The Monks' Path in Lieudieu

This walk is not difficult. It alternates between woodland and the Dauphiné bocage. It takes you past three beautiful residences: the fortified house of Cazeneuve, Bonnevaux Castle and Avril (or Arzay) Castle, as well as a few ponds.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.93 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 15 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 143 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 143 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 524 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 443 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park along the D518, below the village centre.

(S/E) Leave the Lieudieu car park and follow the departmental road north-west towards Cazeneuve (signposted). Follow the yellow markings.

(1) You will arrive at the corner of a house on the left, where a small road joins yours. On your right, you will see a grassy path that climbs between two fields. Take this path, leaving the yellow markings behind. When the field on the left gives way to woods, the path narrows. Continue along it. At the end of the field on the right, turn left to find a forest path. Take this path on the right.
Very quickly, at a fork, turn right. Then, further on, ignore a path on the left.

(2) You will arrive at a grove of trees forming a sort of roundabout. On the right, a path leads to a field and a hunting platform. Take the path on the left. At the next fork, take the left branch. You will pass two hunting platforms on your left. Your path descends gently. When you reach the valley, you will see a metal post on your left with a yellow circle on top and a small sign on the back saying "France Télécom". Continue on.

(3) You will come to a first ford, which is usually dry. Cross it. Your path turns left, then right. You will come out of the woods. When you reach a small road, take it on the left, where you will find the yellow markings again.

(4) After a while, you will see a sign for "Maison Cazeneuve". Turn opposite to reach the beautiful fortified house of Cazeneuve. The small road becomes a track, then a path. When you reach a crossroads, turn left (yellow markings) and you will come to a small road, which you take on the left.
You will soon come to the D518. Be careful! Most drivers here consider 80 km/h to be the minimum speed limit. If you are with children or in a group, take care when crossing the road.
Opposite, take the small road to Meyssiez (D41g). Continue to be careful and walk on the left-hand side of the road. At the bottom of the hill, turn left towards Bonnevaux Castle. Very quickly, turn right and cross a bridge over the Gère.

(5) You will see the sign for "Bonnevaux alt. 455 m". On the left, overlooking the road, you will see the castle of the same name. Take the narrow path that climbs up to the left. Follow the yellow markings.

(6) You will pass the sign for "Allée Royale alt. 495 m". At the fork, turn right. The same scenario will repeat itself further on. At a T-junction, turn left again (white arrow on a bollard).

(7) You will pass a ford with a footbridge on the left. Your path climbs and you will see Avril Castle on your left. You will come out onto the D41, which you take on the left. It is not very busy, but traffic can be fast, so be careful. Further on, take the first road on the left towards Lieudieu. You will see numerous ponds on both sides. Ignore a road coming from the right and take the next one on the left (Chemin de Cholley).

(8) You will arrive at the sign for "Cholley alt. 505 m". Ignore the path that branches off to the left. Further on, you will appreciate the attention paid to hikers: a shelter and picnic tables. Your path turns left and descends.

(9) You will reach athird unimproved ford. Your path climbs back up and joins another path, which you take on the right. You will cross the D518 again (traffic moves quite quickly here, even though you are leaving the built-up area...). You climb up opposite, taking the Chemin du Budud (signposted). Take the first lane on the right (signposted "Chemin du Bas Lieudieu"). You will come out onto a small road, which you take on the right to return immediately to your starting point. (S/E)

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 486 m - Lieidieu car park - D518
  2. 1 : km 0.35 - alt. 497 m - Grassy path on the right
  3. 2 : km 1.07 - alt. 519 m - A sort of roundabout
  4. 3 : km 1.45 - alt. 496 m - Ford
  5. 4 : km 2.88 - alt. 491 m - Maison Cazeneuve sign
  6. 5 : km 4.97 - alt. 447 m - Bonnevaux sign
  7. 6 : km 5.47 - alt. 492 m - Allée Royale sign
  8. 7 : km 6.62 - alt. 472 m - second ford with footbridge
  9. 8 : km 8.46 - alt. 511 m - Cholley sign
  10. 9 : km 9 - alt. 469 m - 3rd ford - Gère (rivière)
  11. S/E : km 9.93 - alt. 486 m - Lieidieu car park - D518

Notes

The starting point is in Lieudieu, a village in central Isère located between La Côte-Saint-André and Saint-Jean-de-Bournay.
You can park along the D518, below the village centre.

There are three fords to cross, only one of which is equipped. However, most of the time the stream beds are dry.

Much of the route follows yellow markings, but not always.

