Around Pérouges

This loop will take you out of the medieval town to discover the varied landscape of the region, with woods, crops, a few old houses and panoramic views. The 9 km route is easy to follow and well marked in orange.

Details

10083322
Creation:
Last update:
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 5.72 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 00 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 427 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 427 ft

  • ▲
    Highest point: 984 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 741 ft

Photos

Description of the walk

The medieval town is very busy and parking is available for €2 during the high season. From the car park, follow the signs to the town.
Return to the starting point at the Tourist Office at the beginning of Rue de la Porte d'en Haut, which leads up to the town. There is a small square with a cross.

(S/E) Head towards the town and, after 20 metres, turn right towards the south-east. The path starts just below a restaurant. Go through the barrier that prevents cars from entering. Follow the town wall.

(1) At the foot of the steps leading up to the town (lower gate), continue straight ahead (north). Go down Chemin de la Fontaine, passing a wash house. At the junction with the road to Moulin Betinet, turn left. Continue along Chemin Sous la Grâce. Pass Moulin Rentaize.

(2) At the crossroads (gate), turn right onto Chemin des Musatières. Cross the hamlet of the same name and continue downhill until you reach the paths, passing under a power line.

(3) Turn left onto the first path, then immediately opposite at the fork and climb westwards for a good distance, but without difficulty, under cover of the forest.

(4) At Mas Pressieu, follow the path on the left. When you reach the road, turn right and head east. Continue along the road until you reach the "Give Way" sign.

(5) Turn left and cross the Glaye crossroads. Go around the small decorative well and take Chemin de la Pierrière. After 150 m, turn right onto Chemin du Comté. Pass the housing estate and continue on the path until you reach the road.

(6) Turn right and, at the next intersection, go left. Then, after 300 m, leave the road and turn right onto the dirt road. Take the right at the next intersection, then go straight ahead until you reach the road. Turn left and then left again immediately after. You will arrive at marker 8.

(7) Alternatively, you can follow the path that climbs up to the left for 100 m, for a round trip to an imposing statue of Notre-Dame de la Cotière. Otherwise, the path continues on the second path that descends to the left. At the bottom, after a few steps, cross the road, leaving the church on your right. Continue for 400 m and take the path on the left to the silo.

(8) At the silo, take the path on the right, heading south-east, in front of the silo. Please note that there are no signposts at this crossroads. Continue straight ahead until you reach the road.

(9) At the crossroads with the large oak tree, turn right and then immediately left onto the path that runs alongside the cemetery. At the ruined wash house in Rémilleux, continue along the path that turns left, then pass in front of a beautiful house flanked by two square towers. Take the road on the right, then cross the crossroads carefully at the pedestrian crossing and go up the path towards the town. Join the path you started on.

(1) Turn left and retrace your steps to return to the Tourist Office (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 892 ft - Tourist Office
  2. 1 : mi 0.23 - alt. 866 ft - Crossroads of the loop - "Lower" gate
  3. 2 : mi 0.79 - alt. 791 ft - Crossroads - Chemin des Musatières
  4. 3 : mi 1.25 - alt. 797 ft - Path climbing to the left
  5. 4 : mi 1.5 - alt. 945 ft - Mas Pressieu
  6. 5 : mi 2.01 - alt. 951 ft - Carrefour de la Glaye - traffic lights
  7. 6 : mi 2.54 - alt. 932 ft - Road on the right
  8. 7 : mi 3.7 - alt. 909 ft - Carrefour de Notre-Dame de la Cotière
  9. 8 : mi 4.42 - alt. 797 ft - Grain silo
  10. 9 : mi 4.93 - alt. 784 ft - Crossroads of the big oak tree
  11. S/E : mi 5.72 - alt. 892 ft - Tourist Office

Notes

The paths are easy and a good pair of walking shoes is all you need. There is no water on the route.

Signposting: The village of Pérouges offers several walking trails, each marked by a different colour. The one described here is the longest, marked in orange. Look for the orange line that applies to you. The direction to follow is indicated in yellow just below.

At the point (7), the trail will take you, after a 100-metre climb, to Notre-Dame de la Cotière, a modern 4.10-metre statue sculpted on site by the architect Cordier in 1958 in gratitude for sparing the village during the German retreat after the Battle of Meximieux.

Picnic tables are available in the car park.

Tip for a great day out: do the loop in the morning so you finish before lunchtime. Firstly, because it can get quite hot as the route is not always very shaded. Secondly, because there are some good restaurants in the town. You can then spend the afternoon visiting the town.

