Courtenay walks

This circuit will take you to several ponds around Siccieu and Saint-Julien and offer superb views of the foothills of the Bugey and, on a clear day, the Alps.

This is a very pleasant circular walk starting from the pretty village of Vernas, which takes you along attractive paths and trails, often shaded by trees, to the Plateau des Aviateurs, where a military aircraft crashed in 1944 and another in 1969. A small chapel, commemorative plaques and a sign commemorate these events. Wide panoramic views of the Rhône plains and the Alps in the distance can be enjoyed throughout the walk.

This circuit takes us from the village of Hières-sur-Amby at the foot of the cliff to the archaeological site of Larina on the cliff. It offers panoramic views of the Pilat Massif, the Monts du Lyonnais, the plains of Lyon and the Ain, and the foothills of the Bugey.

This shaded trail leads to the top of the cliff at the Leyrieu Chapel and offers superb views of the Lyon plains and the Pilat massif. On a clear day, you can see the Alps and the Vercors massif.

A route with changing landscapes between the Lyon plain and the Alps, shaded in summer with glimpses of the Alps.

This is an easy, well-known walk that allows you to discover the surroundings and heritage of Saint-Chef. In particular, it takes you past the abbey church.

An easy little walk for a Sunday afternoon.

A lovely, gentle walk, part of which is along the Rhone, which you can do as a family.

This circuit will take you to Lac de Moras and, on a clear day, there is a superb view of the Alps and the lake from the Moras cemetery.

A beautiful hike, fairly well marked in blue with directional signs (sometimes a little faded), between 630 and 900 metres above sea level, easy, mostly on good, well-shaded paths. On very clear days, there are views of the snow-capped Alps and the villages of Marchand and Cerin. For flower lovers, between May and July, there are martagon lilies, orchids, snowdrops and erythronium. And for those who like the cool air, they can go to the Grotte de la Jaquette cave near the path.

This trail allows you to discover the three rivers: the Tréfond, the Arodin and the Perna(z), the biodiversity of the site, and its geological and heritage riches, explained by six information panels.

Circuit of the Chosas and Brive waterfalls, starting from Marchamp via the Lac de Cérin, the fossil quarry, the Palaeoecological Museum via the "sur les traces des carriers" (in the footsteps of the quarry workers) trail and the old mills.

Starting from Cerin, this mainly wooded marked trail takes you through several valleys with streams offering several waterfall passages. After rainy weather, the waterfalls are magnificent but the ground is then more slippery.

A short walk that takes us to Mont Morel and Étang de Charamel via the Tilleul de Sully, with a glimpse of the archaeological site of Panossas.

A lovely loop if you fancy an easy, not too long, shady walk, starting from the Chapelle-de-la-Tour car park, with no special equipment required. You could potentially spot ponies, horses, cattle, etc. We went in May, so we recommend going in the morning for the shade and milder temperatures in summer.