Saint-Héand walks

Family-friendly walk in the hills of Saint-Héand among the horses and cows.

A walk along wide, easy paths through meadows above Saint-Bonnet-les-Oules.

Starting from La Tour-en-Jarez, this is a gentle walk along quiet roads and paths, ideal for families.

Beautiful route along the ridges around the village of Fontanès. Free parking in the castle grounds.

A short walk starting from the village of Fontanès, offering a beautiful view at the highest point of the Sept Pins. The passage through the woods is very pleasant.

A lovely, quick walk that is easily accessible from the centre of La Talaudière. Hilly but not difficult. Beautiful views of the Pilat massif and the heights of Sorbiers. Discover the castle and park of Sorbiers at the end of the walk.

The Trois Ports hike is signposted and extends to Saint-Just-Saint-Rambert. It is an easy walk along a beautiful path on the banks of the Loire.

A circuit primarily on small paved and sunny roads.

The route passes through different areas in the countryside around Saint-Christo-en-Jarez (wetlands, forest and meadows). Along the way, themed information boards provide details about the local wildlife. On a clear day, two-thirds of the way along the route, you will be treated to a magnificent view of the Alps.

A very varied hike in the Loire, alternating between open landscapes with meadows, valleys, deciduous forests and numerous apple and cherry orchards. The walk also allows you to discover a curious underground aqueduct. In good weather, you can enjoy a breathtaking view of Mont Blanc and the entire Alpine range. This hike can be enjoyed in all seasons, but it must be magnificent in spring when the fruit trees are in bloom.

This circuit starts in Valfleury, a charming village nestled at the bottom of a valley, and mainly follows ridges offering numerous views towards Saint-Chamond, Saint-Étienne, Pilat and, further afield, Forez and Auvergne. Don't miss a visit to Valfleury church.

A pleasant short hike in the countryside around Saint-Genest-Lerpt.

An open-to-the-sky Sunday stroll in the sun Canal du Forez.

An easy, mostly shaded walk with beautiful views of Lake Grangent at the start and the rest in the forest. The route is dotted with informative and entertaining signs about the flora and fauna. The site is currently being restored to a natural forest after being planted with Douglas firs in the last century. Ideal for family walks and/or hot weather.

A circular walk from Chazelles-sur-Lyon and the Hat Museum to the Gimond dam, which is the reservoir for Chazelles-sur-Lyon's drinking water supply. Along the way, you will find several viewpoints over the region: Mont du Lyonnais, Pilat, etc. You will cross the Gimond stream, which is always dry, several times via small bridges.

The Greenway allows you to travel from Bellevue to La Terrasse (or vice versa) via the hills west of Saint-Étienne. The signage is sometimes non-existent, sometimes misleading, and most often inadequate. These are all reasons for proposing this walk with a detailed description. It is possible to split it in two by stopping at Puits Couriot. The route/description update of 16 August 2020 takes into account the new route from Bellevue.

An extraordinary route starting from the town, 95% on paths, surprising and so beautiful. No difficulty. Head towards Rochetaillé via a footpath, then the Gouffre d'Enfer with its via ferrata and climbing walls, and finally the two dams that supply Saint-Etienne with drinking water. 2½ hours at a leisurely pace with 2 water stops.

This is a challenging hike with significant elevation gain, but the beautiful panoramas and views of this little-known region are well worth the effort.

This route through the Loire Gorges offers beautiful panoramic views.

A route through the Monts du Lyonnais starting from Saint-Symphorien-sur-Coise, inviting you to discover châteaux and dams, taking roads, nature trails and wooded paths offering views of the Monts du Lyonnais and Forez, and ending with a visit to the collegiate church that dominates the town.

An easy and very varied walk (village, paths, woods, fields) with beautiful panoramic views and amenities.

An easy, shaded route with few hills, surrounded by pine trees, with beautiful views of the Gier valley, Saint-Chamond, Pilat and the Furan valley, Guizay and Saint-Etienne. Viewpoints and rest areas are provided along the route.

Circular starting from the village of Chambles with beautiful views of the Loire Gorges, passing by the medieval Essalois Castle, the Monts du Lyonnais, the plain and the Monts du Forez.

This pleasant, rural circular walk, in the little-visited hills of the western Monts du Lyonnais, winds its way through the valleys of the Coise and its tributaries. It starts in the charming village of Aubépin and leads to the imposing Château de Lafay, crossing the village of Larajasse and then wandering through fields and forests to isolated farms and peaceful little hamlets: Vaudragon, La Valletière, Chazette, Les Granges, Le Terron, La Grange Bruyère, Gouttenoire, Moulin Vaudray, La Chèvre, La Lardière, La Rivoire, Les Grandes Bruyères and Croix Galant, before returning to Aubépin after this breath of fresh air.

