Tour of the Val de Tamié

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The Val de Tamié site is remarkable for its Cistercian abbey nestled on the side of Tête Noire and its former military fort. The hike takes place in the valley. It starts from the abbey car park, with a steep climb, a walk downhill through the woods, a visit to the Fort de Tamié, a magnificent view of Mont Blanc at the Collet de Tamié, then the descent to the Moulin de Tamié.

Details

n°353280
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 6.99 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 50 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 287 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 292 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,056 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 838 m
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Photos

Bontey tufa formations in Plancherine
Tamié Abbey
Fort de Tamié
View of Mont Blanc and Albertville

Description of the walk

Access: either via Frontenex or Albertville coming from Combe de Savoie, heading towards Col de Tamié, or via Faverges from Haute Savoie. Head towards Tamié Abbey and park in the abbey car park.

(S/E) Walk to the abbey via the private road from the car park.

(1) Go up the path opposite the abbey entrance and join the forest road. Take it, going up to the left.

(2) At the first hairpin bend, follow the sign for Mallapalud to join the higher track. At the next hairpin bend, take the steep track (signposted) and continue towards Mallapalud for about 20 minutes. The path then descends very gradually through the woods to the Col de Tamié, marked by a wayside shrine.

(3) Once on the road to the pass, turn left and then immediately right towards Fort de Tamié. A shortcut on the right leads to the entrance. Admission to the fort is free, and a visit to this remarkable Savoyard site is highly recommended

(4) At the entrance to the fort, a path runs along the left side of the fortifications and then descends to the Collet de Tamié (view of Mont Blanc).

(5): At the crossroads of the road that climbs from Mercury and the road that goes to Belle Étoile towards La Ramaz, a steep path descends opposite into the forest towards Pommarey. Leave the two paths on the left and follow the path parallel to the road to the pass towards Faverges to reach the Pommarey farm.

(6) Join the road and turn left, then immediately right towards the Moulin de Tamié and head for the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 887 m - Parking - Abbaye Notre Dame de Tamié
  2. 1 : km 0.52 - alt. 897 m - Entrance to the abbey
  3. 2 : km 1.19 - alt. 992 m - Leave the forest road
  4. 3 : km 3.18 - alt. 909 m - Col de Tamié
  5. 4 : km 4.03 - alt. 968 m - Parking at the Tamié fort
  6. 5 : km 5 - alt. 956 m - Small pass at Tamié
  7. 6 : km 6.27 - alt. 838 m - Abandoned farm
  8. S/E : km 6.99 - alt. 887 m - Abbey car park

Notes

Hike combining a walk through the woods in summer and a visit to two remarkable sites.
In winter, snowshoes are required.

Worth a visit

Reviews and comments

4.3 / 5
Based on 29 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.5 / 5
Route interest
4.1 / 5
GUILLOUXJM
GUILLOUXJM

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 08, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant hike, mainly through woodland with beautiful views and a peaceful atmosphere (except for a short section where chainsaws are being used to cut down trees). No particular difficulties in dry weather.

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User 4525931

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

Very beautiful hike. One section was a little tricky due to fallen trees on the path. No danger, though; you just have to weave your way between the trees.

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gaud bernard
gaud bernard

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 07, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

beautiful views and very interesting tour of the fort

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arbonel
arbonel

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 03, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We did it on 25 July in very hot weather and enjoyed the long stretch through the woods.
We started from the car park at the Col de Tamié and did it in reverse.
The climb up the path, which had been turned into a tree-lined avenue, was uninteresting, but fortunately it was at the start of the hike, so we quickly forgot about it. We found a nice shady spot before the abbey for a picnic.
After stopping at the shop for some cheese, we continued towards the fort in the afternoon, where we enjoyed a splendid view of Albertville and the valleys before returning to the car park.
A beautiful hike, warm but very bearable in the heatwave.

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User 23209676

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 02, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I really enjoyed this short hike, which was very well explained. I had a slight doubt at one point, but since the description showed a straight path, I followed my instincts

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Postieres retraités
Postieres retraités

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 07, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A pile of wood ruined the walk, it was really ugly

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Neige 2
Neige 2

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 05, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A delightful, easy hike, mainly through woodland with some pleasant surprises (including a good mushroom harvest). Very few people around!

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waiwaite
waiwaite

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 22, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

It's a shame that the rain over the last few days – and on the day of the hike – detracted from this route. We weren't able to enjoy any of the views. The Tamié fort is nice.
As soon as the path starts to descend, it gets a bit tricky with the mud. You end up appreciating the sections on the road 😉. But we did manage to pick some wild garlic

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Meriadec74
Meriadec74

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 31, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Easy family walk

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Weda
Weda
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 26, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A short route that we like to do at the beginning of the season to warm up

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damal
damal

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 29, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike, mostly through the forest

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Loïc Frémont
Loïc Frémont

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 11, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

An easy and pleasant hike, mainly through woodland. Some beautiful views of the Mont Blanc massif and a pass by Fort Tamié, with views of the Albertville valley. We completed the hike in the time indicated.

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JohanPeter
JohanPeter

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 07, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant forest trail with views of Mont Blanc from two spots and the Alberville valley from one spot.
Signposting is not always clear, particularly at Fort Tamié, where you need to follow the mountain bike signs outside the fort to enjoy the panoramic view of the valley and Alberville.

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domino74
domino74

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 22, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hello
Very nice hike. Quite a lot of shade, which was very pleasant in the heat. Beautiful view
Easy route

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potaufeux
potaufeux

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 09, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Hello. We really enjoyed this hike. Very nice view. It felt calm and peaceful. Interesting sites to see. It's a shame that the monks' cheese shop was closed at lunchtime because we would have liked to try their products.
Thank you for the Visorandonneur app

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