From Les Grands Chambons to the banks of the Loire at Balbigny

The starting point is in the village of Nervieux, in the car park on the banks of the Loire, on Route de Balbigny. Note on the car park: coming from Nervieux and before reaching the Balbigny bridge, it is on the left.

(S/E) With your back to the road, follow the yellow ‘Nervieux’ sign. Take the first path on the left and you’ll come to a picnic area with a picnic table and a sign for ‘La balade des bords de Loire’.

(1) Turn left to cross the road carefully and join the path directly opposite. At the next junction, go straight on through the Grands Chambons estate. As you continue, you’ll see the church spires of Nervieux on the right and Mizérieux on the left. When you reach a T-junction, turn right and continue to the nearby four-way junction.

(2) Turn left, cross the small tarmac road to reach the path opposite, and do the same further on with a small track. Continue along the Étangs Guillaumes and reach a Fork in the road.

(3) Turn left, with your back to the ponds. Once at the bend, follow the path to the right leading to the embankment.

(4) Take the path downhill which leads to the banks of the Loire and follows them as closely as possible. Be careful: there is a hole in the ground just after the junction on the descent.

(5) At the junction before the ponds, turn left, then further on turn right to reach the Mizérieux lake.

(6) Carry on straight ahead.

(7) At the sign for “Les Ronzières, alt. 323 m”, take the embankment on the right, where there is a large rectangular stone.

(8) Turn onto the path that descends to the right and leads to the Loire. Continue along the riverbank, go under the bridge and turn left to return to the car park (S/E).

(1) Picnic table.

(4) Caution: there is a hole in the ground just after the junction on the downhill section.

(5) Instead of turning left, turn right to stroll between the Loire and the ponds. Further on, you’ll rejoin the route described in (7).