The ruins of Iserand Castle

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Hike in the Mazèvieux valley north-east of Vion, which will take you past the ruins of Iserand Castle.

Details

n°2859717
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 8.00 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 30 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 419 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 413 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 416 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 124 m
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Photos

View of the ruins of Iseran Castle

Description of the walk

Start near Camping Iserand, 1 km north of Vion. Park at the beginning of the road that goes up to Secheras.

(S/E) The path (markedPR® Yellow and White) crosses the campsite towards the mountain and begins to wind its way up through the forest. Stay on the main path and do not go into the vineyards.

(1) Above a clearing, turn right into the Bois de Lavay: two small rocks mark the start of the trail. Do not continue horizontally above the vineyards. The trail climbs steadily but has a few steep sections.

(2) Turn left. Continue climbing a little further, then leave the forest and reach a tarmac road towards Vernolet. Turn right and continue for about 200 metres, climbing slightly through apricot orchards.

(3) Once at Maison Neuve, take the track on the right which plunges back into the forest (yellow and white markings).

(4) Ignore the path on the right, which can be used as a shortcut (see Practical Information section), and continue slightly downhill. Cross two tiny streams and you will arrive at the information panel for the ruins of Iserand Castle.

(5) Turn right to go to the end. The view of the valley is very pleasant. This is an ideal place to take a break. Turn back.

(5) Then continue along the path to the right towards the west until you reach a fork in the road, about 200 m further on (signpost).

(6) Turn right towards Sécheras. Then cross the Ruisseau des Agrèves stream (use the footbridge if necessary or wade across depending on the water level, which can vary greatly). Then climb a few steep hairpin bends to the D17 tarmac road at a place called Les Levées. Follow this road to the right for 200 metres.

(7) Take the road on the right, then turn left very quickly towards L'Arc. Leave the road and follow
the track on the right which crosses the vineyards towards the valley. View of the Château d'Iserand and the entire valley.

Cross a small steep and stony hairpin bend. Then follow the wide, easy and pleasant path along the hillside to the D17 road at a hairpin bend. Turn right and follow the tarmac road and the barrier for about 200 metres.

(8) At the end of the barrier, leave the road and take the path below on the right which, after a few stony hairpin bends, leads back to the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 128 m - Iserand Campsite
  2. 1 : km 0.56 - alt. 223 m - Fork in the road, to the right
  3. 2 : km 1.77 - alt. 338 m - Côte Chioure
  4. 3 : km 2.52 - alt. 416 m - New house, on the right
  5. 4 : km 3.11 - alt. 348 m - Crossroads, straight ahead
  6. 5 : km 3.57 - alt. 296 m - Iserand Castle information panel
  7. 6 : km 4.21 - alt. 317 m - Crossroads, on the right
  8. 7 : km 5.29 - alt. 390 m - Les Levées, D17 road
  9. 8 : km 7.33 - alt. 254 m - D17 road - Path on the right
  10. S/E : km 8 - alt. 130 m - Iserand Campsite

Notes

- Two small streams before the castle
- Then a larger one, but be careful, they only flow in spring.
- Walking poles useful: a few steep and stony sections.

Note: in early 2020, the section after WP(2) is tricky for 100 m: very thick branches on the path, following the snow in November 2019. Pending clearance: Two options: walk across the field on the left for 50 metres or skip this section and head straight to WP (4) via the path, saving 1 km (but you will remain in the forest).

Worth a visit

Ruins of Iserand Castle
Via Rhona (cycle path) and the Rhône not far from Vion.
Castle and old town in Tournon-sur-Rhône (3 km).
Valrhona chocolate factory (factory shop, free tasting & chocolate museum) in Tain l'Hermitage (4 km).
Wine cellars galore in this area of the Rhône Valley.

 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

4.6 / 5
Based on 18 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
mimi26600
mimi26600

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 04, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Route done as a group, there were about 25 of us hikers. Very easy to follow on the Visorando trail.
Few tarmac roads, the route was a little slippery on the stony descents but fairly easy overall. Beautiful views on a clear day.

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Julagier
Julagier

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

Great hike, I loved discovering the castle ruins.
It's a shame that they aren't maintained and showcased.
There weren't many people on the trails that day, so I did the tour with my dog without any problems.
There wasn't much traffic on the road, so I took a shortcut to avoid passing through Bobon, which wasn't very interesting.

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krisV
krisV

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 03, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

an easy route, simple to follow with GPS. The paths are indeed overgrown with brambles and the castle ruins are inaccessible, but there are some beautiful views and lots of forest trails, which is very pleasant in hot weather.

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frimoudou
frimoudou

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 10, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

apart from the very limited interest of the castle ruins, which are in very poor condition and very poorly maintained. The paths are very poorly maintained, with numerous nettles "caressing" your legs, and vegetation has largely reclaimed these paths... Disappointing, apart from the beautiful views of the Rhône and the vineyards

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sommet
sommet

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 22, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

lovely walk

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sommet
sommet

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 25, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Ruins of the castle not maintained.

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duonos
duonos

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 11, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hike already completed a few years ago. Still just as interesting.
A possible alternative after the castle: climb up to Lemps then descend to the Mazarieux stream, passing through Les Pironnes (the other paths are blocked), then climb back up to Cheminas or go directly to Les Levées via Les Blaches and Palisson, bringing the total length of the route to 13 km

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spockdodo
spockdodo

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

Hike completed today in good weather: a very pleasant short route with no particular difficulties, on well-marked and well-maintained trails.
The icing on the cake: a Cathar castle in Ardèche perched on a rocky outcrop, the ideal spot for a snack halfway through the hike.
Thank you for the suggestion and description: as the route is not signposted, even though it is well marked, we would not have discovered it without you.

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jrf
jrf

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 04, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hike in the Iserand valley to discover the castle ruins visible on either side of the valley.
Walk through the ruins after reading the information panel. Tour of the plateau with views of the villages of Sécheras and Ardoix. Beautiful views of the Rhône (no leaves on the trees). The part in the valley is well sheltered from the wind.

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tratra071
tratra071

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 15, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful hike, the castle ruins are worth the detour, possibility to follow the blue markings, a little shorter but better signposted.

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renemounier
renemounier

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 07, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

no markings at the start or along the route, but no difficulty in finding your way with the map. Pleasant trails, often through woods.

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DEVI26
DEVI26

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 02, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant walk with beautiful paths and trails. Discovering Iserand Castle on its spur is a real treat. Thank you for this suggestion

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tafa
tafa

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 06, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

hello,

A pleasant hike without any major difficulties. A beautiful walk through the woods in the first part; a visit to the castle ruins halfway through the route and a pleasant return trip on the southern slope with beautiful views of the castle and the Rhône valley.

i highly recommend visiting ARRAS afterwards and going to see the Tower

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pimafa
pimafa
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

A pleasant walk allowing you to discover the ruins of ISERAND Castle. The ruins are not visible from the valley.
The views of the valley from the high points are magnificent.
I highly recommend this hike through the oak and chestnut woods.
Enjoy your hike in northern Ardèche.

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Bondom59
Bondom59

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 02, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A stop at the ruins of Iserand Castle is a must. A very beautiful hike.

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