Tour of the Forts d'Avrieux via the balcony trail and the Saint-Benoit waterfall.

Date of your route : Aug 04, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

It's a very nice hike but quite challenging. There are a lot of climbs but the views and landscapes are well worth the effort. This hike is not suitable for beginners or people who are not used to hiking.
Not suitable for children.
The signs during the hike are not very clear, but you can't get lost!
From the last fort to the waterfall, it's best to take the road and cut across the small paths because the descent behind the fort is dangerous.
Finishing the hike at the waterfall is simply wow! You can rest your feet in the water.

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Date of your route : Jun 22, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A hike not to be done with children as there are some very dangerous and difficult sections, but otherwise we saw some beautiful things.

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Date of your route : Mar 29, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Overall, a superb hike dotted with many exceptional points of interest.
Two points to note:
1) Like several other hikers, I would like to emphasise the difficulty at Fort Marie-Christine (point 7).
You have to go around the fort on the RIGHT (with the fort on your left) and then descend behind the fort towards the west to find the small path that passes under the fort towards the south. The junction is located roughly at the information table that you can see in the distance on the right. The "official" trail is too close to the fort, in a dangerous area.
The descent that follows is difficult (steep slope and unstable ground) but nothing insurmountable.

2) The frescoes on the outer wall of Saint Thomas Becket Church in Avrieux depict vices and virtues.

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Date of your route : Sep 13, 2024
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Great hike, with a detour to Fort Victor-Emmanuelle, which is well worth a visit and (if you walk right through it) takes you to point 6. The route is then about 11 km long.

The route is not very precise in some places (especially if, like me, you only rely on the GPX):
- the descent between points 3 and 4: the descent is clearly marked by a hiking sign, just remember to take the path on the left as soon as you get the chance to reach the famous boulders (you'll know them when you see them)
- the descent at point 7: I agree with Pierre Huraux, the descent is not that obvious and I really wondered at the time if I was still on the right path; but apparently I was, since I reached the climbing sites. So the descent is quite steep and runs directly below Fort Marie-Christine.

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Date of your route : Sep 04, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Parking is limited, so be careful during the busy summer season.
Caution: See paragraph 7 below!!!!

A beautiful hike that is interesting from a historical point of view, but also quite strenuous. The balcony trail should be approached with extreme caution, especially in wet weather: slipping is prohibited between points 2 and 4: it is not too high up but does overhang.
At point 4, the passage between the blocks is obvious, and crossing the footbridge is no problem (it sways a little, but is not exposed!).
Further on, crossing the Devil's Bridge (impressive when seen from above) is no problem.
The climb to Fort Emmanuel is quite long but not difficult. Free visit to the fort, which takes quite a long time (allow nearly an hour).
Resuming the hike, heading towards Fort Marie-Christine: a relatively long route, without difficulty.

However, at point 7, it is difficult to find the right path: in fact, you have to take a small path behind the fort that goes to the right and then find the path that goes down to the left, skirting the fort, well below.
Beware of the false path that leads to the cliff! Danger!
And once you've checked that you're on the right path (using the Visorando app), it's a real slog: over an hour's descent on a steep, knee-breaking goat path that passes under the cliff and close to the climbing routes. In short, this section is no picnic, but there's no way around it if you want to reach the chapel and waterfall of St Benoit at point 8.

What a relief to reach the D115, to rest your knees and thighs after this eventful descent...
Go and see the waterfall, it's worth the trip, especially in this relatively rainy year.

In summary, this is a beautiful hike that is well worth the detour, but be aware that a bit of a struggle awaits you towards the end, at point 7, and at that point, it is impossible to turn back, unless you want to retrace your steps.

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Date of your route : Jul 26, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike that starts with a steep climb. The path after the start of the Via Ferrata de la Traversée des Anges had been modified and was quite steep, but thanks to the trail markers, it was easy to find our way.
We skipped Fort Marie-Christine and headed for the waterfall. It was midday and people were arriving for a picnic, but it's well worth the detour and what a pleasant refreshment!

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Date of your route : Jul 29, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Lack of information about Fort Marie Christine

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Date of your route : Jun 18, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike, with a few differences between the route and reality due to renovation work, and a cow pasture that shouldn't have been there! But otherwise, a very pleasant hike.

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Date of your route : Feb 21, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Magnificent scenery with a detour to the forts, which we took the time to visit. At this time of year, there was no one else on the hike. Magnificent view of the gorges.

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Date of your route : Aug 28, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike with a stunning view of the Arc Gorges.
We couldn't find the trail between points 7 and 8 at Fort Marie-Christine. We turned back to cut across and reach point 8.
We didn't meet anyone except at the fort.

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Date of your route : Jul 31, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I did most of this route on 31 July 2023, in a circular fashion from the St Benoit waterfall. I just had to make a detour because my dog didn't want to cross the little footbridge over the stream, and then at the end, as I was late for drinks, I cut across so as not to do Fort Marie-Christine.
It's a great route around Fort Victor-Emmanuel, and it's quite a climb to get there. The waterfall is magnificent.
A short video of my route: https://youtu.be/AhWRSw8aUjs

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Date of your route : Aug 04, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A magnificent hike, very varied, quite challenging but without any technical difficulty. It allows you to see the Esseillon forts from afar, then up close. As a bonus, you cross the Nart stream via a suspension bridge and the Arc stream via the Devil's Bridge!
Until we reached Redoute Marie-Thérèse (point 4), we were alone. There were more people between points 4 and 6 (tree climbing and the two forts, La Redoute and Victor-Emmanuel, which are very touristy). In my opinion, you should definitely allow an extra hour to visit Fort Victor Emmanuel, which is free to enter, huge and impressive. Then again, we didn't meet any other hikers on the way to the other two forts, Charles-Félix and Marie-Christine, or beyond. Overall, the path is well marked, except at the start of Fort Marie-Christine; the return path is not easy to find. You have to go around the fort on the left and stay close to the rock, then go down a very steep and narrow path along the rock face. The GPS was a great help! The end of the hike via the waterfall is a bonus: it's impressive and refreshing. Many thanks, Maxcaviso!

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In response to the previous comment:
Go around the fort by taking a grassy path on the left through a meadow, then turn left again to join a well-marked trail used by climbers that runs along the rocky ridge. This trail is steep but not overly so.
There is no sign of any work being carried out on this route.

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Hello, a very beautiful hike with magnificent views of the Arc and the forts. One small downside after Fort Marie Christine: the path indicated no longer exists due to the installation of a company linked to the Lyon-Milan tunnel, which has been built on the trail. In addition, there is a very steep descent before reaching the St Benoit waterfall. So, from Fort Marie Christine, it is better to go back down to the Col de l'Essaillon in order to follow the path leading to the St Benoit waterfall.

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