Between agriculture and heritage in Saint-Marcel-d'Urfé

A hike to an altitude of nearly 1,000 metres, through a farming landscape where you will encounter ancient heritage.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 18.95 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 7h 10 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 600 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 603 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 934 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 545 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Parking is available at the entrance to Saint-Marcel-d'Urfé opposite the inn.

(S/E) Head south towards the church and pass in front of the town hall. Take the road that curves sharply to the right.

(1) Walk a few metres and then turn left and walk 150 metres. Take the road on the right towards the Bonnetant Chapel, which you can see at the end of the road. After visiting the site, retrace your steps and turn right until you reach a crossroads.

(2) Take the road on the left and almost immediately follow the grassy path going uphill opposite. Cross the road and take the road going uphill opposite towards Lafay. Ignore a road going downhill to the left. Ignore a path going uphill to the right at a place called Les Charmettes.

(3) Follow the tarmac road slightly to the right to Lafay, ignoring the road going down to the left. At the first bend in the road in the hamlet, follow the forest path going up opposite. Enter the forest to reach a major forest track at an altitude of 835 metres.

(4) Cross over for 50 metres, then turn right again for another 50 metres, then take the hairpin bend up to the left for 100 metres. Ignore a path coming from the right and continue slightly to the left on level ground. After 100 metres, turn right at a right angle.

(5) The path climbs steeply, going straight ahead, then to the left, then curving to the right. Ignore a larger path coming from the right. You will arrive at a road.

(6) Walk a few metres to the left, then take the dirt track to the right which leads to the Château des Cornes d'Urfé. Visit the site and climb to the top of the keep for a superb view. Go around the foot of the castle to the east and pass through the Arboretum and behind a building to reach the downhill road again. Continue along the road for 200 metres with a left-hand bend.

(7) At this bend, take the path that descends steeply to the right. Cross the forest and you will reach a path and the houses of Lagrôle. Cross the hamlet and after the last house, follow the wide path down to the right. Ignore a path that leads off to the right and you will come to a road.

(8) Follow this road to the right for 50 metres, leave this road and turn left, crossing over the motorway. After crossing, turn right at a right angle. In a left-hand bend, ignore the road on the right and descend towards the houses of La Forêt.

(9) At the houses, turn right between the buildings and continue along the wide path slightly uphill. You will come to a crossroads with a cross at elevation 695.

(10) Turn left onto the path in the forest, ignoring the path on the far left. Follow this path along the edge of the forest. Cross a larger path. Continue straight ahead through the meadows, cross a small wood and descend to a major road.

(11) Caution: for safety reasons, walk along the edge of the road. Take the road to the left until you reach the large crossroads 100 metres away. Take the road on the right, following the side of the road. On the right, you can see the Château de Contenson behind a curtain of trees and its two successive entrance gates 100 metres apart. Opposite on the left, note the hairpin bend running alongside the road in the opposite direction.

(12) Take this path for 100 metres. On the right, you will see a clearing in the forest where you will find the Way of the Cross and Calvary, accessible via granite steps covered with vegetation. On either side, up to the top, are the original 14 stations of the Way of the Cross. At the top is a statue of Christ.

(13) Descend to the bottom of the Way of the Cross. On your way down, note the Château de Contenson opposite, partially visible through the trees.

(12) Take the road (D53) on the right in the opposite direction to the crossroads at altitude 606. Follow the road on the left to the next crossroads and the Gathion farm. On the way, note the views of Contensin Castle on the left and, further away, the views of the white Trémolin Castle.

(14) At Gathion at elevation 607, take the road that climbs up to the right. Ignore a path on the left and a road on the left leading to a house. 200 metres after the house, you will come to a junction with the path you took on the way there.

(15) Take the path at a right angle to the left. Cross the middle of the meadow and then the edge of the forest to return to the crossroads at our starting point.

(10) Take the path downhill to the left and cross the farm buildings. The path turns into a tarmac road. Join a road and follow it straight ahead for 150 metres. Cross a path and follow it to the left, slightly downhill.

(16) This path joins another at an elevation of 568 metres; follow it to the right. The path approaches the stream and, before reaching the village of Juré at an elevation of 545 metres, take a path ascending at a right angle.

(17) This path climbs steeply through the forest until it reaches a crossroads.

(18) Take the road on the left that crosses the motorway. Continue along the road to the left and then to the right towards the village of Saint-Marcel. Pass by a pond on the right. 100 metres further on, you will reach the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 638 m - Departure from Saint-Marcel-d'Urfé
  2. 1 : km 0.31 - alt. 650 m - Turn right at the fork.
  3. 2 : km 0.9 - alt. 670 m - Bonnetant crossroads
  4. 3 : km 1.69 - alt. 716 m - Les Charmettes crossroads
  5. 4 : km 2.65 - alt. 834 m - Forest track at an altitude of 835 metres
  6. 5 : km 2.95 - alt. 867 m - Uphill trail
  7. 6 : km 3.56 - alt. 928 m - Château des Cornes d'Urfé
  8. 7 : km 4.07 - alt. 904 m - Descent towards Lagrôle
  9. 8 : km 5.63 - alt. 709 m - Crossroads towards Mansols
  10. 9 : km 6.14 - alt. 674 m - The Forest
  11. 10 : km 6.77 - alt. 695 m - Crossroads at elevation 695 with cross
  12. 11 : km 8.53 - alt. 599 m - Planchetorse crossroads
  13. 12 : km 9.47 - alt. 617 m - Fork in the road at the Calvary and Way of the Cross
  14. 13 : km 9.72 - alt. 668 m - Top of the Way of the Cross
  15. 14 : km 12.24 - alt. 606 m - Gathion
  16. 15 : km 13.24 - alt. 638 m - Chez Chomey crossroads
  17. 16 : km 15.82 - alt. 595 m - Les Fonderies crossroads
  18. 17 : km 17.48 - alt. 545 m - Crossroads before Juré. Near the - Aix (rivière) - Affluent de la Loire
  19. 18 : km 18.27 - alt. 660 m - Crossroads before the motorway
  20. S/E : km 18.95 - alt. 638 m - Arrival at Saint-Marcel-d'Urfé

