Route des Minimes au Paradis in Montmerle-sur-Saône

Park at the Batellerie car park in Montmerle-sur-Saône.

(S/E) Go up Rue de la Foire, cross the D933 and continue on Rue Papier. Turn left, walk along the wall surrounding the Château d'Avencourt and take the Montée des Minimes on the right.

(1) At the Chapelle des Minimes, take the time to visit the site (chapel, panorama, tower) before continuing opposite on Chemin de la Chapelle to the roundabout decorated with a wine press. Take the road on the right, then turn left onto Chemin d'Adam.

(2) Cross the D933 with caution and take the path opposite to the Rivaux houses. Take the^first road on the left and turn left again onto the D17b. Walk along a pond and ignore the road that branches off to the right.

(3) At the Sept Chemins crossroads, cross the D88 with caution, take Impasse de la Garenne and continue straight ahead on the aptly named Chemin des Sables. Walk carefully along the left-hand side of the D17 for about 20 metres before crossing it to take the path that leads into the woods.

(4) At the crossroads, turn right. Continue along the road opposite and, before Moulin Crozet, turn left.

(5) Cross the Callonne via the Passerelle des Charmes footbridge. Join a road.

(6) Climb up the road opposite, which winds its way up to the houses. Continue straight ahead, walking alongside the wall surrounding the Château de Charmes.

(7) At the Croix du Paradis (viewpoint on stilts, orientation table), turn left onto the paved path of the same name. Continue downhill on the path opposite, which leads to the Calonne valley. Follow the valley to the right. Continue on the road to the centre of Guéreins. Take the^second street on the right.

(8) In the bend, near a car park on the left, go up the street along the wall. Continue right on the D933, cross it in front of the church and go down Rue du Simond on the left to the river.

(9) At the Saône, take the towpath on the left for 3.8 km, passing under the D17 bridge and facing Île de Montmerle. When you see Pont de Montmerle, turn left after Parc de la Batellerie to reach the car park (S/E).

At Parc de la Batellerie, you will find public toilets, a water point and a picnic area.
Other public toilets and a water point are located on Place du Marché, under the market hall.
Another water point is located at the cemetery on Rue des Peupliers.
From 2023, a cycle route reception area on the towpath will offer a water point and public toilets.
In Guéreins, public toilets are also available in the car park on Rue du Centre.

This hike is offered by the Val de Saône Centre Tourist Office in collaboration with the FF Randonnée de l'Ain.

Starting from the car park in Guéreins, follow the signs from the point (8).

51% tarmac.

The Minimes Chapel:
Originally a modest chapel attached to the ramparts of the 11th-century castle. With the arrival of the Minims of the Order of St Francis of Paola, the castle became a monastery in the early 17th century. Abandoned and damaged after the Revolution,
the chapel was rebuilt in 1825. The castle remained abandoned and its ruins were used, among other things, as building materials to reconstruct houses destroyed by the great flood of the Saône in 1840.

The Minimes Tower:
The Minimes Tower took the name of the chapel through usage and time, but it has no connection with it. A fanciful structure erected by Mr Voisin in 1843 on the foundations of the old castle, this cylindrical tower, approximately 20 metres high and built of brick, offers an exceptional view of the Saône Valley and the Beaujolais region. At its base, 634 Gamay vines have been planted, symbolising the wine-growing culture that once flourished in Montmerle.

The Crozet mill:
This watermill on the Calonne dates back to the 10th century and was in operation until 1969. Restored by its current owners, it has two millstones driven by a bucket wheel.

The Cross of Paradise:
A belvedere and an orientation table provide access to a breathtaking view of the Val de Saône and the Beaujolais region. In the past, the notables of Lyon built their residences and châteaux on the slopes of the Val de Saône to enjoy the view and the communication routes provided by the Saône with its towpath and roads.