Country:
District:
Park in the car park at the town hall/post office.
(S/E) Go up Rue Jean et Catherine Reynier and keep right at the next intersection (small roundabout, follow the signs for Mont Cindre). About 100 metres further on, leave Route du Mont Cindre on your right and continue straight ahead on Rue Claude Fouilloux.
(1) At the next crossroads, turn slightly right onto Rue Ampère (to the right of the cross). Continue straight ahead along this street. After the entrance to the Tennis Club de la Bussière, leave the street that goes downhill on your left and continue straight ahead.
(2) At the Bussière crossroads, turn left, going slightly downhill, and continue along Rue de la Jardinière. After about 300 m, follow Chemin de la Roche on the right, which will take you off the paved roads. At the next crossroads, turn right towards Mont la Roche. Continue along this path, where you will see a few drystone shelters. Behind you, there is a beautiful view of Lyon.
(3) At the crossroads, continue straight ahead on the path with a crossed-out sign. After a few minutes' walk, you will reach Mont la Roche. Continue along the path downhill. After passing a first path coming from the left, take the one on the left that branches off at an angle. This will take you to Chemin de la Herse, which leads to the crossroads at the foot of Mont Thou.
Caution: there are many cyclists on this section.
(4) To avoid climbing Mont Thou by road, leave this road on your left and descend to the right for a few dozen metres, then take the path on the left that enters the forest. Continue climbing, ignoring the other paths. Join the Mont Thou road and follow it for about 100 metres before turning right onto the path that enters the meadow.
Leave the path on your right, which you will take on the way down, and continue for about 50 metres. Then turn left and climb up to the orientation table.
(5) There is a beautiful view of the surrounding landscape, and in good weather you can see the Alps. The place is very popular at weekends, especially in the afternoons!
Retrace your steps and, before reaching the Mont Thou road, take the path on the left that leads into the forest. On the descent, ignore the path that branches off to the right and continue downhill until you reach a pumping station, which you will follow.
Cross the road and continue downhill (Chemin des Chalettes). After walking along a beautiful stone wall, join a new road on the right and descend to the small hamlet.
(6) Take the path on the right that climbs into the forest, then turns left and descends towards the road: ignore the paths that branch off to the right along the way. Follow the road to the left for about 100 metres, then at the next bend, take the path that branches off to the right and runs alongside the Clos de la Rossette. At the bottom of the field, turn right, leaving the path that comes from the left, and follow the descriptions on the drystone shelters.
Continue along the same path, passing several drystone shelters, and descend to a crossroads.
(7) Take the path on the right that climbs up to the Route des Crêtes. Turn left onto the road and follow it to the Maison de la Nature: take the path that runs alongside the car park on this section. After the Maison de la Nature, continue for 50 m along the road, then take the path on the left. Continue to a fork in the road about 100 m further on.
(8) Turn right, then a few dozen metres further on, turn left onto the Sentier des Rapaces. Birdwatchers can try to spot some birds here. Continue straight ahead on this path, which passes behind Mont Cindre.
(9) A little further on, take the path on the right and join a paved road, which you follow for a few dozen metres. At the first bend (tennis court), take the path on the right that leads back to Mont Cindre. Cross the road and continue straight ahead. Pass the restaurant "La Haut sur la Colline". Just after, turn left onto the street that passes in front of the Hotel Ermitage and continue to the viewpoint.
(10) Follow the path downhill and join a paved road after two bends. Leave this road quickly and take a stairway on the right that descends straight down the slope (Chemin du Grimpillon). You will come out onto a paved road. Follow it straight ahead to join the Route du Mont Cindre.
Go down it for about 100 metres, turn left onto Rue Pasteur and a little further on, turn right to return to the car park where you started (S/E).
Visorando member
Easy 
Difficult 
