Les Chataîgniers

A lovely little hike with beautiful views of the Cher, starting from Saint-Genest south of Montluçon.

Details

115412
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 7.59 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 45 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 216 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 208 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 425 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 220 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Departure from the church in Saint-Genest.

Yellow markings are very clear.

(S/E) With your back to the church, take the street that passes in front of the town hall. At the stop sign, cross the D50 (be careful) and continue straight ahead on a grassy path that soon turns north.

(1) At a large four-way intersection, go down the path opposite, which continues on (view of the Cher gorges and Lignerolles opposite).

(2) Go back up the road (crushed glass cross on your right and ruins of the old village on your left, private property).
Continue straight ahead and, a little further on, on the left in a bend, you will find the access to the footbridge over the Cher (about 1km there and back). Be careful, the path is steep but easy to walk on, even going uphill.

(3) After seeing the footbridge and the Cher, go back up the road.

(2) Turn left as you leave the path. Stay on the road, ignoring a path on the left. Continue to a crossroads, turning left for 150 metres towards La Mouche.

(4) Turn right onto the dirt track. At the next intersection, turn right again.
Cross the D50 (take care) to reach a small road opposite. At the entrance to the hamlet of Crozat, turn right onto a small dirt track that climbs up to the plateau.

(5) At the crossroads of five paths, take the second one on your left. Quickly pass a path on your left and arrive at a road, turn right to return to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 400 m - Church of Saint-Genest
  2. 1 : km 0.76 - alt. 381 m - Intersection of 4 paths
  3. 2 : km 1.5 - alt. 293 m - Crossroads of the crushed glass cross
  4. 3 : km 2.2 - alt. 224 m - Footbridge over the > - Le Cher
  5. 4 : km 4.02 - alt. 312 m - On the right before La Mouche
  6. 5 : km 6.14 - alt. 388 m - Crossroads of 5 paths
  7. S/E : km 7.59 - alt. 400 m - Church of Saint-Genest

Notes

Yellow markings are very clear.
Please note that there are other mountain bike markings (I think) on the route: stick to the yellow markings.

Worth a visit

The round trip to the footbridge over the Cher takes a good hour longer, so bear this in mind.

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 12 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.3 / 5
Vlalerie
Vlalerie

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 30, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk accompanied by birdsong, although at the end of March it was quite muddy, so make sure you wear sturdy footwear.
Thank you for the details of this hike.

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Mimi03
Mimi03

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 15, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk in the countryside, alternating between descents and ascents in the Bourbonnais bocage.

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randocri
randocri

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 31, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very well-marked trail. A beautiful, peaceful walk in nature.

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Claudine L2.
Claudine L2.

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 12, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A very beautiful walk with excellent signposting. No hesitation about which route to take.

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Armesan
Armesan

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 16, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very pleasant walk with lots of ups and downs!
The footbridge over the Cher was a lovely discovery.
But where are the chestnut trees? 😉

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Kaeso
Kaeso

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 25, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A beautiful hike, the passage to Cher is very bucolic and charming. There is a slight incline, but it is still a family-friendly hike.

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Kaeso
Kaeso

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 04, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A good route, varied and fairly easy despite a few hills. A beautiful descent into the Cher valley.

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MARTIchou07
MARTIchou07

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 11, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Compliments to the creator of this route, everything is perfect, both the route itself and the signposting, as well as the discovery aspect with the descent onto the footbridge over the Cher.
A very beautiful parish-specific to Brittany walk.

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Ludovicien
Ludovicien

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 05, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A beautiful, not very difficult and very pleasant hike.
The route, lined on both sides by pastures, reminds me of my youth, when industrialisation had not yet caused ecological damage.

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Guy63
Guy63

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 27, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A beautiful hike, best done on cloudy days as much of it is treeless.

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Lilou03
Lilou03

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 20, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Hello,
A beautiful hike that is fairly easy for beginners.
Very beautiful view of the Cher.

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JBPapou
JBPapou

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 05, 2015
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

The descent to the footbridge is very pleasant.
This hike is a little more physically demanding than those usually found in the region.
The elevation gain of around 185 m is not high mountain terrain, but it still makes your legs ache a bit!

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