Mont Saint-Michel Chapel loop, starting from Curienne

Admittedly, this route from Curienne is not the shortest way to reach the Chapel of Mont Saint-Michel! However, it offers the opportunity to (re)discover the very pleasant Chemin de la Paraie, the stele and farm of the Maquisards, the motte castrale of La Bognette, and superb views of Chambéry and the surrounding mountains.
Although technically easy and with little elevation gain, this hike is classified as "moderate" due to its length.

Details

1509647
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 8.50 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 15 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 276 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 278 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 881 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 653 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐
    Areas: Alps, Bauges
  • ⚐ District: Curienne (73190)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 45.566311° / E 6.008863°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 3332OT, 3333OT, 3333OTR, 3432OT, 3432OTR, 3433OT
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in one of the car parks on the right or left of the D11 at the entrance to the village of Curienne.

(S/E) Stay on the departmental road, pass behind the church and turn left onto Chemin de la Roche for 100 metres.
Turn right onto Chemin de la Côte and then right again onto Chemin des Fontanettes, which descends to the D11.
Take the D11 on the left for about 500 metres.

(1) After the house, turn immediately left onto Chemin de la Paraie. Partly in the woods, partly in the open and at a fairly constant altitude, this beautiful path leads peacefully, in half an hour, to the Stèle du Maquis and the Ferme des Résistants (signpost)

(2) Continue for 300 metres along the path that climbs towards the Col du Joueret and reach the "Chemin de Bellevarde" intersection (signpost).

(3) Turn left. After a hairpin bend to the right, you will reach the "Sous le Grand Joueret" intersection (signpost)
Turn left towards Curienne via La Combette. Walk for about 400m and, just before the entrance to the woods, turn right into the meadow and climb the small hill through the grassy slopes (visible tracks) to the top. You will reach La Bognette, the highest point of the Grand Joueret.
Enjoy the magnificent panorama of the surrounding mountains and the Chambéry valley.
Descend on the south side, following a path to reach the wide track visible below.
You will then see information boards on the grazed lawn and the Grand Joueret castle mound.
Continue for about 100 metres to the left until you reach the "Le Joueret" intersection (signpost)

(4) Turn right towards Mont Saint-Michel. The route is then clearly signposted. Continue to the "Combe du Puits" intersection.

(5) Do not follow the signs for Mont Saint-Michel via Montmermet, but take the signs for Mont Saint-Michel 30 minutes.
You will first arrive at the ruins of the old chapel, where there are information panels about the old and new chapels.
Continue south on the small path and in less than 5 minutes you will reach the new chapel of Mont Saint-Michel.

(6) Go back down the same path. Ignore the path that goes down to the right towards La Boiserette and go to the next crossroads.

(5) Turn right towards Montmerlet. You will come to a paved road. Follow it to the left for 500 metres until you reach a rest area.

(7) At the entrance to the rest area, take the yellow and red marked path on the right, theGRP® du Massif des Bauges (Boucle du Plateau de la Leysse), which crosses the small tarmac road several times and leads back to the D11. Continue left for a few hundred metres to return to the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 707 m - Start of the hike
  2. 1 : km 1.12 - alt. 657 m - Turn left onto Chemin de la Paraie.
  3. 2 : km 2.92 - alt. 690 m - Stele and Resistance Farm
  4. 3 : km 3.22 - alt. 747 m - Chemin de Bellevarde
  5. 4 : km 4.27 - alt. 762 m - Intersection "Le Joueret"
  6. 5 : km 5.43 - alt. 847 m - Combe du Puits
  7. 6 : km 5.88 - alt. 881 m - Chapel of Mont St Michel
  8. 7 : km 6.99 - alt. 828 m - Montmerlet rest area
  9. S/E : km 8.5 - alt. 707 m - End of the hike

Notes

(2) As the stele recounts, this is where the Barby-Curienne resistance movement was founded. Resistance fighters lived on this farm for nearly two years, supplied by the inhabitants of the surrounding villages.

(Between 3 and 4) Inthe 9th or10th century, a motte-and-bailey castle stood on this site, which was the original location of the village of Curienne.

