Loop around Saint-Germain-au-Mont-d'Or

This walk, after giving you a beautiful view of the Château de Curis, will take you close to three mountains: Mont Narcel, Mont Verdun and Mont Py before returning to Saint-Germain. You will discover several wash houses and small chapels along the way.

Details

570999
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 15.01 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 480 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 483 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 593 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 216 m

Photos

Description of the walk

This loop starts from the car park near the church of Saint-Germain-au-Mont-d'Or. The car park is located to the left of the building next to the church.

(S/E) Take Rue du Manoir until you reach a small square with a playground, cross it and join Rue du 8 Mai 1945. Follow this street to the left for 200 metres and turn right onto Rue de Champvieux. At the next crossroads, turn left onto Rue du Lurin and follow this road straight ahead until you reach Curis. Leave the church in Curis on your left and continue to the traffic lights.

(1) Cross the street. Take a moment to see an old wash house located a few dozen metres on the left towards Neuville-sur-Saône.
At the traffic lights, turn right towards Poleymieux and continue to the large gate marking the entrance to the castle grounds. Go through the gate and follow the path that runs along the left-hand side of the grounds. Follow this path, which turns left and then right. After this bend, you will come to an open space with a beautiful view of the castle. At the next crossroads, turn left and continue until you reach a large staircase.

(2) Take this road (signposted "Grande prairie") and follow the path on the left until you reach the "Grande Prairie" signpost. Continue along the path until you reach "Les Baysses". There are several benches along this path where you can take a break. The path passes to the right of a small chapel, the exits of which have been barred for safety reasons. When you reach the signpost for "Les Baysses", follow the signs for "La Croix Vitaise". At the fork after "Les Baysses", take the left-hand path and stay on it until you reach a road at La Croix Vitaize.

(3) Cross the road towards "Chargeri" and take the path that leaves the forest road on the left. This path joins the forest road after about 800m. Follow it for 50m and you will reach the signpost for "Chargeri". Take the path on the right that plunges into the forest towards Poleymieux-au-Mont-d'Or. After 200 m, you will find a signpost indicating the directions for "Poleymieux" and "Couzon". Turn left onto the unmarked path (please note: this path only appears on OpenCycleMap or OpenStreetMap maps, it does not appear on the IGN map). Follow this path and turn right to cross a field (please stay on the small, well-marked path) and join the road on the left to reach the Col de la Croix de Presle.

(4) Turn right and follow the road until you reach a large right-hand bend. Take the small road on the left at the end of the bend and follow it until you reach a right-angle bend. Then take the path that branches off to the left in the bend. At a right-angle bend, take the path blocked by a barrier and turn almost immediately right to reach the small chapel in a clearing.

(5) Take the small path that branches off to the right at the bottom of the clearing. The path is difficult to see due to the vegetation and is not shown on IGN maps. It joins another path, which you should follow to the right. This path runs alongside a fence until it intersects with a road.

(6) Cross the road and follow the path that enters the forest. Turn left onto the small road. Take the path that branches off to the left, which is not marked on IGN maps. Follow this path for about 500 metres and then take the path that branches off to the left, going uphill, and joins a crossroads.

(7) Cross the crossroads and continue along the road opposite, towards Limonest, for about 50 metres.
Take the time to admire the landscape before taking the path that branches off to the right on the hillside (not marked on IGN maps). Follow this path until you reach a road, which you will follow to the right until you reach a crossroads.

(8) Shortly after the crossroads, take a path on the left. When you reach the small road, follow the path that leads to the Py quarry (in operation). Look for the "Mont Rouge" sign.

(9) Follow the signs for "Lavoir des cendres". To do this, take the small path that branches off to the left just before the gate to the quarry. Follow this path until you reach a road and follow it to the right for about 50 metres until you reach a crossroads.

(10) Turn left onto the concrete path. After a few dozen metres, you will see an old wash house with a spring flowing from the rocks.
Follow this path down towards Saint-Germain, passing several old disused quarries. Continue until you reach the signpost marked "Les Fromentaux".

(11) Take a grassy path that branches off to the left towards Les Brosses and follow it for 400 metres. At the signpost for Les Brosses, take the small path that branches off to the right. Follow this path which, as it approaches a dead end serving properties, descends towards the village. At the crossroads with Rue Renardon, follow this road to the right until you reach the wash house.

