(S/E) With your back to the church, turn right onto Rue du Bourg.
(1) At the crossroads, follow the D933 to the left until you reach Chemin du Liamby. Take this road on the left. At the three-way junction, turn left onto the path that leads to the river.
(2) Walk along the Saône on the left for 3.3 km.
(3) When you reach the Grange du Diable (a large 500 m² building overlooking the Saône on the other side of the river), leave the towpath and take the path on the left. Cross the D933 (take care) and continue straight ahead along the avenue of plane trees. Pass in front of the Château de Fléchères (17th century) and continue along the avenue to the end.
(4) At the road, turn left and then take the dirt track on the right after the bend. Reach the stream and follow it on the right before crossing it. Reach the houses and continue straight ahead, ignoring the road that branches off to the left. At the crossroads, turn right and continue straight ahead on Chemin du Bicheron.
(5) Pass in front of the gates of the Château de Montbriant (17th century) and continue straight ahead at the crossroads marked with a cross.
(6) After crossing the Mâtre, cross the D933 (take care) and follow Rue du Bourg to reach the church (S/E).
There is a water fountain and public toilets on Place de la Halle, opposite the church in the village of Messimy.
There are no picnic areas nearby along this hike.
This hike is offered by the Val de Saône Centre Tourist Office in collaboration with the FF Randonnée de l'Ain.
Worth a visit
The Château de Fléchères:
A glimpse of Italy on the outskirts of Lyon. Built between 1606 and 1625, it is an exceptional testimony to the life of Lyon's leading figures in the 17th century.
In 1632, the painter Pietro Ricchi, arriving from Tuscany, created a vast and varied décor, impressive for its quality, scale and state of preservation. The three dormer windows on the top floor symbolise the Holy Trinity and are the only external sign of a 250 m² Calvinist temple.
Montbrian Castle:
Built in the 17th century in the middle of a 24-hectare park on the site of a former fortified house, it was owned by the Leviste de Briandas family, which died out in the 1950s. In the early 1960s, it was acquired by the parents of Vincent Leroy, the current owner. However, the Château de Montbrian, which was listed in its entirety as a historic monument on 23 January 1989, has never been restored. Yet it is of great heritage interest, with towers and a central stone structure, including a beautiful noble floor with wood-panelled walls and adobe wings. On 29 November 2010, a fire ravaged the château. It is now in a state of disrepair and has not been restored due to the owner's lack of funds.
The Listed Site:
From Genouilleux to Fareins, stretching 14 km, the banks of the Saône have been a "National Heritage" listed site since 2005. The river has shaped this remarkable landscape with its floods, divided between wet meadows and alluvial woodlands. Renowned for its ecological richness, many species of plants and animals have found refuge in this area. As well as being a means of protection, the classification is also a tool for managing and promoting the area.
Reviews and comments
4.6 / 5
Based on 12 reviews
Reliability of the description 4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route 4.8 / 5
Route interest 4.3 / 5
User 28272078
Overall rating :
5 / 5
Date of your route : Oct 02, 2026 Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good Very busy route : Yes
A REALLY LOVELY HIKE.
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User 28272078
Overall rating :
5 / 5
Date of your route : Oct 02, 2026 Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good Very busy route : Yes
A REALLY LOVELY HIKE.
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User 20227038
Overall rating :
5 / 5
Date of your route : May 31, 2026 Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good Very busy route : No
A lovely, peaceful stroll, alternating between shade and full sun.
A lovely unobstructed view of the Beaujolais region from the banks of the Saône.
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User 12923928
Overall rating :
5 / 5
Date of your route : Mar 13, 2026 Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good Very busy route : No
A lovely walk
Birds to watch, a long stretch along the banks of the Saône.
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Chantal V
Overall rating :
4 / 5
Date of your route : Apr 27, 2025 Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good Very busy route : No
A lovely, easy walk. The section along the Saône river is very pretty. At point 4, be careful not to miss the path on the right that runs alongside a field; it's safer to use your GPS at this point!
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Jacques L
• Edited:
Overall rating :
4.7 / 5
Date of your route : Apr 13, 2025 Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good Very busy route : No
Partly due to the rain, we only saw a few cyclists.
We ended our trip with a visit to Fléchères Castle, which was very interesting.
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Fandango
Overall rating :
5 / 5
Date of your route : Mar 30, 2025 Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good Very busy route : Yes
Everything is fine.
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Quincerote
Overall rating :
4.7 / 5
Date of your route : Nov 28, 2023 Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good Very busy route : No
Very easy route with a beautiful section along the Saône river and passing in front of the Château de Fléchères.
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Gepeto.lyon
Overall rating :
4.3 / 5
Date of your route : Aug 28, 2023 Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good Very busy route : No
A pleasant route through the countryside, mainly along the banks of the Saône river.
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Office de Tourisme VSC
Hello,
Thank you for your interest in our hiking routes.
We hope to see you again soon on our trails.
The team at the Val de Saône Centre Tourist Office
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stuch
Overall rating :
4.7 / 5
Date of your route : May 15, 2023 Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good Very busy route : No
Don't miss the start of the trail near the stream, but the road leads to the same place.
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Fabrice0869
Overall rating :
4.3 / 5
Date of your route : Mar 18, 2023 Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average Very busy route : No
An easy walk
Please note that access to the greenway along the Saône is closed until 4 April 2023, but we went anyway.
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Office de Tourisme VSC
Hello,
Thank you for your interest in our hiking routes. We appreciate your feedback on the "Fléchères Castle Route" and hope to see you again soon on our trails.
The team at the Val de Saône Centre Tourist Office
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mameissimilly@free.fr
• Edited:
Overall rating :
4 / 5
Date of your route : Sep 04, 2022 Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good Very busy route : No
Very pleasant route with no difficulty, but be careful when following the stream as the path was not very visible.
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