Notes

No special equipment required.
No shelters other than those near residential areas.
Toilets and water point near the church of Saint-Marcel.
Please note: in the middle of the route, in the Planchetorse/Contenson/Gathion sector, there is a road route that allows you to see the castles of Contenson and Trémolin. Contenson is located about 400 metres away and Trémolin 800 metres away.

Worth a visit

Village of Saint-Marcel-d'Urfé.
Site of the Bonnetant Chapel very close to Saint-Marcel.
Ruins of the Château des Cornes d'Urfé, built from an isolated tower in 1130, with a 360° panorama visible from the top of the keep.
Way of the Cross and Calvary opposite Contensin Castle with its 14 highly original stations, granite steps and Christ at the top. Vegetation is taking over the site, where probably no one has prayed for a very long time. See it before the forestry work begins!
View of Contenson Castle, dating from 1316, which was destroyed during its history and rebuilt between 1885 and 1889.
View of Trémolin Castle, dating from 1363.

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 12 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.3 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.5 / 5
Route interest
4.3 / 5
le dav 42
le dav 42

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 09, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike with stunning views. Ideal for mid-season hiking, this route is mainly uncovered.

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eric42
eric42

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 21, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello
A beautiful hike with lovely views
For the walk, it is best to follow the YELLOW AND WHITE markings n°10. It is practically the same but there are more paths. Then, at marker 10, go to crossroads 15 to see the castle. The circular 11.12.13.14 is not very interesting and runs along a road.

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randomarche42
randomarche42

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 13, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Interesting route, beautiful view from the platform of the tower of the Château des Cornes d'Urfé. The Way of the Cross and Calvary of Contenson were very disappointing. The site is not well maintained at all. I would not recommend this round trip, especially as it runs alongside a very busy road.

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chris618
chris618

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 21, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

This hiking route is very pleasant. We did it in strong sunshine and there are still many sections without shade. The circular loop is very nice, and the passage through the ruins of Cornes d'Urgé is really worth it. However, we were a little disappointed by the second part (the extension to the north), which is mainly along the roadside, which is not very pleasant.

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frederic.roesch
frederic.roesch

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 03, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A bit of a copy/paste of route no. 10, but overall quite nice. The route between points 11 and 13 along a road is not secure. However, there are beautiful views and the medieval castle is worth a visit, as the top of its keep offers a panoramic view of the Massif Central.

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NanouLet
NanouLet

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 20, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

We did the hike in beautiful autumn sunshine! The route was very pleasant, and we even stopped to pick chestnuts and eat some blackberries...
The only downside was having to walk back along a busy main road where cars drive very fast (marked 11 to 13), which meant we couldn't see Contenson Castle. I recommend avoiding this section!
Thank you in any case for this beautiful hike!

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bibi
bibi ★

Thank you for your feedback. Please let us know if there is anything else we should add to the description to make it clearer.
Kind regards

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bonnikol
bonnikol

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 09, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

The first part up to the Château des Cornes d'Urfé is really very interesting, but the rest is a little less so. It seems that you can leave St Marcel via a more shaded route than the one described! It was very hot!
The description for leaving the château is a bit vague. The signposting for trail 10 is misleading! We walked 2 km uphill in the wrong direction (towards La Garde).
Thanks for your work anyway.
bonnikol

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JAROSZ
JAROSZ

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 04, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average

The detour to get close to the castle is not worth it, but the road itself is a pleasant route.

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pouget yves
pouget yves

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 07, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A pleasant hike with some lovely sights and views, in countryside that is still very green.
You follow route No. 10 almost the entire way.

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romain55
romain55

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 03, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

We strayed a little from the path, through our own fault, just after the chapel – trying out a new "guide" – and found it difficult to get back on track, given the numerous markers on the ground, but we finally found it again, to the north at the Château des Cornes d'Urfé (a restored ruin), with a superb view!
The two castles outside the route are superb to spot, but difficult to approach (by car).

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Daniel 34
Daniel 34

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 12, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

a beautifully restored medieval castle, offering an almost 360-degree view of the Massif Central and the Haut Forez region from the top of the keep

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bibi
bibi ★

For the lines on the maps, do you mean that the coloured highlighting is too thick?
Kind regards

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bidule42
bidule42

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 21, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A beautiful walk in the sunshine. In fact, you need to follow route no. 10!
A quick note on how to get to the Château des Cornes d'Urfé: it's not just a few metres away, but about 200 metres down the road to find the path that leads there. Otherwise, the path is overgrown, so there's a risk of falling.
Then, the access to Calvaire is also poorly signposted. It's just opposite the castle gate, but the path is marked 'private, no access, risk of gunfire'! And the steps are completely overgrown with vegetation: tall broom, periwinkle and brambles! So access is difficult.
Finally, I still have the same problem with the legibility of your maps, with large "blobs" at intersections, so it is necessary to have the IGN map as well.
But it's a beautiful hike, with lovely views of the Urfé countryside and its castles. It's a shame that the vegetation partially obscures some of the views.

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