Route des cerisiers à Bessenay

Park at the first car park at the entrance to the village.

(S/E) Walk up the main street, admiring the church with its polychrome stones.

(1) As you leave the village, head down to the left along Rue du Bois Bodet, then keep left onto Chemin de la Plate. Keep to the right, leaving a reservoir on your left. Cross the stream, then carefully cross Route de Brullioles (D81E1) and continue straight on to the hamlet of Grandes Terres.

(2) Turn right and keep to the right at the first bend to continue along the track. You will come to a crossroads. Take the track on the right which crosses the Ruisseau de Glavaroux and joins a road.

(3) Follow this road up towards the hamlet of Le Bernay.

(4) At the entrance to the hamlet, take the path on the right, which descends then veers left to cross a small stream and climbs towards the hamlet of Sus.

(5) Turn left onto the tarmac road until the bend at elevation 510, then turn right. Pass the antennas and turn left at the first houses of the hamlet of Arfeuille. Cross the D24 with care and continue straight ahead to a crossroads at elevation 401.

(6) Before a house, take the path on the left to the waterfall and the Ruisseau de Conant, which you cross via a footbridge. Head up to the hamlet known as Le Planin.

(7) Take the second road on the right in the hamlet. It soon turns into a path that descends, crossing the D650. Continue down the slope.

(8) At the first junction, take the path on the left, which follows the contour line until it crosses a small stream. Head back up towards the hamlet of Les Sagnes, which is on peatland.

(9) Turn right then left to cross the road, head straight ahead, cross the hamlet of La Calonnière and keep heading in the same direction towards the aptly named Crêt de Chéry.

(10) On the flat stretch, turn right onto a path that crosses an orchard. At the 388m mark, turn left, heading due east until you reach a valley.

(11) Head down to the right, due south, until you reach the Ruisseau du Conant and cross it via a footbridge.

(12) 50 m after the footbridge, take the sunken track on the right which climbs up to the hamlet of La Tuilière. Pass between the few buildings and continue south along the sunken track towards Le Perray.

(13) At the cross, turn right then left to reach Route de la Chapelle opposite; continue along Route de Bartassieux and carefully cross Route de Lyon (D24). Continue straight on along Rue de Brévenne and turn right towards the D24 to return to the car park (S/E).

There are no difficulties on this route, apart from traffic when crossing the D24

Note the beautiful colours of the polychrome stones of Bessenay Church and the chapel above the village.

Halfway along the route, the Cornant waterfall.