Watchtower and hot spring of Saint-Laurent-les-Bains

de fr

Short route on the heights of Saint-Laurent-les-Bains to the watchtower overlooking the village.
You can enjoy the hot spring (53°C) located in the central square as well as the thermal baths.

Details

n°2175114
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 4.81 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 1h 55 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 203 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 202 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,046 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 844 m
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Photos

watchtower

Description of the walk

Park in the village's main square.

(S/E) From the hot spring, head towards the church, behind which you will find a small path leading to the upper part of the village.

(1) Take it to the right and join theGR®72. Continue to the crossroads of a track at the Ruisseau du Gravier.

(2) At this junction, take the marked path furthest to the left. Further on, you will reach the Ruisseau des Joux.

(3) Cross it and a few metres further on, cross the Pradous stream. Continue on to cross the Ruisseau des Grazières before reaching a trail junction at a bend in the track.

(4) Take the path opposite that leads to the watchtower.

(5) Return via the same path to the previous crossroads.

(4) Turn right onto theGR®72marked in red and white. Begin a series of hairpin turns downhill, ending at the car park on the main square of the village of Saint-Laurent-les-Bains (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 844 m - Car park on the main square in Saint-Laurent
  2. 1 : km 0.09 - alt. 861 m - Cemetery
  3. 2 : km 1.31 - alt. 1,009 m - Gravier stream
  4. 3 : km 2.49 - alt. 1,034 m - Ruisseau des Joux stream
  5. 4 : km 3.77 - alt. 992 m - Hairpin bend crossroads
  6. 5 : km 3.92 - alt. 978 m - Watchtower
  7. S/E : km 4.81 - alt. 844 m - Car park on the main square in Saint-Laurent

Worth a visit

Hot spring, thermal baths, watchtower.

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 13 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.9 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.8 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
EricF07
EricF07

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 25, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

short hike with beautiful views, particularly of the village of Saint Laurent

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MichelDa
MichelDa

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 13, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Certainly not very busy during this rainy season.

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Gramoun Gilles
Gramoun Gilles

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 17, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

It is better to do the hike in the opposite direction, as the climb is steep but short. The rest is very easy. This avoids a gradual but long climb in the normal direction, with your back to the village. The view from the watchtower is superb. Do this in the morning to enjoy the light facing the sun.

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Thierryb26
Thierryb26

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 24, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

An easy hike with beautiful panoramic views, this is the classic hike in the area (also known as the Petit Balcon de Saint Laurent).
A contemporary artwork has now been installed on the GR trail on the climb above the village.

Just a quick note: wpt1 is slightly offset from the point where you turn right.

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hubert.vicard
hubert.vicard

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 18, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Outstanding signage and directional indicators

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dougere
dougere

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 11, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We followed the advice from previous reviews. We did it backwards and it was great.

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courjus52
courjus52

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 07, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful hike, magnificent view of Saint Laurent and the mountainous landscape.
A small suggestion: do it in reverse, as the descent behind Le Chat Bleu (restaurant) is risky if you don't have walking sticks.

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Thierryb26
Thierryb26
• Edited:

I must have done this hike more than a dozen times as a spa guest guide, and I agree with JM_84. I didn't notice the vertiginous aspect, but that's an area where we don't all perceive things in the same way...

For a bit of variety, there is the option of extending the hike via a path that starts from the Costelonge road (above the hamlet) and runs along a balcony above the Borne valley and then the Beldous valley. It's wild, but much steeper than the basic route.

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JM_84
JM_84

I am very familiar with this circular, which is part of my daily walk during my three-week annual spa treatment. I am prone to vertigo, but on this climb, the "void" is relative. It is across sloping terrain. Of course, this is only my opinion.

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sjl30
sjl30

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 28, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

The first part of the route runs along the hillside, on a path that is only a few dozen centimetres wide, with a drop on the right. Not recommended for those who are afraid of heights. Personally, I almost gave up. In the end, I carried on. The walk is pleasant. Be careful on the path that descends after you see the watchtower, as it is very stony and it is easy to slip.

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Starkouney
Starkouney

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 20, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

It was really lovely, even though we walked under threatening skies.
The village is very pretty, and the walk starts behind the church, offering a view overlooking a magnificent vegetable garden maintained by the residents.
The landscape is varied, as are the different views of the village as you walk along the mountainside.
You can discover some very interesting wildlife at this time of year.

The path leads to the watchtower, which is open to visitors. Please note that during this period, the tower is only open on Tuesdays between 2pm and 5pm.
The view is well worth the detour and the hike is very easy (be careful of the slope at the beginning).

You can extend the walk by opening the circular, but I don't know how long it takes.

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ClaudeValentin
ClaudeValentin

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 24, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful hike with magnificent views of St Laurent from several sides and beautiful waterfalls. Cool water at the waterfalls and water at 53 degrees at the fountain.

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olivier duchesnay
olivier duchesnay

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

very pleasant hike. The views are beautiful. The route is very well marked. Thank you for this hike, it was a wonderful experience

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footbal LEA
footbal LEA

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 09, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

as I had seen a comment that I listened to, it is actually better to do it in reverse, especially when it is hot, because the end of the hike is in the forest

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JM_84
JM_84

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 08, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Hello, I've done this circular at least ten times in both directions. I prefer to do it in the opposite direction to the description. The climb up to the tower is steep, but once you've "got rid" of most of the elevation gain, the walk along the balcony is really pleasant.

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