Fontanès (Loire) walks

Beautiful route along the ridges around the village of Fontanès. Free parking in the castle grounds.

A circuit primarily on small paved and sunny roads.

Family-friendly walk in the hills of Saint-Héand among the horses and cows.

An easy, shaded route with few hills, surrounded by pine trees, with beautiful views of the Gier valley, Saint-Chamond, Pilat and the Furan valley, Guizay and Saint-Etienne. Viewpoints and rest areas are provided along the route.

This hike is primarily along clear paths with views over le Pilat and Sainte-Catherine. An easy trek with some slight up and downhill slopes. Be careful, as non-stone tracks can get muddy in the rainy season.

A pleasant walk for summer days, as it is almost entirely in the shade. A spectacular finale with a unique and magnificent view of the city of Saint-Étienne.

The Gouffre d'Enfer dam is one of the most famous sites in the Rhône-Alpes region and a popular walk in the Saint-Étienne area. It was built in 1860 in the Furan valley, near Rochetaillé, and completed 17 years later by the Pas du Riot dam. We then continue along the dam trail to the Pont de Souvignet. The return journey takes us via Les Palais, Les Sagnes and La Croix de Givet before joining theGR®42to arrive at Le Plateau and Rochetaillé.

Walk around the Bozançon valley (and even the Bozançon rivers) with remains of Roman aqueducts, water mills, old railway tracks and old gold mines. At Les Piles, you can continue up the Bozançon to the viaduct and return to Jurieux via the old railway line (an extra 2 hours).

This is a beautiful, easy walk along both sides of the Bozançon River, where this section of the valley is a succession of ancient terraces structured by low stone walls. A taste of Provence.. Old description, see reviews if you are not using the app

Hike in the Pilat Massif with views of the Rhône Valley.

A walk to discover beautiful views of the Dorlay valley, an opportunity to explore an old Roman road and an old railway line.

Discover Sainte-Croix-en-Jarez and its Chartreuse in the Pilat region, starting from the dam on the Couzon.

This is a beautiful hike that allows you to see different landscapes: lake, forest, path and, finally, the river bed as you pass over a pretty aqueduct. This hike is a shorter variation in the opposite direction to the hike I found on this website, called 'Around the Couzon Dam'.

An open-to-the-sky Sunday stroll in the sun Canal du Forez.

A walk at the gateway to the Pilat mountains to discover the Lac du Pas du Riot and two dams built under Napoleon III. This walk is easy, suitable for families and without difficulty. The hardest part is climbing the 52 steps of the dam.

This beautiful circular route from Duerne takes you along well-marked paths and tracks, often shaded, to discover the varied landscapes of this little-known part of the Monts du Lyonnais. A small stele by the side of the road commemorates the sacrifice of the American pilots who crashed there in 1944. At the end of the route, before heading back up towards Duerne, you can discover the astonishing remains of the Roman Aqueduct on the Brévenne.

A beautiful circular walk through the varied and undulating landscapes of this part of the Monts du Lyonnais, taking you through the pretty, shady valley of the Bâtie stream and along the Rontalon botanical trail. The route follows an old railroad track from the early twentieth century, before climbing up through a Mediterranean style forest and past some market gardens. End by visiting the medieval village of Rochefort where you can visit the remains of the keep and the chapel.

A long route along the panoramic ridges of Mont Pilat.

This is a challenging hike with significant elevation gain, but the beautiful panoramas and views of this little-known region are well worth the effort.

This hike takes us to Les Roches de Marlin, which is somewhat overgrown with broom and other vegetation, and the beautiful flower-filled village of Longes. Don't forget to enjoy the beautiful views of the Gier valley and the crosses at almost every crossroads.

Car-free route: depart from Saint-Étienne Bellevue station, accessible by tram from Chateaucreux, and take the L14 regional bus towards Jonzieux. Get off at Planfoy Route du Bourg, paying attention to the timetable, especially on weekdays outside school holidays. It is best to travel in the morning.

This beautiful route offers views of the Alps, including Mont Blanc, and the Cantal. There are orientation tables near Saint-André-la-Côte You can shorten the hike by going directly to the Signal Saint-André without passing through Saint-André-la-Côte.

