The Journans Mountain and the Petits Lapins clearing

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A loop via the Reyssouze mill, the Journans hill and the Petits Lapins clearing with its climbing wall.
Best done on foot for a stroll or by running for the more athletic.

Details

n°3352290
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 4.37 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 1h 50 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 192 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 189 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 462 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 276 m
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Description of the walk

Park in the car park at Journans Town Hall.

(S/E) Follow Rue du Moulin to the left, towards the village exit and Tossiat.
Take the path that branches off to the left between the last two houses in the village. You will then follow a short section of the Tour du Revermont route. Reach the start of the path.

(1) Turn left onto it and start climbing.
Leave the Tour du Revermont route on your right and continue uphill. The climb is very steep but the path is in good condition. At the top of the climb, join theGR®59.

(2) Follow it along the hillside to the left and enjoy the forest and the views over the plain. Continue on to reach the Clairière des Petits Lapins, which has a children’s play area and a climbing wall.

(3) Complete the descent, staying on theGR® path as you cross the village of Journans.
Head to the junction by the pumping station.

(4) Turn left to start the descent down the Montée de Saint Valérien and then the Rue de Boisserolles.
The street becomes a narrow path between two houses.

(5) Take this small path down to the right; please note that it is not shown on the map but it does exist. Reach the end of Impasse des Hannetons by passing between the houses.
Follow Impasse des Hannetons then turn left onto Rue du Moulin to reach the car park at Journans Town Hall (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 283 m - Journans Town Hall
  2. 1 : km 0.38 - alt. 277 m - Former mill of the - Reyssouze (rivière)
  3. 2 : km 1.6 - alt. 462 m - GR 59
  4. 3 : km 2.88 - alt. 324 m - Petits Lapins Clearing
  5. 4 : km 3.51 - alt. 320 m - Calvary of the Montée de Saint-Valérien
  6. 5 : km 4.13 - alt. 286 m - Crossroads, small path
  7. S/E : km 4.37 - alt. 283 m - Journans Town Hall

Notes

The climb is only at the start and is very steep. The path is in good condition. After that, the rest of the route is downhill on good paths, but these can be stony and steep in places, such as near the Petits Lapins clearing. Low-cut walking shoes are recommended.

Worth a visit

(S/E) Take Rue du Moulin towards the centre of the village of Journans, then turn right twice onto Rue de l’Église and Chemin de la Reyssouze, where you can see the source of the River Reyssouze and its wash house. It is a peaceful, rural spot.
Also visit the Church of Journans and the hundred-year-old lime tree at the crossroads in front of it.
(1) Look to your left at the canals and the remains of the Reyssouze mill.
(4) Taking the Montée de Saint-Valérien on the right, you can walk a few hundred metres up to the Saint-Valérien Chapel, which offers a beautiful view of the plain and the village of Journans.

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

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Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 6 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.5 / 5
Route interest
3.8 / 5
User 27571073

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 07, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Best enjoyed in dry weather: some rocky sections can become slippery.
The first part is steep and offers some views of the plain towards Macon.
Best done when the acacia forest has lost its leaves to enjoy the views of the GR59.
Enjoy the narrow streets of the village of Journans and don't miss the Ressouze spring and its wash house!

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michel5020
michel5020

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 28, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The walk is exactly what you’d expect. I highly recommend visiting the spring, which is just a short walk from the town hall.

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QuatneufneufP
QuatneufneufP

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 22, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A brilliant walk that’s suitable for children, despite the main climb! It’s well worth taking a short detour to the source of the Reyssouze – it’s very well laid out!

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verturin
verturin

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 21, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely little walk.

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jjasserand
jjasserand

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 20, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A walk in fine weather with three children aged 4 to 8, who had a great time on the way back playing games in the ‘Little Rabbits’ clearing.

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odette i
odette i

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 21, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : Yes

It’s described as an easy route, but the climb is still quite steep; the path is in good condition but not suitable for everyone. As for the descent, it was muddy and slippery, making it quite a perilous go-down, but overall a good route in drier weather

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