Sorbiers (Loire) walks

A lovely route – long but not difficult – which takes you on a complete route of the Val d’Onzon, offering beautiful views of the Pilat massif, the Monts du Forez and the Northern Alps (on a clear day!). A wide variety of idyllic landscapes. The route mainly follows the higher parts of the terrain.

A walk in the hills with unobstructed views of the Pilat massif on one side and the Monts du Lyonnais on the other. The route follows good paths and small service roads. There are some steep sections, but they are short-lived.

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.

Walk on the heights of the Col du Pilon, reaching Fontanés via the footpaths and returning via the small roads, with little elevation gain.

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

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 lovely walk in the countryside with stunning views.

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

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 beautiful walk with views of Pilat and Saint-Etienne. Reviews indicate that a GPS is very useful for following this hike.

A long and beautiful circular route that begins in a small valley, at the bottom of which lies a hermitage. After a climb, the view opens up onto the Soulages Dam and La Rive lakes. You follow the latter to climb up to the Sapey woods plateau and reach Rochetaillée. A magnificent village dominated by its 12th-century castle. The path leads to the Auberge de Salvaris, which invites you to take a break and enjoy the beautiful view.

A nature walk in the Monts du Lyonnais, through pastures and small hamlets.

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 figure-of-eight route around the Soulages and Rive dams. It avoids the more technical section on the right bank of the Soulages Dam and offers beautiful views of both dams from above.

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.

A short hike in the Pilat, offering beautiful views of Saint-Étienne, Saint-Chamond and La Valla-en-Gier.

A walk that takes you around Cellieu via the geographical centre of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, whilst discovering magnificent landscapes, and even Mont Blanc on a very clear day. Please note: there is a significant elevation gain, making this route unsuitable for pushchairs.

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.

A hike with no major climbs and beautiful views of the Col de l'Oeillon and Saint-Chamond.

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.

The easier of the two dams at La Valla-en-Gier, offering beautiful and varied light depending on the season, time of day and weather...

An extraordinary route starting from the town, 95% on paths, surprising and so beautiful. No difficulty. Head towards Rochetaillé via a path, 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 two water stops. Returning via the peak (13) completes a circular route, but I recommend coming back via the path you took at the start of the hike, which is more pleasant and well-marked.

This easy route takes you up to higher ground, offering magnificent views of Rochetaillée, Saint-Étienne, Saint-Chamond and all the surrounding plains. Peace and quiet on the outskirts of Saint-Étienne. The scents fill the air and the scenery is magnificent.

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.

This urban route is more of a Sunday stroll than a proper hike. There’s plenty of tarmac, certainly, but on quiet roads. It allows you to explore the countryside on the outskirts of the city and enjoy some lovely views over the Saint-Étienne conurbation.

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.

Route starting from Marcenod, a small rural village of 700 inhabitants at an altitude of around 700 m. Very lovely views of the Monts du Forez.

A route on wide forest tracks through woods of Douglas firs and pines. The return trip to the Col de Trente Sous is not compulsory, but the views are worth it. Given the number of junctions, I recommend usingthe Visorando app on your smartphone.

A route of no great difficulty. In the first section, there are beautiful views over the Gier valley, the Piney (sometimes dry) and Rive dams. The paths are a bit stony, so wear good walking shoes. On the return journey, after the Col du Planil, there are views of the hamlets in the valley.

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.

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

A beautiful hike starting from the heights of La Valla-En-Gier to discover three dams used for drinking water production. Not recommended for those prone to vertigo.

This walk, which takes about 1½ hours, starts at the gates of Saint-Étienne and then follows a circular route that includes the remarkable Guizay viewpoint.

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.

This walk from Saint-Étienne will take you to Le Guizay via the Ondenon dam. It offers several panoramic views, including the Ondaine valley, Saint-Étienne and the Forez plain.

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.

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.

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.

Very pleasant in summer, this circular route, mostly through the forests on the northern slope of the Pilat, culminates at the Saut du Gier. From the Scie du Bost, the path leads to the beautiful Gier waterfall, then climbs a rocky escarpment to reach the shepherd's hut and the Crêt de la Perdrix, the highest point of the Pilat at an altitude of 1,432 m. Following the GR®7 and then the GR®42, which crosses the village of Le Bessat, you approach the village of La Tarentaise before descending into the Vallon du Ban and climbing up to Le Rot, then through the Vallon de La Fare to return to the starting point.

This is an alternative route that allows you to enjoy the Saut du Gier, La Jasserie and Crêt de la Perdrix without covering too many kilometres. A pleasant woodland environment, scree slopes, the Saut du Gier, the Source du Gier at La Jasserie, and Crêt de la Perdrix with its orientation table. Beautiful panoramic views on clear days over the Rhône Valley and the Alps (Mont Blanc). A reasonably challenging route. Departure from La Scie du Bost.

This circular route starts at La Pouratte stadium in Chambon-Feugerolles and takes you to the Cotatay dam, which supplies the town with drinking water, before climbing to overlook the Ondaine valley.