A beautiful loop through the forests and meadows surrounding the villages of Rontalon and Chaussan. The path sometimes runs along the edge of the valley, offering beautiful views of the Alps, weather permitting!

Most of this hike takes place in beech forests. It is perfect on sunny or windy days. It overlooks the village of Pavezin.

This circular route above Thurins, the raspberry capital, with its many market gardeners, will take you from orchards to shady forests. This route combines well-shaded forest paths, orchards and local farms. There are a few steep climbs and descents, but none are particularly difficult.

An easy walk to enjoy as a family. Very popular in summer, it is worth the detour to admire the panoramic view over the Alps and the summits of Mont Blanc, the Lyonnais mountains and the Giers valley, the Vercors massif and those of northern Vivarais. With a wealth of flowers in spring, you can gather bilberries in August and raspberries in September. Unless you choose to go ski touring or cross-country skiing here in winter.

Varied itinerary: Forest on the climb toward the Crêt de Py Froid then at the start of the descent. The landscape opens out on the descent, becoming more rural. A little walking on the road.

Long snowshoe hike on the Pilat ridges. Can also be done on foot if there is no snow.

This circuit of around ten kilometres will take you to the heights of Yzeron, along fairly unfrequented and sometimes unmarked paths and trails. Enjoy peace and greenery in the forests and meadows.

Loop trail starting from Yzeron, through varied landscapes. The trail passes around the small dam lake at the foot of Yzeron and then, at the end of the hike, along the Lac d'Yzeron, whose new facilities were inaugurated on 19/07/14.

A scenic route through the forest with no difficulty, 95% of which is on paths.

A beautiful circular walk starting from the village of Yzeron, alternating between forest paths and clear views of Lyon and the Alps. In good weather, there is an exceptional view of the Alps: you can easily recognise Mont Blanc, the Belledonne massif, the Chartreuse, the Vercors and even (for those in the know) the Meije! Part of the route follows the old (buried) aqueduct of Yzeron, which supplied Lyon with water in Gallo-Roman times (there are very informative signs along the route).

A very nice circuit around the Monts du Lyonnais to explore the climbing area at Py Froid.

A short, varied tour in the Pilat Massif around the Crêt de l'Aireiller, with a 360° view from the Crêt de la Perdrix as the grand finale.

An easy hike along the ridges of Pilat linking three major summits, via trails through forests and moors. Along the way we discover magnificent views of the Alps, the Massif Central and the Rhône Valley.

This is a lovely hike for exploring the Pilat ridges, with superb panoramic views of the entire Alpine range. The route takes you through a variety of landscapes, from scree slopes to coniferous forests and heathland covered with heather and broom. In season, you can pick wild raspberries and blueberries. This route offers a return via a less frequented path through a deciduous forest.

A very pleasant walk in the woods, rewarded with a panoramic view of the Rhône Valley and the Ain Plain.

Discover the surroundings of the village of Yzeron, starting from the valley.

This path is very pleasant in the Autumn, with a magnificent view of the monts d'Or, Lyon and the Rhone valley. This route can be extended in the direction of Yzeron or Thurin. .

This fairly easy circuit from Saint-Laurent-de-Vaux will take you on a pleasant trail mainly in the forest. If the weather is clear, the view from the Plat Saint-Romain plateau offers a panoramic view of the Alps.

The Pilat massif on its southern slope with a passage at its highest point, the Crêt de la Perdrix.

This hike allows you to discover the Trois Dents rocks, which give this area of Pilat an alpine character and offer magnificent views. As an option, the Saint-Sabin chapel offers a beautiful view of the Véranne area. The Pilat Natural Park's signposts and directional signs will be a great help in following the route.

A large loop, close to Lyon, through fields and forests and across the vast grounds of the Château de Saint-Bonnet. The Visorando app may be useful on certain sections that have been modified from the original route.

Another original way to get to this beautiful viewpoint that is the Saint-Sabin chapel on a small bluff in the heart of the Pilat Park, pouring into the Rhône Valley, with some of the best views of the Alps and pre-Alps (especially across the south). At the chapel, many signs and indications tell the story of the place and its flora.