An unusual route through Romans-sur-Isère and Bourg-de-Péage

The walk starts from the forecourt of Romans-sur-Isère SNCF station, which is easy to spot and has a large free car park on the north side.

(S/E) With your back to the station, cross Place Carnot and follow Avenue Pierre Sémard all the way to the end. Cross Place Jean Jaurès, then Place Ernest Gailly to reach the foot of the Jacquemart (the old belfry, the emblem of Romans).

Walk round the tower and down Côte Jacquemart (a pedestrian street) to a small square (Place Fontaine Couverte), where you should turn right. Then head down Rue Pélisserie on the left to reach Place Maurice Faure. Cross this square to the right, walking alongside the Collégiale Saint-Barnard (the town’s birthplace), then turn left at the end of the square to pass in front of the church forecourt.

(1) Continue straight on and cross the Isère via the Pont Vieux to reach the Bourg-de-Péage side. At the end of the bridge, go down the steps on the right and take the path running alongside the Isère. Follow it to the Passerelle des Ors.

(2) Take the footbridge to cross the Isère. Turn left and follow the path on the right bank for about a hundred metres. Turn right onto the small uphill street that passes between houses, then runs alongside the Krohne factory to emerge onto Avenue Salvador Allende. Turn left onto this avenue and walk past the former Hôtel des Ors.

(3) As soon as you have passed the hotel, turn right and cross a large grassy esplanade where you will find a path. Follow this path, which passes in front of a sports and leisure area (children’s playground, football pitches and basketball courts). The area then narrows and the path runs between the low walls of the villas until it reaches what appears to be the end of the path.

You then simply need to make a slight right/left turn to find the continuation of the path at Rue Henri Isodore Danjean. This new path runs alongside the École Maternelle des Ors. When you reach a small square, turn left (Rue Béatrix de Hongrie), then right at the next junction into a small street which leads onto a new path that you follow to the end. Then turn left twice, then right (Hameau du Vallois) to come out onto Rue Calixte Lafosse.

(4) Follow this street to the right, then take the first left into Rue Missak Manouchian (signposted ‘No Exit’). Follow this street until you reach a small square on the right, which you can cross diagonally to reach Rue Louise Michel. This street appears to be blocked at the end by an old building, but you need to get closer to see that there is a passageway under the building leading to Avenue Berthelot.

Turn left and head uphill along this avenue. You will immediately see the entrance to the Calvaire des Récollets on your right and, in the background, the small Church of Sainte-Croix (this is the chapel of a former convent).

(5) Once past the church, turn right along the buildings of the former convent, which have been converted into flats, and the park (Rue des Récollets).

At the end of this street, continue along the path that crosses the meadow, following the railway line, then descends to pass underneath it. You’ll find yourself in a tunnel between the railway line and the road to Tain l’Hermitage, level with the bridge that spans the Savasse.

(6) Once you have crossed the small river, exit the tunnel to the right to find another small path running alongside the railway line.

At the end of the path, follow the street until you reach a three-way junction. Do not take the first left (it is a dead end), but the second, Rue Victor Boiron. Follow it to the end where it meets Rue Simone Abbat, which you take to the right, running alongside the little Martinette canal. Just opposite Impasse Duchesne, on the right, look out for the path that runs alongside the canal.

(7) Follow this path, which becomes a street (the canal is then covered with concrete slabs). Follow the main street (Rue de la Martinette), moving away from the canal after about a hundred metres: the small street that continues to follow the canal on the right, after passing the Lycée Saint-Maurice, is a dead end leading to private properties.

(8) At a clothing factory under construction (noted: 19/10/2024) *.
Turn left onto Rue Pierre Curie, which joins Avenue Duchesne. Cross it carefully at the pedestrian crossing and continue straight on along Rue Docq to reach Rue Bouvet.

(9) Turn right onto this street and walk alongside the Lycée Professionnel Auguste Bouvet until you reach Boulevard de la Libération.
Turn left onto this boulevard. It leads back to Place Carnot and the forecourt of the SNCF station (S/E).

(2) From here, you can head to the Bois des Naix to walk around this magnificent park. This detour adds a good half-hour to the route. Here you’ll find “Le Cerf”, a work by the recently deceased Roman sculptor Toros, as well as a monument honouring De Delay D’Agier. To do this, continue straight on across the footbridge, turn left at the end of the path, and climb the steps leading to Grande Rue Jean Jaurès. Take this road to the right until you reach the park entrance. If you walk around the Bois des Naix, you must then retrace your steps back to the footbridge to continue the walk.

• Update dated 19/10/2024 regarding the corner of Rue Pierre Curie.

1) The old school no longer exists. A clothing factory is currently under construction in its place.
2) The Clergerie factory outlet has closed. Clergerie products can now be found at Marques Avenue.

Saint-Bernard Collegiate Church (13th–16th centuries) (1).