Rochebaron Castle

Rochebaron Castle is the emblematic site in the Bas-en-Basset and Monistrol-sur-Loire area.
Beautiful views, first over the Loire and, on the return journey, over the Meygal massif.

Technical sheet

200119
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.18 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 45 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: Yes
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 389 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 394 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 821 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 477 m

Photos

Description of the walk

(on the left) and the road leading directly to the Rochebaron Castle (on the right). Here you will find a cross.

(S/F) From the car park, head 50 m down and out of the village by taking Route de Valprivas (D12) to the right in a westerly direction. After 400 m, leave the road that veers to the left and take the right track. We immediately follow alongside Bas-en-Basset Castle and its park (not interesting).

(1) 400 m further on, leave this Yellow-marked trail to take the track to the right.

(2) After about 600 m, the path forks anew: turn right onto the grassy track that winds along the same level curve.

(3) Find the route that, from Bas-en-Basset, leads directly to the Rochebaron Castle and take it heading left. Soon, the altitude lowers and the road is no longer paved. Keep to this track to get to the castle.

(4) Arrival at Rochebaron Castle (opening hours below under “During the walk...").
In front of the castle facing the gate, take the small path on the left marked in yellow that climbs the hill. We will follow these markings to the hamlet of Thézenac on the plateau. 100 m further on, at the small fork, continue to follow the narrow right path.

(5) Around 300 m after the castle, at another fork, continue on the right path still marked in yellow. 600 m further up the hill, take the track that heads left.

At the entrance of the hamlet of Thézenac take the street to the left and cross the village. Reach the road down towards Valprivas Bas-en-Basset near the communal oven located on the right.
Take this road to the left for about 50 m (Yellow markings).

(6) Leave the road to follow the trail that goes left towards the south-east, marked in yellow. This track goes to Suc Péchaud, pass this by to the left, along the plateau with beautiful views on the Meygal and its run-offs (cones or domes of volcanic origin).

Around 1 km from the village of Thézenac, reach a crossroads of tracks and continue straight down to the 2nd hamlet of the hike, Montméat. In Montméat, continue straight towards the south-east.

(7) At the fork located on the edge of the hamlet, continue on the left no markings passing by a pylon on the right. At the last house on the left (mobile home), take the small path to the right of the gate, which becomes increasingly steep and narrow, but well-marked by visible ruts caused by motorcycles.

(8) At the edge of the forest, the trail leads to a larger trail to be taken to the left.
200 m further on, the track makes a hairpin right turn. It is possible to take a short detour by taking a path to the left in the middle of the hairpin bend to take a look at the Devil's Bridge (9) located 150 m upstream (see "During the walk..." below).

Retrace your steps back to the path and go past the crossroads taken on the way out (1) and then continue along the same path to quickly reach the entrance of Bas-en-Basset. Reach the car park (S/F).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 487 m - Car park at the start of the Rochebaron road
  2. 1 : km 0.88 - alt. 546 m - Turn right onto an unmarked track
  3. 2 : km 1.5 - alt. 585 m - Right fork in grassy track
  4. 3 : km 1.72 - alt. 579 m - At the crossroads, turn left
  5. 4 : km 2.49 - alt. 627 m - At the chateau, take the yellow signposted path on the left
  6. 5 : km 2.88 - alt. 619 m - Keep to the right of the yellow signposted path
  7. 6 : km 5.02 - alt. 806 m - Take the track on the left
  8. 7 : km 6.69 - alt. 741 m - Take the Montméat exit and turn left onto an unmarked track
  9. 8 : km 7.53 - alt. 571 m - Follow the track to the left
  10. 9 : km 7.99 - alt. 594 m - Devil's bridge
  11. S/E : km 9.18 - alt. 486 m - Car park at the start of the Rochebaron road

Practical information

The climb up to the plateau is steady, but the descent is steep, hence the need to have good shoes and value of walking poles.

In the nearby area

  • On a rocky outcrop, the Rochebaron Castle (12-17th century), owned in turn by the Rochebaron, Chalencon, Isserpent, La Rochefoucauld, Giry and Fisicat families, and now owned by the municipality of Bas-en-Basset and managed by the Friends of Rochebaron.

Visit the castle and the museum:
- School holidays from 11:00 to 19:00.
- Excluding holidays: Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday from 14:00 to 17:00

  • The Devil's Bridge: an ancient aqueduct, completely abandoned, buried under magnificent wild vegetation.
  • See the ponds of Bas-en-Basset: 160 hectares of which 27 hectares are protected for their ecological and ornithological wealth.

