The Portieux Glassworks and the Glassmakers’ Trail

Park at the Portieux Town Hall annexe, Rue de la Mairie.

(S/E) Follow the old railway line that served the glassworks, keeping to the right of the Ruisseau du Rochon. You’ll arrive level with the stadium.

(1) Turn left, following the^PR® signposts^. Leave the old railway line and head up a forest track, which may be muddy at certain times of the year. Horses may pass as the climb is gentle. The track ends at a small wooden bridge spanning the ditch.

(2) Turn right onto the forest track known as the Tranchée du Torlot. After two 90° bends – first turn right then left – the Tranchée du Torlot crosses the Rochon: continue for about a hundred metres.

(3) Turn right onto a path that climbs quite steeply towards the notable tree (the service tree).

(4) Stop to see the remarkable tree, the Moriville service tree. Continue along the path marked by Blue Circles. Information about this tree is displayed further on.

(5) At the end of the path, turn right onto the restored Tranchée du Torlot.

(6) At the end of this trench, after the gate and the forest workers’ hut, turn right onto the Tranchée de l’Hémery and continue to the junction where it crosses the old railway line.

(7) Turn right. From here, leave the^PR® markings^. The old railway line winds its way through fields and woods. On the left, it runs alongside the meandering Mori stream, which flows into the Rochon before the stadium.

(1) Carry on straight ahead to return to the starting point (S/E).

The climb through the forest between (1) and (2) and the old railway line may be muddy in places, depending on the weather and the season.

(3) For those unable to manage this fairly steep climb, it is possible to continue via the Tranchée du Torlot along a gentler ascent which joins point (5) further on. To still see the remarkable tree, it is possible to return from point (5) to point (4) via a section with no significant change in elevation.

La Verrerie de Portieux is a small hamlet belonging to Portieux, situated a few kilometres away. The town hall is in Portieux.
This village is known for the Portieux Crystal Works, known as the Verreries de Portieux, which have made it famous since 1690. An eco-museum can be visited to trace the entire history of the Verrerie de Portieux.
From the starting point, which is opposite the village, you can see the Moulin du Pilan lodge and also the large buildings of the glassworks.