Worth a visit

Of course, you can't leave without visiting Pérouges, a medieval town recognised as one of the 100 most beautiful villages in France.

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 28 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.5 / 5
Route interest
4.4 / 5
Danièle ALLAMANDY
Danièle ALLAMANDY

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 16, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant route that alternates between woodland and the farmland of the Ain plain, offering beautiful scenery. There is a slight difficulty between points 4 and 5: after the ‘give way’ sign, the app recommends turning right rather than left. There is a short stretch of road at the end of the route, so please take care.

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Cyloupb
Cyloupb

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 09, 2026
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

11km in 3 hours, including breaks. A detour to the pond. Nice. A really lovely outing. No difficulty at all. A visit to Pérouges. Quiet at this time of year. A stop for a bite to eat. The famous sugar tart on the terrace in the sunshine. A bit of a drive, but nothing unpleasant unless it’s really hot.
Thanks.
Not far from Lyon. A great way to get some fresh air.

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Patrixdemex
Patrixdemex

It's a shame you turned back! Generally, using Visorando's GPS helps you get back on the right track.

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Yvette01
Yvette01

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 10, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A sign covered in brambles caused me to take a wrong turn, and I had to turn back after travelling quite a distance!

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User 25448387

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 26, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

For your information, the route can be done in reverse to park for free and visit Pérouges in the morning when there are far fewer people.

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Stéphanie Le Touzé
Stéphanie Le Touzé
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 16, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely hike in calm, fairly mild weather. There were a lot of people, but that was exceptional because there was a trail race on the same route... and we didn't know about it. So, between the runners, the accompanying hikers and poor clumsy people like us who were unaware of this event... it was very crowded. As for the description, I only used the app on my phone, so I didn't have to look for the route, and I can't say whether it was accurate or not.
But I recommend this hike for the beautiful scenery and its ease.

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Myrteille
Myrteille

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 19, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Thanks for the directions, which match the signposts. Just a couple of minor clarifications:
At point (6), before reaching marker 8, it says "Turn left and then left again immediately after". We had to reverse and realised that we should have turned right first (the sign leaves both options open) and then left.
At point (8), at the silo, the path is just before the silo (it is signposted).
At point (9), a sign indicates that the wash house has been restored, which we were able to see.
THANK YOU for sharing this walk.

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Almudena
Almudena

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 21, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk with unobstructed views of the Bugey and the Alps. Parking in Pérouges now costs €3. You can finish off with a stroll around the village to enjoy a slice of galette and see the artisans at work. Alternatively, you can park in Bourg Saint Christophe, where parking is free.

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Seva Dal Joti
Seva Dal Joti

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 06, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant short hike through the woods and along the edges of fields around Pérouges. Easy, with little elevation gain and well marked. At the end, there is a magnificent view of Pérouges. Ideal for families or in winter when you don't feel like walking too long in the cold.

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ggsa
ggsa
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 15, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Pleasant walk.
Corresponds to the orange route.
It's easier with GPS tracking.
Allow about a quarter of the route to be on paved roads, which fortunately are very quiet.
Avoid parking in the paid car park in Pérouges, as it takes 10 minutes to get out on Sundays and costs £3 at a very slow ticket machine!
It is probably best to leave from Bourg Saint Christophe on Sundays to avoid tolls and queues at the exit

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lunapaz
lunapaz

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 06, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Great little walk with my dog. Nice trail, with the option to let him off the leash for most of the walk.

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Quincerote
Quincerote

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 04, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

i would like to clarify a few details about this route:
-At number 3, do not take the first path on the left. Continue past a white gate on the right and then take the path on the left (this is the second path on the left)

- I highly recommend visiting the statue of Notre Dame de la Cotière: you can picnic next to the statue. It's a very pretty spot, but please keep it clean as it has been set up for a school to use as an outdoor classroom.

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jean louis  b
jean louis b

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 11, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Hike completed on 9 April 2024 by a group of seven people on a sunny afternoon.
The route was mostly wooded, with a few sections on small roads and three major road crossings. There were only two disappointments: the section after the cemetery was closed due to construction, so we turned back to take the parallel road
-the town of Perouges was deserted (weekday outside the summer season)

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griotan
griotan

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 24, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very good walk, easy and pleasant.

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Whylliams
Whylliams

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 28, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Very interesting route, an easy and very pleasant hike

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