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 23 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Clarity of route map
4.4 / 5
Route interest
4.6 / 5
Ninne
Ninne

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : May 09, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

Nice little walk, pleasant, clean paths
Don't forget to turn round to admire the magnificent scenery after leaving the wooded area!
Be careful between points 7 and 8 as the path, which is already quite narrow, closes off. It's best to pass to the right of the aerial at point 7 to make a small loop a little further down to reach point 8.

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pstroyes
pstroyes

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Jan 19, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

Very nice walk with no difficulties... the descent to point 7 is indeed off-path but with a little care and a GPS you can easily find your way! Thanks for sharing.

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Charlene85
Charlene85

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 15, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

Be careful from point 7 onwards. I lost the route after about 500m. I did the walk following the GPS track but suddenly found myself in the middle of the forest. I couldn't see the path, which must have been overgrown. Thanks to the app and the GPS, I managed to find my way back, but I did so in the middle of a very steep forest, with tree trunks in the way. It's very easy to get lost. I found the descent acrobatic.

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Rikki
Rikki

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : May 19, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A beautiful walk, full of flowers, that can be completed in 3 hours. Quick descent. We didn't make the diversions to the Devil's Bridge: in the middle of the spring vegetation explosion, we wouldn't have seen a thing. On a slightly less positive note, the first and last 400 metres are on the D12, but it's not too busy.

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jpique
jpique

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Feb 19, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Very nice walk, the descent at the end is a bit steep but not long indeed. I don't think there's much point in taking the Devil's Bridge path at the end: the bridge is covered in vegetation and you can't see much.
It took us more 3 hours than 3 hours 55 minutes.
I would recommend

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Crapahute2017
Crapahute2017

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Feb 23, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very nice walk, but the descent is a little steep. On leaving the village of Montmeat, you can extend the walk a little by taking the path on the right, which is a track but a little more passable. This avoids the uninteresting and tiring descent and gives you a better view.
Best regards

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CUNCHON
CUNCHON

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Jan 25, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

very nice little hike. The descent is a little steep but not very long. The view is clear and pleasant.

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odile N.
odile N.
• Last modified:

No, no, the path is not private and is in fact used by motorcyclists and mountain bikers.
At the fork on the way out of the hamlet, continue on the unmarked left-hand track, leaving a pylon on the right. At the last dwelling on the left (mobile home) take the small path to the right of the gate__'' You must have entered an access to a house or farm. Best regards

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marlous
marlous

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Dec 16, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Climbing for 3 or 4 kilometres at the start. Well signposted, but as you leave the village of Montméat the path is more or less blocked, and appears to be a private road.
Very nice parish specific to Brittany.

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odile N.
odile N.

"Access : Car park on the western outskirts of Bas-en-Basset, shortly after the junction of the Valprivas road (D12) and the road leading to Château de Rochebaron. At the junction, cross and sign "Château de Rochebaron". Car park near a small park shortly after the junction.
Let's start again 1/ leaving B en Basset to the west (taking the centre of the village as a reference point) 2/ sign indicating the road to Valprivas, but also, I think (I'm no longer there) St Pal En Chalencon 3/ this road being the D12.
Sorry, but I don't know what else to say.
Have a nice walk

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PPLR
PPLR

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 13, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Clarity of route map : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

The starting point is hard to find: it says 'at the exit from Bas en Basset' but which exit? From where? On which road? In the end I found it using GPS coordinates
and the junction described does not correspond to reality.
However, it was a superb walk. But no view of the Loire as indicated

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grandin
grandin ★

Thank you for these details, which may help the author and other hikers.

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driguette
driguette

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 15, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very nice walk, but the 1st indications in terms of distance should be reviewed, as they are overestimated: the 1st track to the right is about 250m away instead of the 400m announced, and the next one is only about 300m away.
For the return journey, it should be noted that at the fork in the road, you should stay on the left-hand road and continue as far as the gate of the last house, as there is another path that passes to the left of the pylon but ends in a dead end! Make a U-turn...
At point 7, the same difficulty: the path is almost invisible and we had to make the descent on a fairly steep track with lots of ruts and rocks: a bit dangerous if you're not careful!

Otherwise, it's a relatively shady route that's pleasant to do at this time of year. Great views from the plateau.
A walk worth doing again!

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gali69
gali69

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Nov 18, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very nice group hike on Sunday.
Easy access and parking.
No orientation problems.
Varied route, undergrowth, meadow, path or wide track, and little tarmac.
The downhill path was dry, so we had no problems.
Beautiful views of Rochebaron castle.

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Sylviane C1.
Sylviane C1.

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Nov 15, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Please take into account the advice about the descent (7): have poles and good shoes and I would add to avoid after rain for this part. The circuit offers magnificent views. Thank you for this hike.

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