(12) After seeing the wash house, take Rue du Lavoir for 20 metres and turn left into the Font-Chalin passage. This passage joins a small stream and passes under a house. When you reach Rue du 8 mai 1945, turn right, then take Rue de l'Église on the left, opposite a fountain, which will take you back to the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 248 m - S/E
  2. 1 : km 2.01 - alt. 216 m - Curis
  3. 2 : km 2.99 - alt. 276 m - Stone staircase
  4. 3 : km 4.39 - alt. 438 m - Vitaise Cross
  5. 4 : km 6.79 - alt. 522 m - Presles Cross Pass
  6. 5 : km 7.76 - alt. 576 m - Chapel
  7. 6 : km 8.75 - alt. 546 m - Crossroads
  8. 7 : km 9.57 - alt. 586 m - Carrefour du Mont Verdun
  9. 8 : km 10.9 - alt. 546 m - Path on the left
  10. 9 : km 11.35 - alt. 536 m - Mont Rouge
  11. 10 : km 12.56 - alt. 442 m - Chemin de la Croix Rampaux on the left
  12. 11 : km 13.51 - alt. 342 m - Les Fromentaux
  13. 12 : km 14.5 - alt. 253 m - Saint-Germain wash house
  14. S/E : km 15.01 - alt. 248 m - S/E

Worth a visit

(S/E) The tower next to the church offers a beautiful view, but is only accessible on heritage days and during a few other events.

Ampère Museum in Poleymieux ( https://amperemusee.fr ). An association-run museum that is almost a century old and the oldest interactive science museum in France!

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 24 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.5 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
Chaden
Chaden
• Edited:

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 17, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The hike is mainly in the forest, which is pleasant on this very hot day.
Impressive staircase with nearly 200 steps to climb.
Be sure to use your GPS, as the route is not always easy to follow.
Thanks to the author for this hike!

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Cécile Internations
Cécile Internations

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 25, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Hello,
we went hiking last Sunday in muddy conditions, which made the hike more difficult.
Beautiful scenery. The trail is very popular with mountain bikers and runners.
I recommend this route.

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Michel lacroix
Michel lacroix

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 05, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk near Lyon. Beautiful paths and trails.
Avoid the Narcel chapel for a picnic, as its condition will put you off your food!

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balladesetrandonnees
balladesetrandonnees

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 19, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful, easy, wooded and pleasant route.

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HélènO
HélènO

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

A very pleasant and enjoyable hike.
The chapel could be a picnic spot, but it's a little too early in the route (about halfway), but there's another spot further on... Note: there are two stone benches near Mont Verdun, around marker 8

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Selligus
Selligus

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 04, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very shady loop completed with a group of twenty people in the middle of the week.
With the Visorando app, there were no problems with navigation and we stopped for a snack halfway at La Chapelle. The first part on the tarmac isn't the most pleasant, but you quickly forget that once you reach the Château de Curis

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CONRAD
CONRAD

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 14, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

First hike with Visorando was very successful. Perfect information, difficult to get lost. Difficulty level as expected. Hiking time probably a little overestimated, as the estimated time was 5.5 hours and it took 4 hours with a good snack break of at least 20 minutes (not measured precisely).
Thanks for the help.
I'll be back for other hikes I'm planning
Michel Conrad

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Selligus
Selligus

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 19, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Nice hike,
Some tough climbs, though, and with the thaw we had a few slips but nothing serious.
With the GPS app, the route was easy to follow. We'll do it again in the spring.

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henri974
henri974

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 05, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike with no difficult sections (we had no trouble finding the two unmarked trails; the best part was discovering the buildings: two chapels, a tower and wash houses). The forest trails were very pleasant – we've already planned to come back in the spring. 17 km in 5 hours including a break for lunch sheltered by the chapel in the clearing.
Thanks to whoever suggested this route

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SHERMAN69
SHERMAN69

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 22, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant walk to discover the western part of the Monts D'Or, starting from a pretty village.

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svilain
svilain

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 24, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

superb hike, almost entirely on trails and in the forest. We loved it. We didn't meet many people. Would definitely do it again.

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ETB
ETB

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 23, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

That's it, we've downloaded the Visorando app, so now we can't go wrong!
We went hiking at the start of a heatwave: most of it was in the woods with washhouses to cool off in: perfect.
Very accurate description.
Thank you.

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ag53
ag53

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 28, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Hiking mostly in the woods with minimal roads, very pleasant.
No difficulty finding your way.

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zygopetale
zygopetale

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 02, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

We did the tour on 1 January 2019. The paths were very muddy (up to the ankles), making it difficult to walk, especially on the descents. The explanations were very clear, and we found all the paths. As for the mileage, we counted 18.6 km on two phones.
We came back delighted with this hike.

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Dédémada
Dédémada

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 04, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Very beautiful hike, the explanations are very clear, access to the chapel is not prohibited and not fenced off, as claimed by "TotoB". And anyway, who cares if there's a mistake in the GPS settings? The main thing is to enjoy yourself, not to perform. I'm 75 years old and did it at a leisurely pace with friends in 5½ hours, including a picnic, with a slight variation between points 4 and 5. Take the small path before the bend, marked in red on the map, where you can see two drystone shelters, one on the right and one on the left, then take the first path on the right to get back on the route. There are tables under the chestnut trees for a bite to eat, with a beautiful view.
see you soon for more hikes.

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