Fontanès (Loire) walks

Beautiful route along the ridges around the village of Fontanès. Free parking in the castle grounds.

A circuit primarily on small paved and sunny roads.

Family-friendly walk in the hills of Saint-Héand among the horses and cows.

This hike is primarily along clear paths with views over le Pilat and Sainte-Catherine. An easy trek with some slight up and downhill slopes. Be careful, as non-stone tracks can get muddy in the rainy season.

An open-to-the-sky Sunday stroll in the sun Canal du Forez.

A beautiful circular walk through the varied and undulating landscapes of this part of the Monts du Lyonnais, taking you through the pretty, shady valley of the Bâtie stream and along the Rontalon botanical trail. The route follows an old railroad track from the early twentieth century, before climbing up through a Mediterranean style forest and past some market gardens. End by visiting the medieval village of Rochefort where you can visit the remains of the keep and the chapel.

An easy walk to enjoy as a family. Very popular in summer, it is worth the detour to admire the panoramic view over the Alps and the summits of Mont Blanc, the Lyonnais mountains and the Giers valley, the Vercors massif and those of northern Vivarais. With a wealth of flowers in spring, you can gather bilberries in August and raspberries in September. Unless you choose to go ski touring or cross-country skiing here in winter.

Varied itinerary: Forest on the climb toward the Crêt de Py Froid then at the start of the descent. The landscape opens out on the descent, becoming more rural. A little walking on the road.

A very nice circuit around the Monts du Lyonnais to explore the climbing area at Py Froid.

An easy hike along the ridges of Pilat linking three major summits, via trails through forests and moors. Along the way we discover magnificent views of the Alps, the Massif Central and the Rhône Valley.

This path is very pleasant in the Autumn, with a magnificent view of the monts d'Or, Lyon and the Rhone valley.
This route can be extended in the direction of Yzeron or Thurin.
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A walk through Forez on waymarked trails.

This fairly easy circuit from Saint-Laurent-de-Vaux will take you on a pleasant trail mainly in the forest. If the weather is clear, the view from the Plat Saint-Romain plateau offers a panoramic view of the Alps.

Another original way to get to this beautiful viewpoint that is the Saint-Sabin chapel on a small bluff in the heart of the Pilat Park, pouring into the Rhône Valley, with some of the best views of the Alps and pre-Alps (especially across the south). At the chapel, many signs and indications tell the story of the place and its flora.

In addition to being a nice hike, this circuit is interesting because throughout the trail signs provide educational information on the fauna and flora, tree species etc. It also helps hikers discover the local agricultural heritage that is everywhere so close to Lyon.

Rochebaron Castle is the emblematic site in the Bas-en-Basset and Monistrol-sur-Loire area.
Beautiful views, first over the Loire and, on the return journey, over the Meygal massif.