Circular route starting from Villemoirieu

Circular route with both covered and open sections, views of the beautiful Manoir de Mallin, views of Lake Moras, views of the Alps, passing through hamlets with old stone houses, and a spring hidden in a cave.

Details

n°42467013

Creation:
12 Nov 2023

Last update:
17 Nov 2023

Last review:
09 Feb 2026

Activity: Walking
Distance: 8.64 mi
Average duration: 4h 55
Difficulty: Moderate
Back to start: Yes
Ascent: + 1,083 ft
Descent: - 1,063 ft
Highest point: 1,306 ft
Lowest point: 761 ft

Country: France
Area: Dauphiné
City: Villemoirieu (38460)
Start/End: N 45.715298° / E 5.236169°
IGN map(s): Ref. 3132SB
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Description of the walk

Head to Villemoirieu (not far from Crémieu) to the town hall, where there are three car parks available.

(S/E) Head south, facing the hill, and turn left onto Rue du Château de Mallin. Continue straight on Rue des Lavandières until you reach the path on the right.

(1) Turn right onto Chemin de la Roche de Montbracon and continue straight on until you reach a Fork in the road with another path.

(2) Take the path on the right, which continues to climb until you reach a Fork in the road with another path.

(3) Turn left onto Chemin de Recollaine, join the road towards the hamlet of Mollineau and continue along this road until the first junction.

(4) Turn left onto Impasse de Rampaud and head towards the cemetery.

(5) There is a picnic area with a table covered by a canopy, and you can top up your water supplies here. Continue along the path that goes round the cemetery to the left and descends to the Crémieu road.

(6) In Crizieu, turn right to cross the hamlet and admire the old stone houses.

(7) On leaving the hamlet, turn left to join the Crémieu road and follow it for about 50 m.

(8) Then turn right onto the tarmac path until you reach the second Fork in the road (alt. 370 m).

(9) Turn left, north-east, onto the Dizimieu path until you reach the edge of the forest.

(10) Leave the wide path and take the path on the left heading due north. Follow it until you reach the D18g at a bend.

(11) Cross it and continue straight ahead on the small road leading to the hamlet of Blied. Walk for about 500 m along this road.

(12) Turn left onto the^GR® 422, which leads to the Chapel of Moirieu.

(13) Continue along the path opposite the chapel to reach the Chemin des Bergères, then the village street.

(14) Continue straight on along the Chemin de Jarnay (^GR®). You will reach an intersection at the end of the path.

(15) Turn right at a right angle and continue along the^GR® 422 through the woods until you reach Rue du Four in the hamlet of Mallin at the first crossroads.

(16) There are two options:
- either carry on straight ahead and turn left at the next junction to pass in front of the Manoir de Mallin, then turn right to follow the^GR® 422 again.
- or turn immediately left onto Rue des Lavandières for 100 m.

(1) Continue straight on to return to the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

S/E : mi 0 - alt. 771 ft - Car parks at Villemoirieu Town Hall. Towards the - Maison Forte de Mallin (Villemoirieu)
1 : mi 0.46 - alt. 791 ft - Crossroads of the circular loop
2 : mi 0.91 - alt. 1,152 ft - Junction. Path leading uphill
3 : mi 1.23 - alt. 1,306 ft - Junction. Chemin de Recollaine on the left
4 : mi 2.18 - alt. 1,227 ft - Crossroads. Impasse Rampaud
5 : mi 2.48 - alt. 1,263 ft - Moras Cemetery
6 : mi 2.85 - alt. 1,125 ft - Crizieu
7 : mi 2.91 - alt. 1,112 ft - Route de Crémieu
8 : mi 2.98 - alt. 1,132 ft - Junction. Tarmac path
9 : mi 3.6 - alt. 1,224 ft - Junction. Chemin de Dimizieu on the left
10 : mi 4.06 - alt. 1,030 ft - Junction. Path to Crémieu on the left
11 : mi 5.4 - alt. 906 ft - Junction with the D18g. Small road towards Blied
12 : mi 5.67 - alt. 955 ft - GR 422
13 : mi 5.98 - alt. 988 ft - Chapelle Saint-Maurice-de-Moirieu (Moirieu)
14 : mi 6.17 - alt. 915 ft - Jarnay Path
15 : mi 6.71 - alt. 974 ft - Continue along the GR 422 through the woods
16 : mi 8.11 - alt. 761 ft - Mallin
S/E : mi 8.64 - alt. 768 ft - Car parks at Villemoirieu Town Hall. Near the - Château de Bienassis (Villemoirieu)

Notes

(5) At the cemetery, there is a picnic area with a table covered by a canopy.
Water is available at the cemetery entrance.