The Gouffre d'Enfer dam is one of the most famous sites in the Rhône-Alpes region and a popular walk in the Saint-Étienne area. It was built in 1860 in the Furan valley, near Rochetaillé, and completed 17 years later by the Pas du Riot dam. We then continue along the dam trail to the Pont de Souvignet. The return journey takes us via Les Palais, Les Sagnes and La Croix de Givet before joining theGR®42to arrive at Le Plateau and Rochetaillé.

A very beautiful, easy circular alternating between forest paths, magnificent landscapes and breathtaking views of the Château de Rochetaillée, the Roche Corbière (117 m high) and the Pas du Riot (1878) and Gouffre d'Enfer (1866) dams, whose surroundings have been converted into a very pleasant relaxation area for the end of this walk.

A pleasant walk for summer days, as it is almost entirely in the shade. A spectacular finale with a unique and magnificent view of the city of Saint-Étienne.

This route in Maringes offers beautiful views of the Forez plain, the Bois Noirs, the Pilat and numerous villages (25 bell towers on a clear day). The route also offers 180° views of the village of Maringes and a beautiful panorama of the Brévenne valley. The route passes by a chapel built in the 17th century in honour of Saint-Roch for having stopped the diphtheria epidemic.

This walk starts in the Ondenon valley and climbs twice to 900m, on both sides of the river. It offers several panoramic views of the Ondaine valley, the city of Saint-Étienne and, in the distance, the Monts du Forez.

Starting from the Croix du Guizay, this circuit in the Pilat Regional Nature Park offers some of the most beautiful views of Saint-Étienne. The belvedere allows you to take in the city's central street and enjoy a panoramic view of the entire urban area.

A pleasant 11km circular between Bellegarde-en-Forez and Saint-André-le-Puy. Pass by the "délices foréziens" and return via the new Voie Verte, which connects the two villages. A peaceful walk with very little traffic on busy roads.

Short circular or long circular above Saint-Chamond. A pleasant walk or bike ride for the whole family. This path is quite busy, especially on Sunday mornings when the weather is good. Be careful if there is snow, as there may be snowdrifts near the Col de Trente Sous.

This hike allows you to discover the infrastructure that supplies the city of Saint-Étienne with drinking water. The hydraulic structures were built mainly to prevent flooding in the mid-19th century during the Second Empire. A journey between a Canadian atmosphere, with the expanse of water and fir trees of the Riot dam, and the Great Wall of China with the ascents of the Gouffre d'Enfer dam. Mostly forest trails.

A walk at the gateway to the Pilat mountains to discover the Lac du Pas du Riot and two dams built under Napoleon III. This walk is easy, suitable for families and without difficulty. The hardest part is climbing the 52 steps of the dam.

Most of the hike is in the woods, which is very pleasant in summer. From La Valla-en-Gier, a pretty village that has retained its authentic character, take a small road and then a footpath to reach the Ruisseau du Ban stream, nestled at the bottom of a bucolic valley. The path runs alongside this stream for almost 3 km before climbing up to the Bessat plateau. TheGR®®42 trailtakes you to Le Bessat, a tourist village with low, squat houses reminiscent of the nearby Massif Central. The return journey is a descent through the woods.

Circular hike to the Gouffre d'Enfer and Pas du Riot dams, built under Napoleon III using stone masonry. Admire the height of the conifers growing in these forests. The nearby Col de la République, also known as Col du Grand Bois, lives up to its name. The route is mainly through woodland and is not difficult. There is very little tarmac road (only at the start and finish).

Car-free route: depart from Saint-Étienne Bellevue station, accessible by tram from Chateaucreux, and take the L14 regional bus towards Jonzieux. Get off at Planfoy Route du Bourg, paying attention to the timetable, especially on weekdays outside school holidays. It is best to travel in the morning.

Long hike in the Pilat massif. Ideal for beautiful days in May. This hike has two main attractions. It allows you to discover the Cascade du Gier waterfall before entering a completely different world and discovering all the ridges of the Pilat. The advantage is that there are several points where it is possible to shorten this beautiful hike. Please note: the first part through the woods is not well marked and it is easy to take the wrong path.

This is a fairly strenuous hike with beautiful views. If you wish, between (1) and (2), you can take a slightly easier route. The waterfall is worth the detour.