The churches and chapels of Viry

Set off from the car park at the Viry football ground.

(S/E) Take the Route de la Gare towards the main town (south-east). As you approach the church, look out on your left for the Collegiate Church of Saint-Maurice (sign no. 1), where eight canons once resided, then on your right for the church of Viry and its square bell tower with three clocks (sign no. 2).

(1) Then head towards the town centre, crossing the departmental road with care, and walk up the Route du Marronnier opposite. On the Place des Aviateurs, discover the history of aviation in Viry, a pioneering town where a fabulous air show was held in 1910 (signs no. 3 and 4).

(2) Then head up the ramp and turn right onto Rue Villa Mary, which passes in front of the town hall. Continue uphill and, on your left, through the park’s century-old trees, you’ll spot one of Viry’s four châteaux, the Château de Moulinsard (sign no. 5).

(3) Carry on a little further and, at the top, turn left onto Rue du Domaine du Château. At the junction with Route de Frangy, cross at the pedestrian crossing and continue uphill to the right. Then turn left onto the Chemin de Vie and, at the far end, you’ll find a wooden cross marking the site of the former church and cemetery of l’Éluiset (sign no. 6).

(4) Turn right onto Route de Fagotin, cross the main road again with care and continue straight on along Route de Coppet.

(5) Just before the Notre-Dame de Vie oratory, leave the road leading to Germagny (sign no. 7) and turn right onto the farm track that leads downhill. Imagine yourself back in the early 20th century, during the Viry air shows.

(6) Carefully cross the Route de Bellegarde (D1206) and, turning left then right, take the Chemin des Folliets. Pass close to the old church at Essertet (sign no. 8). Continue to the motorway and walk alongside it on the left.

(7) Take the underpass on the right to go under the motorway and turn left. Cross the railway line and turn left to join the Route de Maison Blanche.

(8) Turn right, then right again onto the Chemin de la Traversière. Once you reach Humilly, you can visit the hamlet and its remarkable 13th-century chapel (signpost no. 9).

(9) Then turn right onto Chemin du Pressoir, which joins the Route de Cafou as it winds downhill. Cross the Ruisseau des Foges and head back up towards Malagny.

(10) Turn right onto the Chemin de l’École and stop off at the Malagny cemetery (sign no. 10), which is unusual in that it is divided into two sections: one Protestant and the other Catholic! Carry on straight ahead.

(11) At the first junction, turn left (farm track) to reach the edge of the forest. Walk alongside the trees to the crossroads and return to your starting point via the Route de la Gare (take care, as there is no pavement)(S/E).

Make sure you wear suitable footwear and bring water.

Viry Church: built in 1844, Viry Church is in the Neoclassical style with a basilica-style layout. The square bell tower features a clock on three sides, with each clock facing a different hamlet. The interior of the church is very ornate. Two pews belonging to the lords of Viry are still in place, bearing the carved coat of arms ‘Virtute Viry’ (strength springs from virtue). Beneath them lies the family vault.

The Lords’ Chapel was once kept under lock and key. The old church, demolished in 1843, was deemed shapeless and devoid of architectural merit by Claude Louis Naz, the parish priest of Viry. The interior pillars and pilasters are built of sandstone and molasse taken from the tower and buttresses of the old church. The limestone blocks were quarried from Mont Salève (a quarry above Le Grand Châble).