Circular route starting from La Bullière

A family-friendly, easy and informative walk, punctuated by beautiful panoramic views of the village of Riverie, the Alpine range, the Pilat and the Bozançon Valley.
Return via the nature trail and the medieval village walkway in Riverie.

Details

17464102
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 5.92 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 00 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 121 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 117 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 779 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 662 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park at the hamlet of La Bullière.

(S/E) Set off due west and ignore the road on the right to quickly reach a three-way junction before the hamlet of Brûle Fer.

(1) Take the road furthest to the right and leave it just before the hairpin bend to take the path opposite. Continue on to reach a road junction.

(2) Cross it, continue straight ahead and then, at the edge of the woods, take the path on the right. Follow the edge of the woods and then enter Sainte-Catherine. You will then reach the junction with the D 2 road in the village square.

(3) Head down to the left past the church and the town hall to join the nature trail, Chemin Prompt. Follow it alongside the D2 until you reach the sewage treatment plant.

(4) Continue uphill to the right, cross the D2 with care and continue straight ahead along the small path leading up to the village walkway in Riverie. After passing the school, you will reach the Calvary crossroads.

(5) Take the D 113, Route de Saint-André la Cote, straight ahead. At the next crossroads, leave the road and take the path leading to Brûle Fer, then return to the crossroads you passed on the way out.

(1) Follow the route back in the opposite direction to return to the car park in the hamlet of La Bullière (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 768 m - La Bullière car park
  2. 1 : km 0.56 - alt. 762 m - Brûle Fer
  3. 2 : km 1.26 - alt. 766 m - Crossroads
  4. 3 : km 2.42 - alt. 698 m - Sainte-Catherine
  5. 4 : km 3.75 - alt. 669 m - Wastewater treatment plant
  6. 5 : km 4.6 - alt. 708 m - Calvary crossroads
  7. S/E : km 5.92 - alt. 768 m - La Bullière car park

Worth a visit

(S/E) La Bullière: the name is thought to derive from the ‘burle’, a north wind blowing across the plateaus of the Massif Central, as the area is particularly windy, especially in winter.

(1) Brûle Fer: this is an evocative name as the place is very cold in winter and requires generous heating.
Above lies the Ferme des Servannières; it was here that the leader of the Lyonnais drivers was arrested – highwaymen who would burn farmers’ feet to force them to reveal where they had hidden their savings.

(2) Don’t miss the Madonna with the Alps in the background.

Between (2) and (3) on this plateau overlooking Riverie, the troops of the Catholic League were positioned to besiege the town, which had become Protestant.

Before (3), Châteauvieux, a property built in the late19th century by the Marrel de Rive de Gier steel-making family. Note that the beautiful wooded park was destroyed by the Christmas storm of 1999.

Between (3) and (4) lies a nature trail focusing on the wildlife and past life of the Bozançon Valley.
This trail passes beneath Château Marrel and the grotto dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

(5) The medieval village’s rampart walk. In the village lies Rue Morte, so named because victims of the massacres during the Wars of Religion were buried right there on the street.

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 5 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.4 / 5
Ease of following the route
5 / 5
Route interest
4.2 / 5
Caroline.
Caroline.

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 19, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : Yes

The starting point is in the car park of the lodge. One of the owners has given us permission to park on their property, as it’s a small hamlet. The path is pleasant, particularly in the second half, which runs below the road, and includes some helpful information boards.

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Fond382
Fond382

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 15, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

The car park at the start belongs to a lodge. So it’s not really usable, unless you’re staying there – which seems a bit like a sales pitch, doesn’t it?...

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Laurentseu
Laurentseu

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 13, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We set off from Sainte Catherine, where it’s easy to park along the D2, near Chateauvieux. It’s a pleasant, short and easy walk, mostly along narrow paths. There are magnificent views towards the Pilat and the Alps.

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Helo69
Helo69

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 13, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant, easy walk that takes about two hours, including a half-hour lunch break. Beautiful views, charming villages and a section through the woods along a narrow path with a slight incline.
However, there’s little point in parking at La Bullière: you’re better off parking at La Riverie, which is part of the circular route, rather than at the hamlet further up in the countryside, which has no parking spaces; this can be a nuisance for local residents and means you have to retrace your steps.

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dougere
dougere

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 08, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely route with magnificent views of the snow-capped Alps. We parked in Riverie at car park No. 2, known as the ‘lavoir’, which is point 5 on the route. We found that Bullière wasn’t suitable for parking. A small clarification regarding point 4: After the sewage treatment plant, go up the road and take the wooden steps on the left, because if you go up the road to the junction with the D2, you will no longer be facing the small path that leads uphill. As the D2 is a busy road, it is best to avoid having to walk back the ten or so metres.

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