Circular loop around Brécorens

Start from Perrignier station.
Access by train – Line between Annemasse and Évian-les-Bains (TER or Léman Express). Take the only exit, on the side of the track heading from Évian to Annemasse (if arriving from the opposite direction, use the footbridge).
Access by car – Perrignier station is signposted from the D903. Park in one of the station car parks: either the small car park between the station and the level crossing, or the large car park on the other side of the station. N.B. On weekdays, both car parks fill up quickly in the morning.

Unmarked route
Ignore any rare, old yellow signposts you may come across along the route.

(S/E) With your back to the railway line, head right (south-west) and make your way to the far end of the large car park. Leave the car park, passing a signpost on your left and going round a bend. Continue along a small road, taking a footpath marked out on the right-hand side. Cross the road at the pedestrian crossing and now walk alongside it on the left-hand side. At the end (level crossing on the right), cross the D25 and follow it to the left along a footpath protected by a railing. Enter Brécorens and, at the junction, turn right onto the D135 towards Lully.

(1) Opposite No. 145 and at the corner of No. 146, leave the road and turn right onto a wide gravel path (the ‘private property’ sign applies only to the area outside the path, which is public). Continue along a grassy path and ignore the entrances to the houses on the left. At the end of the track, turn right and cross the railway line at the level crossing.

(2) After a short stretch through woodland, turn left onto the track and walk alongside a fenced meadow on your right. At the T-junction, turn left onto a small, patchy tarmac road (view of the Signal des Voirons on the right). Cross the railway line again at a level crossing (view of Buffavens Castle on the right).

(3) Take the^first right onto the Route des Esserts. Pass a few houses and sheds, cross a stream and then a river. Climb gently and walk alongside the grounds of Buffavens Castle on your left. Ignore the road on the right that passes under the railway line; continue uphill and then walk alongside the railway line on your right. Turn left with the road and head towards the clearly visible greenhouses. At the corner by the greenhouses, turn left onto the Chemin des Terreaux. Carry on straight ahead until you reach the gate of Buffavens Castle.

(4) Leave the tarmac road, continue straight on along Chemin des Cressonnières, which slopes gently downwards, and cross the Ruisseau de Gorge. Then ignore the start of a footpath on the right, pass between two ponds and climb a steep tarmac slope. Ignore a turn-off to the right at No. 195. At the crossroads, turn right, go uphill and walk past a large house on your right.

(5) At the corner of the house (large wooden cross on the left-hand side), turn right. At the ‘give way’ sign, carefully cross the D135, follow it to the right for a few dozen metres and turn left onto Chemin des Tines (a wide gravel track). When the track turns left towards some livestock buildings, continue straight on along a grassy path. Walk along the left-hand side of a fence consisting first of road safety barriers and then barbed wire. At the corner of the fence, turn left onto a path that descends to a stream. Cross the bridge over the stream, head back up a path and you’ll soon come out onto a track.

(6) Follow the track to the left between fields and meadows. Head downhill, ignoring a track branching off to the left (not shown on the IGN map), and rejoin the D135. Cross the road carefully, turn right and immediately cross the Chemin des Blessenys on the left-hand side. Walk alongside the D135 on the left-hand side, first on a narrow grassy verge and then on a good pavement. Continue straight ahead.

(1) At the junction you passed on the way there, carry on straight ahead. At the Stop sign, cross the D25 and follow Rue de la Frutière opposite (oratory on the left). Cross Rue de la Tour on the left-hand side. Turn left into the next street and head for the Brécorens chapel.

(7) Turn left, leaving the chapel and a fountain on your left, and cross Rue de la Tour again on the left-hand side. At the next junction, turn left onto Route de Poisan. Pass the cemetery and continue along the road even when it becomes a no-entry road. Pass under a high-voltage power line and immediately look out for the start of a path on the left at the foot of a short incline.

(8) Take this path and head into the woodland. Descend gently along this shaded path, cross a short open area and come out onto the D135. Cross the road carefully and follow it to the left along a wide pavement. Just before the level crossing, turn left to cross at the pedestrian crossing and first turn right then left to reach Perrignier station (S/E).

A good pair of trainers is sufficient for this walk, which takes place on quiet country lanes and well-maintained paths.

The water from the fountains encountered along the way is declared to be unchecked.

A detailed map is required (at the very least, the one accompanying this description).

Additional information:
This walk can be combined with the ‘The Castles of Avully and Buffavens’ walk. Start with this walk as described until you reach the Ruisseau de la Gorge, shortly after Buffavens Castle (4). Then take the footpath on the right and follow the other walk from its starting point (9). Head to the car park at Lully Town Hall and continue the ‘Two Castles’ walk from its starting point (S/E). Back at Buffavens Castle, continue this walk from its starting point (4) to reach Perrignier station. The total distance is around 16 km.

Walk completed by the author on 14 July 2021.

- View of the Signal des Voirons, to the south-west, notably between (2) and (4).
- Buffavens Castle, seen from various angles between (3) and (4).
- Beautiful old houses in Brécorens, just before (7).
- Brécorens Chapel (7).