Hiking map of Bozas

Departure from the church square in Bosas

(S/E) With the church on your left, head towards Rue du Soleil Levant and turn left until you reach a bend.

(1) Continue straight ahead towards Arlebosc. Cross the Choisine stream and climb up a very pleasant path to reach a small road at a place called Gardon.

(2) Just below the hamlet of Gardon, take a path that descends to the left, crosses the Choisine again and climbs back up between the low walls. On the road, turn right until the next crossroads.

(3) Turn left, then immediately right. The road becomes a track. Further up, turn left and descend between the orchards. Turn right onto the road, then immediately left onto the track. Further on, descend left into the copse until you reach the road at La Garenne.

(4) Cross the hamlet of La Garenne on the left and follow a small road to the village of Bozas. At the crossroads, turn left, go up into the village, and come back down past the church, keeping to the right (S/E).

Access
From Saint-Félicien, take the D234 then the D278 towards Lamastre, then the D272a to the village of Bozas.

Public transport
Line 7 Annonay - Saint Félicien - Lamastre. Bozas Croix des Champs stop

Parking
Church square

Chalets
If you hear someone from the Ardèche say the words "chalets", "faïsses" or "chambas", they're not calling you names, they're just talking about the landscape! It's not easy to farm on slopes as steep as ours. But it takes more than that to discourage the people of the Ardèche. So they have worked hard to shape the landscape around them to make it as functional as possible. To increase the amount of land available for cultivation, they built terraces using dry stone walls erected directly on the slopes. These retaining walls also provided space for cisterns, which are very useful on our well-drained granite soil!

Bozas
A charming village on the Ardèche plateau, Bozas is not short of treasures. There are several theories about the origin of the name Bozas. It may come from the Occitan word "bosa", meaning "round in shape", or from "bos", meaning "wooded place", but the most likely explanation is that it comes from the Boson family, the first owners of the site. The first traces of the castle date back to^{the 12th} century, although the parts visible today are from^{the 15th} century. There was also a small Cluniac priory dating from^{the 13th} century. The rich history of this village in no way detracts from the beauty of its landscapes. On a clear day, you can even see Mont Blanc. Special mention should be made of the sketch walk. This family walk takes about an hour and takes you on a journey of discovery through the landscapes of Bozas, learning techniques for sketching them. Get your sketchbooks ready... and start sketching!