Brénod walks

Follow the route guide and the signposts placed along the trail. You’re now setting off to discover the forest’s points of interest.

Circular route on the heights of Vieu-d'Izenave (and Corlier), mostly through woodland. Beautiful stretches running alongside or overlooking three streams. Passing Château du Sappel, Montagne de l'Avocat and the Corlier wind farm.

An easy loop along Retord Plateau taking you past the "Gouffre de la Bauche" sinkhole and the "Crêt du Nu" viewpoint.

A varied route with beautiful views of the Alps and karst formations characteristic of these limestone plateaus. Best done in winter when the barbed wire fences are removed. If there is enough snow, the route can be done on snowshoes without any problems.

Starting from Les Bergonnes, a circular route with an ascent to the Crêt du Nû via the GR®9 to La Charnay. The first section is wooded with beautiful beech trees. At the Croix de Terments and the Crêt du Nû: climb up to the viewing points for views of the Rhône and the Alps. The second part of the ascent takes place on the plateau. You then reach the Ferme du Retord. After the farm, head back down via the yellow-marked path towards La Grange à Lucien. Continue the descent towards Pré Brachet, then Gros Frêne and Les Granges Charpy, before finally returning to Les Bergonnes.

The Retord Plateau is ideal for snowshoeing in wide open spaces with, in places and in good weather, panoramic views of the Alps and Mont Blanc. You can enjoy a snack in the picnic room at the Retord farm.

A gentle walk on the Retord plateau.

A short, quick and very pleasant walk between two passes and along a ridge (Gigimont).

Open from 1 April to 30 November – subject to there being no snow. Second stage of the GRP® de la Valserine. Starting from the Ferme de Retord, the route crosses the open and wooded landscapes of the plateau before beginning the descent towards Lalleyriat, with a viewpoint overlooking the Autoroute des Titans. In Saint-Germain-de-Joux, a detour is a must to discover the impressive Marmites de Géant, carved out by the Semine. The stage ends on the northern slope, in Giron.

This is a very beautiful hike, featuring landscapes of pastures and beech and fir forests, along easy paths. Created in partnership with the Museum of Resistance and Deportation in Nantua, it passes by five farms where the maquis settled in 1943-1944, on the Retord plateau between the village of Hotonnes and the Plans d'Hotonnes resort. Five panels describe the history of this maquis.

A circular route mainly through woodland and off the marked trail. A route offering a high-up view of the En Jarine marsh, a section along the Malaval (or Mandorne) leat, a walk through the hamlet of Les Pézières (Maquis memorial and viewpoint at the Ferme des Gorges), the Ferme du Marchat, then a return via the Crêt de Maréta and the Trois Croix site. Numerous small red, green and yellow signposts for the local routes along the route.

The proposed route aims to take you on a journey across the Chamoise Plateau, starting from Nantua. This is an alternative to another route featured on the website: La Roche d’Au-Delà, the link for which is provided below. Whilst the climb up to the Monts d’Ain is a bit of a challenge at times, the rest of the hike is generally gentler.

This hike is based on the 4 belvederes walk. The route has been modified to take into account the opinions of hikers who have given their feedback. In particular, the trail is more precise and the parts considered less interesting have been removed. We are delighted with this new version, which is particularly suitable for hot days (tested during the heatwave of August 2025).The route is mostly through woods and on unpaved paths or tracks. It offers splendid panoramic views from various viewpoints as well as iconic sites: Trou de la Marmite, Notre-Dame de Mazières Chapel, etc. On a clear day, you will have the pleasure of admiring Mont Blanc.

A beautiful, moderately difficult hike with panoramic views overlooking Lake Nantua and the Autoroute des Titans. At the summit, weather permitting, you can see Mont Blanc.

Four viewpoints, of course, are located at the top of the mountains. Expect some steep climbs and significant elevation changes. Be careful, as you will be following mountain bike trails in the opposite direction on part of the route. The viewpoints are at the end: Planachat, Cornillon, l'Haïea d'Amont, and the highlight of the route, the orientation table at the top of the Hauteville Lompnès ski slopes. There, in good weather and with low UV levels, a magnificent view of the Mont Blanc massif awaits you.

A double circular loop on trails with very different atmospheres. On the heights of Nantuy, beautiful paths through the woods, a short challenging section to reach the top of the Charabotte waterfall and its viewpoint, then a pleasant and relaxing section to discover the Marais de Vaux Nature Reserve with its footbridges.

A panoramic walk overlooking the town of Nantua and its famous lake, in an exceptional environment that alternates between countryside and coniferous forest. The mountainous route retains a good sporting aspect.

A short walk around the Marais de Vaux lake and its wetlands with the opportunity to admire the Charabotte waterfall.

This is a large circular that allows you to discover the different environments of the Bugiste region. Part of it is dedicated to the Lésines lake and the Marais de Vaux marsh, which can be crossed thanks to the facilities provided. The main part runs along the ridges above Cormaranche, with the climb to Golet Marmier and Planachat, the crossing from Col de la Clye to Col de la Rochette via Gigimont, then the climb to Haiea d'Amont and Cornillon. The descent passes through Notre-Dame de Mazières and Trou de la Marmite.

A walk to discover the highest point of Hauteville-Lompnes and its panoramic views.

This hike takes you on a loop through the heart of the Bugey region around Hauteville-Lompnes, on the edge of the plateau overlooking the Gorges de l'Albarine, with relatively little elevation gain.

This official hike is ideal as it passes by two of the most beautiful viewpoints in the village: the Peney viewpoint and the Roche Carreletau viewpoint, starting from the heart of the village of Poizat-Lalleyriat.This route is one of the six official hiking trails in Le Poizat-Lalleyriat, and is numbered 1.

Circular hike starting from the small village of Évosges. Easy hike on a well-maintained path between forests and pastures, with just one slightly steep descent coming down from the plateau (3). A few viewpoints.