(6) Mont St-Michel Chapel: it was Reverend Bassat, parish priest of Curienne, who took the initiative to build the Mont Saint-Michel Chapel, which was inaugurated in 1879. He was helped in this endeavour by numerous subscribers and the Carthusian monks.

Water is available at the rest area in Montmerlet.

Worth a visit

Just after the church, in a green space, an open-air exhibition reminds us that Curienne was once a village of stonemasons.

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 23 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.5 / 5
Route interest
4.6 / 5
Milio
Milio

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 06, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

hike taken in early October after a rainy day.
the ground was a bit slippery, but nothing serious

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jc.chiari
jc.chiari

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 07, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very pleasant walk at the start of the season, with some magnificent views over the whole of Chambéry. There are small information boards about the Maquis des Bauges, the planets of the solar system and life in the mountain pastures, and of course the chapel and a few gliders that fly close by.
For the start in the village of Curienne, note that there are more parking spaces near the town hall and village hall than near the church.

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randoclasse
randoclasse

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 06, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

easy hike and very well-marked trail. The paths are wide. Unfortunately, we couldn't enjoy the view from the Mont Saint Michel chapel because we were in the fog. We'll go back in the spring.

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Thomas73
Thomas73

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

A lovely, fairly busy family walk.
The loop between points 3 and 4 is not very clear and I couldn't find a clear path. I had to climb over some barbed wire, which was quite difficult.

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Manu7
Manu7

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

The start of the hike is not very busy, but when we get closer to the chapel, there are more people because it is easily accessible from a nearby car park and very easy to reach

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tchoumi
tchoumi

Hello Sbonin,
Thank you for your comments.
Enjoy your walks!
Tchoumi

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sbonin
sbonin

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

A very beautiful walk, with a chapel overlooking the town of Challes les Eaux and offering superb panoramic views of the surrounding area.
It is mostly located in the forest, which provides some welcome shade during the hot summer months.
On the descent from La Bognette, take the path that goes straight down the slope to find a gate to exit the field, otherwise you will have to go under the barbed wire...
I recommend this hike, which is not particularly difficult and can be done with children.

Thanks to the author

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REVOLGIL
REVOLGIL

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 14, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

An interesting and fairly easy hike (very quiet on Saturday mornings).
You can also park in the church car park and start the hike right behind the church.
At point 3, I recommend continuing straight ahead rather than turning left: the field you need to climb through is fenced off with barbed wire and the summit is a paragliding take-off point. In any case, you will end up at point 4 (the same view can be enjoyed on the path leading up to the chapel).
Please note: on the climb just after point 4 on the right, you will pass a sheep pen with an electric fence guarded by a young sheepdog for 50 metres.
At point 5, you can also take the path back to point 4 and turn right to reach Curienne and the church car park. According to locals, this is the easiest route.

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jluca
jluca

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 19, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very pleasant hike. Thank you for the itinerary.
The chapel area was very busy (Sunday afternoon...)

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SEVEPA
SEVEPA

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 09, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

There are no signs at the start of the trail in Curienne, but we met some people who gave us clear directions.
An easy hike from Curienne, although it is a bit long, with beautiful views.

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tchoumi
tchoumi

Thank you for your comment! We are delighted that you enjoyed this hike during your visit to the region

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GERARD Sonia
GERARD Sonia
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 12, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant short hike in the afternoon. We were passing through Chambéry and, as keen hikers, we wanted to do a short loop to keep up our Sunday routine. Beautiful scenery, easy even without walking sticks!!! We had some lovely encounters (horses).

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LSab
LSab

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 08, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

To avoid visiting the site at lunchtime, we decided to change our plans. 150 metres before arriving, we turned right and 100 metres further up we found ourselves in an open space with the chapel in front of us.

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LAFORGE B
LAFORGE B

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 21, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

The last section of the climb up to Chapelle St Michel should be avoided on a Sunday afternoon in good weather, as there are large numbers of people from Chambéry out for their Sunday stroll. There is a slight difficulty with navigation at the start, but this is quickly resolved by consulting your smartphone and the Visio Rando app.
A beautiful hike for those who enjoy panoramic views.

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ROINSOLAMG
ROINSOLAMG

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 05, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

a very well-suited route for hiking with our young daughters

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