The nearest shops and healthcare services are in La Côte-Saint-André and Saint-Jean-de-Bournay

Before reaching Bonnevaux Castle, you will come across a fountain, but no information is provided about the quality of the water...

1.5 km from the finish line, there is a shelter and picnic tables.

Worth a visit

During this walk, you will pass by:
- the pretty fortified house of Cazeneuve,
- bonnevaux Castle,
- The imposing Château Avril,
- several ponds.

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 14 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
Claude R3.
Claude R3.

OK, when the river Gére is at a low level, otherwise the crossing is not easy.

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gilbert.agnes@orange.fr
gilbert.agnes@orange.fr

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 18, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

l'allee royale is parish specific to Brittany and very beautiful despite the large trees that are crumbling.

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Claude R3.
Claude R3.

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 26, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We hiked this route the day after it rained, and the paths through the woods were very muddy, especially in the first half of the route, where the fords were also waterlogged. The last ford (Impasse de la Gère) was particularly tricky to cross, as we had to climb over a dead tree that had fallen across the stream.
Otherwise, the route is very pleasant, but should be avoided the day after rain or in wet weather.

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PROLLOT
PROLLOT

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 29, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

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2gegedelyon
2gegedelyon

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 22, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Pleasant hike. Varied landscapes and interesting heritage.

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Dany MS
Dany MS

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 31, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant and varied walk. The royal avenue is magnificent, but all the ponds are private and fenced off. It is therefore impossible to get close to them.

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les marcheuses de veurey
les marcheuses de veurey

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 09, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful hike through the woods, but there aren't many landmarks. We pushed on to St Hugon Chapel, where there are benches for picnicking. The return trip was nice, but a bit too much road for our liking

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RitonRandonneur
RitonRandonneur

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 09, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We set off on a lovely walk at around 10am and had lunch near the old abbey, just past the buildings in the grass on the left. I saw someone near the house at the end and asked if it was OK. Then, when we reached the top near Château Avril, we kept to the road for 200 metres and I think we could have crossed the blackcurrant bushes to reach the two ponds and rejoined the road further up this saves us quite a bit of tarmac. I didn't do it, but it was after I saw it. A leisurely 4-hour walk because it was a return trip

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Viso38260
Viso38260

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 19, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike. We saw three hares darting away in front of us on a path. :-)
The royal avenue is very beautiful, lined with magnificent trees.
It is also very interesting in terms of architectural heritage.
The route is very precise and easy to follow for walkers who are not used to reading maps.
Many thanks to the author.

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Guillaume38700
Guillaume38700

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

A very beautiful hike, especially the Allée Royale. The trail from the ford at point 7 is still rutted by forestry machinery, but it's still passable. The route is very well described, as always, by the author. Many thanks to him!

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regalade
regalade

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 12, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful walk and beautiful heritage, to be done or redone.

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dachrys
dachrys

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 24, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Great walk, a bit muddy but that's to be expected at this time of year... At point 3, the ford is too deep at this time of year. Tip: just before the ford, there is a path leading into the field. Take this path and cross the river at a point where it is narrower. Walk up the field on your left, which will take you back to the path.
Between points 8 and 9, it's a disaster. They've been cutting down trees and have driven forestry machinery over the path, which is now impassable with knee-deep ruts, logs across it and water running over the mud. I took some photos. It's a shame because it's near the superb picnic area.In any case, thank you to the author for helping us discover some great spots and castles

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JRMB
JRMB

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 18, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful, peaceful hike on a lovely autumn day, combining a few minor roads, forest paths and some charming heritage sites.
Well done and thank you to the author.
Highly recommended

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liliane.clarens
liliane.clarens

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 09, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

After setting off, enjoy views of the Alps, cross forests dotted with holly trees that are beginning to blossom, and follow a peaceful nature trail where you can discover the history of the region, including the fortified house of Cazeneuve, the abbey and glassworks, ponds and castles.
A beautiful spot at the picnic area with a shelter whose walls are made of rammed earth.
Thank you to the author for this surprising discovery.
PS: I can confirm that there is forestry work being carried out on the climb from No. 5 onwards

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Promise
Promise

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 12, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful route alternating between woods and fields and a few lovely little roads. We really enjoy the variety in the walks. You pass close to the astonishing fortified house of Cazeneuve and the beautiful residence of Arzay. Note that when you arrive at Bonnevaux, there are tree trunks lying across the narrow path, making it more difficult to walk, but we were able to get through. Well done and thank you to the author.

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