Pilgrimage to the Chapel of Saint-Jean le Fromental

Car parking spaces are scarce during the tourist season. We recommend parking in the lower town, on Route de Lyon, along the river. The chosen starting point is a car park.

(S/E) Head north-west along Route de Lyon for about 100 metres.

(1) Turn right heading north onto Route de la Bâtie et la Rivoire, which climbs and passes beneath the village cemetery to reach a plateau.
Pass the Grand Champ farmstead on your left, then La Bâtie, and finally La Rivoire. Continue to the La Bâtie crossroads, at an altitude of 490 m.

(2) Continue northwards; the road changes name to Route de Saint-Jean le Fromental. After about 300 metres, you will reach the Chapelle Saint-Jean le Fromental.

(3) It is open to visitors in season; there is an information panel on the left-hand side of the steps.
Continue northwards until you reach a fork and turn left onto Chemin du Cul de Perette (sic!). Pass another farmstead and arrive at the transmission relay (viewpoint). Turn right onto the path to take in a little more of the landscape and the Vercors.

(4) Turn back and head south, passing the chapel again and continuing to the La Bâtie crossroads, at an altitude of 490 m.

(2) Turn left, heading east. A sign indicates ‘St Antoine l’Abbaye, 2.3 km’ and ‘L’Enclos, 1.2 km’.
The path turns south almost immediately. Pass through the hamlets of Figuetière and Barreton. Further on, at an elevation of 439 m, you’ll reach a crossroads with a wayside shrine: a metal cross on a stone base.

(5) Turn right onto Chemin de l’Enclos heading south-west, pass the Enclos farm (on your left) to reach the upper part of the village of Saint-Antoine-l’Abbaye.
Beautiful views from the path, which eventually turns left towards the south-east, passing first over the sports ground and then along the village’s main monuments, still heading south-east. The path then turns right towards the south as it descends, just after passing the abbey’s vegetable gardens (bird’s-eye view). Tables under the walnut trees, then a car park, at the top of the village.

(6) Turn right onto Chemin de l’Enclos heading west to enter the town. Pass the town hall and the Porte de la Grande Cour (beautiful façade). Head down the west-facing Grande Rue on the left-hand side of this monument to reach Route de Lyon and return to the car park (S/E).

No water points. Limited catering options out of season, but plenty of bars open in summer.

If you get tired early, you can start heading back from point (2); it’s already a lovely circular pattern and the view is beautiful.

A visit to Saint-Antoine-l'Abbaye is a must. Opt for a guided tour; the guides are dedicated and very knowledgeable.

The town is listed among the most beautiful villages in France; the abbey and the museum are among the finest attractions (the museum is free).

Information panels explaining the street names and buildings have been installed.

There are good historical explanations about “mal ardent” or “Saint Anthony’s fire”. We’ll leave you to discover the origin of this ailment.

Please respect the walnut orchards; do not pick up walnuts from under the trees, even if they have fallen to the ground. This is in fact the harvesting method used locally.

Please respect the small cemetery at La Chapelle by not walking on the graves (only the gravestones mark the boundaries of this grass-covered cemetery)