs.

Further on, this path leads to an unpaved road.

We continue south.

We arrive at a road called Chemin de la Roque, where we logically turn right.

The canal continues alongside us.

But it veers to the left further on, as the road descends more noticeably.

On the right, we see the he rather bare hill with tholos.

This road takes us under this arch. It's another branch of the aqueduct, but this section is no longer in use.

Just after, we take a grassy path that climbs slightly above the road.

Further on, we reach the two towers that remain of Salernes Castle.

The castle has existed since the 11th century. A fire destroyed it in 1676.

The castle ruins also offer a very good view of the village and its round-tiled roofs.

Two vaults also remain.

The castle's remains must have been taken away after the fire.

We leave the ruined area by the same path we came in by and continue down the alley.

We keep to the right at this intersection.

A little further down is this house, of which only the facade remains.

This facade allows us to look inside.

We can see two oil presses. These presses didn't use water power, the olives were pressed either by men or by donkeys.

There was, however, a canal to power a mill, and we can also see a millstone in the foreground. Such a millstone requires a more complex system, in any case.

After the mill, we descend the steepest alley left.

We ignore the dead end at the bottom right, but we turn right in front of the sports fields.

On this descent, we keep to the right.

We can see water flowing here as well.

What looks like a simple wall on the left is the main historic wash house of Salernes.

Let's go down and see it.

This wash house was built in 1855. It was immediately used for washing clothes because washing clothes in the fountains was forbidden at the same time.

It has recently been renovated and its water supply restored.

We walk back up from the wash house towards the alley and turn left. It's a slight uphill climb.

We arrive at a square shaded by a huge plane tree. On the sunnier terrace is one of the fountains where people were no longer allowed to wash their clothes.

We continue in the same direction, turning onto the narrow Rue de la Font du Mûrier. This street eventually leads us onto Rue de la Calade (which is now paved with concrete) and which descends to the main street we encountered earlier.

We cross the road and continue west, leaving the town. We turn after the Jacques Brest ceramics company building.

The house at the intersection is decorated with glazed tiles.

The small road descends to a crossroads where we continue straight ahead.

We pass a campervan area, which we note for the return path.

This brings us to La Muie river bath on the Bresque River. This same river forms the large waterfall at Sillans and other pools upstream from Salernes. See Waterfalls and sinter pools at Sillans-la-Cascade for this nearby hike.

The water temperature rarely exceeds 20°C in summer and is often even cooler. Swimming is permitted, but unsupervised. Animals are not allowed. Pine trees provide shade. There are no other facilities except for trash cans.

The return trip is a bit of a trek if you don't want to take the main street through the town centre.

So, we head back to the campervan area and go to the far end.

Here, the banks of the Bresque River are stabilized by large steps on both sides. You can easily go down one side and just as easily climb back up the other. You have to decide beforehand whether you want to get your shoes wet or take them off.

Opposite this, we find a small road that runs alongside the river, we follow this downstream. Upon reaching a crossroads, we spot a concrete footbridge on the left. We take it to find the park and the starting point parking lot further on the right.

Sources and additional information

It is better to use a good topographic hiking map: this tour is on the IGN map "Aups, Salernes", scale 1:25000, 3443OT.

If you don't want to bother with a paper map, you can also use mapping apps on your cell phone. On the one hand, it is the Cartes IGN app from the official map service. However, it requires access to the data network and this is sometimes difficult in canyons or remote locations.

Alternatively, you can use apps that store data directly on the device. They're generally not free, but they don't cost much. We mainly use OSMAnd, here it is possible to add contour lines, relief shading, markings and others. To store this data on your phone you need a lot of space.

Of course, one needs access to satellites for the GPS signal with any app. In some canyons this is not the case. Therefore, do not rely on the position shown, but read the map on your phone as you would read it on paper. Most apps are available for Android and iPhone. The applications usually allow us to record the route travelled and also view the GPS files offered for each of our hikes.