Worth a visit

View of the Manoir de Mallin.
Moras Cemetery and Chapel.
View of Lake Moras.
View of the Alps.
Exterior of Moirieu Chapel.
Passing by a spring captured in a cave.
Passing through hamlets with old stone houses and manor houses.
Nearby, the medieval town of Crémieu with its market halls, castles, etc.

Reviews and comments

3.9 / 5

Based on 5 reviews

Reliability of the description
4 / 5

Ease of following the route
3.8 / 5

Route interest
4 / 5

andomir

09 Feb 2026 at 11:05 3600

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 08, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The section up to Morais is very good. After point 8, the walk becomes rather monotonous with few views.
Be careful at point 12 to take the GR on the left, which is not very visible.
There is a lot of water on the paths.

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User 26104805

04 Aug 2025 at 11:19 7200

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 03, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful climb at the start, the weather was fine and dry, so the path was clear with no traffic. Overall, there was quite a bit of shade. A little over 14 km in 3 hours and 30 minutes, and I'm 76 years old

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Pierrot 38

06 Jan 2025 at 11:52 3600

A lovely walk,
Lots of undergrowth, so best done in warmer weather

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palmyr

16 Dec 2024 at 09:20 3600

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 16, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Easy parking near the church.
Quite a lot of tarmac, but the roads are quiet and the drivers are careful.
Lots of little castles and beautiful farmhouses.
The views are lovely, apparently, except when the weather is foggy, as it was for us that day.

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Vincent Bron

17 Aug 2024 at 09:28 7200 • Edited: 17 Aug 2024 at 12:41 7200

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 16, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

We completed the route in dry, hot weather, but fortunately there were plenty of wooded sections, which provided some welcome relief from the heat.
The appeal of this walk, in my opinion, lies mainly in discovering the old stone buildings and pretty houses along the way, whether they are historic and restored or more recent.
Worth noting is a very pretty view of Moras Pond (indicated by a sign on site).
What I didn’t like (which explains the ‘average’ rating in my review):
- the lack of detail in the description: at point 1 it says: “carry on straight ahead until you reach a Fork in the road with another path”. The problem is that there are at least two junctions between 1 and 2!
The same applies between points 2 and 3 and just before point 9. Each time, it was the GPS that helped me find the right route.
- giving the name of the path or road is fine, but these details aren’t shown on the ground. Examples: 3: turn onto the Chemin de Recollaine or “10”: “join the D18g”.
- I’m well aware that we use the route description and the map together, but this one could include a few additional details: the distance, even an approximate one, between two points (1 and 2, 10 and 11)
- The change of direction at 12 is also rather vague: I spotted the start of the path on the left entirely by chance, just as I happened to turn my head to the left at that moment. There is nothing on the road or in the route description.
- Finally, the total distance is closer to 16–17 km than the 13.91 km stated, and I used VISORANDO to record my route.
That said, I have a good impression of this route and, despite the first section being a bit steep, I’d happily take my group of pensioners on it.

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mirvinc

12 Mar 2024 at 16:09 3600

A pleasant walk, despite the very stony paths, which were flooded after the rain. Not too much tarmac, with two climbs to get the legs going. Overcast weather, so not much of a view into the distance.

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bellon pierre

26 Dec 2023 at 18:57 3600

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 26, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We went on this hike on Sunday 10 December; it had rained heavily in the days leading up to it and some of the paths
had turned into little streams. A pleasant route, no particular difficulties, and the directions are clear.
One to do again in fine weather

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Author

ChrisKATHY69
5 Walks

Visorando Member

Machine-translated route - Original version

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