Country:
District:
In Châteauneuf, follow the signs to the "Le Got" campsite and park at the side of the road, near the footbridge that crosses the Sioule to enter the campsite.
This hike is not marked as such.
(S/E) On foot, do not take the footbridge but continue on the right-hand side of the road, moving away from the village (towards the north-east). You will arrive below the statue of the Virgin Mary of Hope. Climb the steps on the right to reach the statue (viewpoint) and then descend on the other side. At the bottom, continue to the right on an old road.
At an old sign indicating "Chapel, Presqu'île Saint-Cyr, panoramic view", follow the path on the right. You will arrive at a sign for the old Saint-Cirgues Church. Follow the path on the right towards "Viewpoint" for a round trip. Viewpoint and information sign "Châteauneuf, granite and volcanic stone". On the way back, continue in the direction of "Chapel".
(1) At the sign for "A la Belle Epoque", turn right for a round trip to the spring. You will find the spring about 60 metres further on (information panel "Ah, les buvettes de Châteauneuf!"). Continue along the path that leads to the banks of the Sioule. Just before you reach the riverbank, you will see a mini canyon on the right, which is the source of a small wild spring.
(1) Back at the "A la Belle Epoque" sign, continue straight ahead on the path that follows the meander of the Sioule to reach the hamlet of Les Méritis. At the exit of the hamlet, at the information sign "Un quartier thermal ... en bord de Sioule" (A spa district... on the banks of the Sioule), continue right on the road, with the spa park on your left and the Sioule on your right. A little further on, notice the beautiful sequoia tree on the left. As you approach the thermal spa, note the information signs about the spa towns.
(2) In front of the thermal establishment, note the information sign "Bienvenue aux Grands Bains!" (Welcome to the Great Baths!) and continue straight ahead for a round trip to the Lefort and Pré springs. It is possible to bathe in the Lefort Spring pool (information sign "La source Lefort : de souffre et de fer" (The Lefort Spring: sulphur and iron)). The Pré spring, in a small well with a pointed roof, is now blocked (information sign "La source du Pré").
(2) Back at the thermal baths, at the information sign "Les sources" (The springs), leave the tarmac road and turn slightly right onto a path marked by a sign "Au fil de l'eau" (Along the water). Pass to the left of a Lawson cypress tree and follow the sign "Au fil de l'eau" uphill to the right.
When you reach the foot of the statue of Our Lady of Hope, turn right to join the road, then follow it to the left to return to the car park at the "Le Got" campsite.
(S/E) Pass the car park and go up the first street on the right. You will come to another street; continue straight ahead towards the sign for "Église" (church). Take the first street on the right, then left and right again to reach the Church of Lachaux. There is an information panel and remarkable statues inside.
(3) When you leave the church, turn right and take the first street on the right. Shortly afterwards, take a path on the right that joins another street and follow it to the right to reach the main street that crosses the village of Châteauneuf. Turn right to pass in front of the bottling plant, then cross over to the small square on the edge of the Ruisseau de Cubes (information panel). Continue along the road to the War Memorial (beautiful sequoia tree on the right-hand side of the road).
(4) Take the footbridge over the Sioule and continue along the small road to the first houses in Lavaux. Note the sign "Au fil de l'eau" (Along the water) and follow the path on the right which joins the bank of the Sioule and then follows the river on the right-hand side. At a house, continue along the path on the banks of the Sioule in the direction of the "Au fil de l'eau" sign. The path joins a road, the D227A, which has very little traffic.
(5) Continue to the right for a round trip to the former Source Chambon building, which has been converted into a bat hotel (information sign). Return along the road in the other direction.
(5) Continue along the road until you reach a fork with a street leading to Lavaux on the left.
(6) Leave the road and take a path on the right, indicated by a sign with a sketch of a chapel. This is a round trip to the Saint-Valentin Chapel. Follow the path which joins a road, the D227, at a few houses.
Cross (carefully!) and follow an old road opposite for a few metres, then immediately turn right onto a path, following the sign for "Chapelle Saint-Valentin". The narrow path climbs quickly to the chapel (closed, viewpoint).
(7) Pass the information sign and continue in the same direction for about 50 metres. Go down the first path on the left (marked with a green cross), arrive at an old road and follow it to the left, ignoring the entrance to a property on the left shortly afterwards. You will come to the D227, cross it (carefully!) and take the same path as on the way there until you reach the small D227A.
(6) Follow this small road to the right, towards Le Got (this road is very quiet; we didn't encounter a single vehicle). You will reach this hamlet a little over 1 km further on.
(8) Ignore the street that branches off to the left towards the Sioule and continue along the bend in the road. Look out for the sign saying "Aller-retour source" (Round trip to the spring). Continue along the road for a short distance, then follow the path on the left, to the right of a garage. Ignore a small lane on the left and you will soon arrive at the spring, on the other side of the fence of a lodge.
Retrace your steps, take the lane on the right to return to the D227A, follow it a little to the right, then turn right to reach the footbridge. Cross the Sioule to return to the car park opposite the "Le Got" campsite (S/E).
Visorando member
Difficult 
Tourist office
Moderate 
