The view from Panissières

An easy hike offering beautiful panoramic views of the Monts du Lyonnais. The route alternates between woodland, hamlets and farmland.

Details

7563434
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 15.15 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 25 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 375 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 374 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 805 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 565 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Departure from the tourist office. Parking in front of or behind the town hall.

The route is very well marked (white and yellow, letter P).

(S/E) Head north on Rue de la République to No. 52.

(1) Turn left down Chemin des Roches and pass under the stone bridge.

(2) At the hamlet of Petit Panissières, at the cross, take the road on the right and then keep left until you reach the Chapelle Saint-Loup. This remarkable monument is well worth a stop.

(3) Turn right behind the chapel and continue straight on to the hamlet of Chez Polon. Join the D103.

(4) At the crossroads, look carefully for the signposts and go up the road opposite. Continue to the hamlet of Chez Guillot. Turn left. The path runs along the edge of the woods, crosses fields and then enters the woods, forming a large circular loop to the right that returns to the south-east. Cross the bottom of the valley and find the edge of the woods.

(5) Turn left and enter the Bois des Dames. Shortly afterwards, turn left and, a little further on, turn right into the woods, then left. Continue north.

(6) At Taillis de Montchervet, take a sharp right turn onto the path that climbs up to the meadows. At the edge of the woods, continue 200 m after the left turn until you reach a recess in the forest.

(7) Enter the Bois de Montchervet on the left, heading north-east.

(8) At elevation 751, turn right towards Croix de Signy.

(9) At the wide path leading towards the two tunnel-shaped buildings, turn right onto it and continue south-west.

(10) At the edge of the woods, leave the main path and turn slightly left, following the edge of the woods on the path that descends and joins a road.

(11) Cross the road and reach the hamlet of Chez Bessolle after crossing asecond road. Cross the stream, then continue straight ahead to the D60 and turn right onto it for about 100 metres.

(12) Turn left for 130 metres and then right onto Rue de l'Odinot. Continue to Place de la Liberté.

(13) Continue along Rue de la Liberté, then turn left onto Rue Denis Boulanger until you reach the tourist office (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 606 m - Tourist office
  2. 1 : km 0.3 - alt. 613 m - Chemin des Roches junction
  3. 2 : km 0.89 - alt. 571 m - Le Petit Panissieres
  4. 3 : km 1.28 - alt. 585 m - St-Loup Chapel
  5. 4 : km 2.03 - alt. 603 m - D103
  6. 5 : km 5.2 - alt. 711 m - Panorama
  7. 6 : km 6.82 - alt. 724 m - Taillis de Monchercet
  8. 7 : km 7.77 - alt. 805 m - Entrance to the Montchervet woods
  9. 8 : km 8.77 - alt. 752 m - Rating: 751
  10. 9 : km 9.48 - alt. 775 m - Turn right at the fork.
  11. 10 : km 10.69 - alt. 802 m - Exit from the Montchervet woods
  12. 11 : km 11.83 - alt. 728 m - Road crossing (at Garel)
  13. 12 : km 13.82 - alt. 640 m - Exit the D60
  14. 13 : km 14.66 - alt. 627 m - Between Place de la Liberté and Rue de la Liberté
  15. S/E : km 15.15 - alt. 607 m - Arrival at the tourist office.

Notes

The trails are well maintained and do not pose any technical problems. Good walking shoes are always preferable, especially given the distance of the route.
Follow the white and yellow markings, letter P, as some junctions can be confusing.
No water available along the route.
For information, time taken by the author: 4 hours 15 minutes
Route available on the FFRandonnee Loire website.

Worth a visit

Saint-Loup Chapel
Panissières, Place de la Liberté: replica of the monorail.

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 6 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.8 / 5
Route interest
4 / 5
Madilouise
Madilouise

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 12, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very clear explanations.
Very nice view
Worth repeating

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Syl18
Syl18

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 08, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Very busy route : No

Hike completed on 1 January 2023.
A lot of tarmac, more than 50%. The worst part was reaching the end and having to cross the only industrial area in the area!
Tarmac isn't what I'm looking for in the hikes I choose, so for me this one was very disappointing and I wouldn't recommend it to people who feel the same way.
However, visiting the village of Donzy was a wonderful discovery!

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fabrice69400
fabrice69400

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 07, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A short, easy, shaded walk, with a bit of tarmac at the start and finish
but overall very pleasant.

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Martynette
Martynette

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 06, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant, hilly hike with beautiful views and long paths through the woods.

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Calanquaise
Calanquaise

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 28, 2021
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful landscapes in this stunning region. Very green after all this rain...
You'll have to forget about the tarmac at the start and finish, surrounded by houses and the industrial estate...
Thank you anyway for this beautiful hike!

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Patrixdemex
Patrixdemex

Thank you for this additional information, which will undoubtedly be useful to hikers.

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pilou457
pilou457

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 30, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I know this morning mountain route very well, as I live a few kilometres from Panissières. There are two variants, 9 and 16 kilometres long. Magnificent landscapes on the way back (downhill), with views of the plain and the Forez mountains (including Chalmazel and its ski slopes) and Auvergne. It's worth noting that Panissières also offers a 25 km route following the monorail (see photo of this hike, documents and route at the tourist office), which is a must-do in the direction of Jas, Salt en Donzy, the medieval town of Donzy and Panissières for the view. This will save you from having to turn around constantly. One small downside when you arrive in Panissières: a homeowner living in a mobile home with anti-monorail signs confronts hikers, telling them that they are trespassing on his property. This is not true, so just keep going without paying any attention to him! Getting back to the suggested hike, well done to whoever posted it. I highly recommend it to all keen hikers (there is quite a lot of elevation gain in the first half).

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