GR4 Hiking Trail

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The GR 4 trail is over 1000 km long, between Royan on the Atlantic coast (northwest of Bordeaux) and Grasse, in the Alpes-Maritimes. For comparison, the well-documented GR 5 trail across the French Alpes is about 650-725 km (depending on variants) and takes a minimum of 21 day (31 days probably more reasonable).

The complete GR 4 passes by these main towns:

Royan (Atlantic coast, northwest of Bordeaux) [map Angouleme area]
Saintes (northeast of Royan)
Cognac (southeast of Saintes, west of Angouleme)
South of Angoulême
South of Limoges (northeast of Angouleme) [map Limoges, Clermont-Ferrand area]
Aubusson (northeast of Limoges, west of Clermont-Ferrand)
East of Mont-Dore (southwest of Clermont-Ferrand)
Saint-Flour, Cantal (35 km south of Clermont-Ferrand)
Pont-Saint-Esprit (25 km northwest of Orange) [map Valence, Nimes area]
Manosque [map Alpes area]
Castellane
Grasse

GR 4 Provence West

From west to east, the GR4 passes:

[France detail area map, Orange]

One km south of Sainte Cécile-les-Vignes (northeast of Orange).

Crosses the Aygues river on the road bridge and through the village of Cairanne

Through low wooded hills to the villages of Rasteau and Roaix.

[France detail area map, Sault]

South and southeast through Séguret, across the Dentelles-de-Montmirail and through Malaucene. Just west of Malaucene and side trail, the GR de Pays goes southwest, past the Monastery Sainte-Madeleine and the village of Le Barroux.

The GR4 goes east through the Mont Ventoux forest, up and down the slopes and then climbs to the peak of Ventoux Mountain (1910 m).

Southeast through the forests to Sault, then another 15 km south to the village of Lagarde-d'Apt and east to Simiane-la-Rotonde.

South the GR4 passes near the ancient Abbey of Valsaintes and on to Oppedette village, in the Gorges d'Oppedette. Then past the village of Sainte Croix-à-Lauze and the Prieure de Carluc (west of Reillanne).

[France detail area map, Aix-en-Provence]

The GR4 comes in over the Roman bridge to Cereste.

East along the ridge of the Luberon to Montjustin, Montfuron and Pierrevert, then northeast to Manosque.

[France detail area map, Draguignan]

From Manosque the GR4 crosses the Durance to Gréoux-les-Bains and westward past the lavender fields, via Saint Martin-de-Brômes and north of Allemagne-en-Provence to Riez.

Down off the Plateau du Valensole, passing just south of Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, along the north side of the Verdon Gorges to La Palud-sur-Verdon.

Down into the bottom of the Verdon Gorges and north to the Point Sublime and up to the village of Rougon and over to Castellane.

GR 4 Provence East

The Provence part of the GR 4 is described in "GR 4, La Haute Provence par les Gorges du Verdon" published by FFRP (see FFRP Topo Guides). This southern part, between Pont-Saint-Esprit (25 km northwest of Orange) and Grasse, is 410 km long.

Excerpts from FFRP Topo Guide

Entrevaux (480 m) (Hotel, Gite, Dining)

3h00 - Col de Saint-Jeannet (1278 m)

0h45 - Oratoire Saint-Jean (1321 m)

1h15 - Ubraye (1000 m)

1h30 - Touyet (1250 m)

1h45 - Col de Vauplane (1650 m)

1h15 - Jct GR4, Route D102 (1330 m)

1h30 - Clot d'Agnon (1280 m)

0h45 - La Garde (927 m) (Hotel, Camping, Dining)

1h00 - Sade J-Saurin (730 m)

0h15 - Castellane (724 m) (Hotel, Gite, Dining)

Variante Soleilhas

Ubraye (1000 m)

3h45 - Soleilhas (1140 m) (Hotel, Gite, Dining)

0h40 - Jct GR4, Route D102 (1330 m)

1h30 - Clot d'Agnon (1280 m)

GR 4 Provence Maps

For hiking maps of the Provence part of the GR 4, use the Didier Richard (1:50,000):

#26 "Pay d'Azur": Grasse, Aiglun, Entrevaux.

#19 "Haute Provence Verdon": Col de St Jeannet/Ubraye, Castellane, Moustiers-Ste-Marie, Riez.

#14 "Luberon, Sainte-Victoire": Gréoux-les-Bains, Manosque, Céreste.

#27"Ventoux": Opedette, Siminae-la-Rotonde, Sault, Mt Ventoux, Malaucène, Séguret, Rasteau, Carianne.

GR 4 Provence Overnights

There are hotels and gites at Entrevaux, Soleilhas, La Garde.

For up-to-date information on refuges and hiking gites, check out gites-refuges.com

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