Montmayeur Towers Route

A walk on Montraillan Hill between Belledonne and Les Bauges, following in the footsteps of the Lord of Montmayeur, vassal of the Duke of Savoy.

Details

267961
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 18.31 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 6h 50 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 553 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 557 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 811 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 343 m

Photos

Description of the walk

The walk starts at the car park of the village hall in Détrier.

(S/E) Cross the D925B and take the Chemin des Ânes opposite until you reach the D202.

(1) At the top of the path, cross the departmental road and take the small road opposite, Chemin de la Croix.

(2) At the cross, turn right and head up Rue du Villaret into the village of La Chapelle Blanche.

(3) After passing a farm, turn left onto the Route de Montraillant and follow this road to the end. It passes under a power line at the start and then continues in wide hairpin bends.

(4) At the end of the road, continue along the path opposite and pass a restored barn.

(5) Take a clearly marked path on the right which climbs up through the meadow and then enters the woods. Follow this path, marked with signposts, to the Tours de Montmayeurs, keeping a north-easterly direction at all times. Continue to the large pylon.

(6) Follow the small road leading down from the towers and, at the first junction, turn right onto the road that runs between two houses.

(7) Continue along the Chemin des Vignes to the village of Montalbout.

(8) Continue straight on along the small road, passing Le Mollard and continuing straight on for about 700m.

(9) Take the first road on the right after the left-hand bend.

(10) At the crossroads in Montbertrand, turn left, take a hairpin bend to the right and arrive at a junction.

(11) Follow Boulevard de Plan Ravier to the right until you reach the crossroads at Saint-Clair. Continue straight on for another 150m to join Route de la Chapelle Blanche (D202).

(12) Turn left for 300m towards the roundabout and reach the Lac de Saint-Clair rest area just after on the right.

(13) Go round the lake on the left and head for a campsite. Turn left and follow the campsite until you reach Route de la Plaine.

(14) Turn right onto this road and then head for the village hall car park, following this road to the village of Détrier (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 351 m - : Car park at the village hall in Détrier
  2. 1 : km 1.38 - alt. 485 m - Crossing the D202
  3. 2 : km 1.76 - alt. 510 m - Turn right at the cross
  4. 3 : km 2.15 - alt. 536 m - To the left, the road to Montraillant
  5. 4 : km 4.84 - alt. 741 m - Path opposite
  6. 5 : km 5.07 - alt. 748 m - Path, on the right, through the meadow
  7. 6 : km 9.58 - alt. 746 m - Small downhill road after the towers
  8. 7 : km 11.64 - alt. 573 m - Chemin des Vignes
  9. 8 : km 12.98 - alt. 539 m - Montalbout
  10. 9 : km 14.23 - alt. 442 m - First road on the right after the left-hand bend
  11. 10 : km 14.53 - alt. 423 m - To the left
  12. 11 : km 15.14 - alt. 372 m - Boulevard de Plan Ravier
  13. 12 : km 16.59 - alt. 365 m - Turn left towards the roundabout
  14. 13 : km 16.91 - alt. 346 m - Rest area at Lake Saint-Clair
  15. 14 : km 17.23 - alt. 346 m - Campsite
  16. S/E : km 18.31 - alt. 351 m - Car park at the village hall in Détrier

Notes

There is only one water point at La Chapelle Blanche at the start of the walk.
The path can be muddy in wet weather.
The route is well signposted, except for the return journey along small roads; you can turn back at the turnings.

Worth a visit

Numerous cellars, some restored and some not, along the Chemin des Ânes, as the hillside was entirely dedicated to vineyards
Remains of the Montmayeur Towers currently being restored
Views of the Belledonne, Chartreuse, La Lauzière and Les Bauges mountain ranges
Option to walk the path around the small Saint-Clair pond
Tours de Montmayeur

Reviews and comments

4.1 / 5
Based on 6 reviews

Reliability of the description
4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.3 / 5
Route interest
4 / 5
gaime
gaime

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 28, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very shaded path, perfect for hot weather

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passionrando
passionrando

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 08, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

As I know the area very well, I usually do this route a bit differently and avoid heading back via Route de Montalbout and Boulevard Plan Ravier at the end

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Vagau73
Vagau73

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 10, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A long hike along the ridge between La Chapelle Blanche and Villard Sallet. We took a wrong turn heading for Montraillant, but managed to get back on track by walking as far as Villaroux, despite having to walk along a tarmac road for a while. The scenery alternated between plains and mountains, before we reached the towers of Montmayeur.
A very long, entirely tarmac-surfaced descent back to Détrier.

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quencez
quencez

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 05, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A beautiful first section with plenty of panoramic views of the Chartreuse and Mont Blanc
A long descent along roads and paths that was less interesting and rather tedious
A very beautiful hike nonetheless

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charvin73
charvin73

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 22, 2015
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

I did the route in the opposite direction; I found it easy, apart from the descent after the bends. I took the opportunity to gather a few chestnuts. Beautiful autumn colours.
Daniel

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gkw968
gkw968

Hello

The route starts from the Détrier car park and follows the Chemin des Ânes, which I think is quite interesting – an old path lined with cellars that used to house farmers from the surrounding area who came to tend their vines. The road linking the Chapelle Blanche to Montraillan is pleasant and offers a rather nice view of Belledonne.

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xtian74
xtian74

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 21, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Hi. I’m not sure that Détrier is the best starting point for this walk; the car park at La Chapelle Blanche seems more suitable to me. Furthermore, the ‘Montmayeur Towers route via the Montraillant ridge’ can be done by heading to the village of Villaroux, and from there a pleasant track leads to Plan Perrier, where it joins the route described here.
To return to La Chapelle Blanche, at a place called Le Mollard (point 8 in the description), a signpost directs you to turn right towards Les Portiers. A small road, followed by a path and then another small road, takes you back to Le Villaret and from there to La Chapelle Blanche. On this route, the lowest point is 492 m.
Finally, from Les Tours de Montmayeur, it is also worth retracing your steps for a few hundred metres to take a path that leads past the Maison des Résistants...

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