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The walk starts at the shaded car park by the Curis fountain. This car park is situated just past the traffic lights on the way to Saint-Germain-au-Mont-d’Or.
(S/E) At the traffic lights, before turning right towards Poleymieux, take a moment to look at an old wash house situated a few dozen metres to the left, towards Neuville-sur-Saône. Then retrace your steps.
Follow the road towards Poleymieux for 50 metres and take the small flight of steps on the left. At the top of the steps, turn right onto the street and head for the large gate marking the entrance to the castle grounds.
Go through the gate and follow the path that runs along the left-hand side of the grounds. At the first junction, turn left towards “Grand Platane”.
After a right-hand bend, an open space with a bench offers a lovely view of the château.
At the next junction, “Grand Platane”, turn left towards “Les Escaliers”.
At the grand staircase, follow the signposts towards “Porte du Pinay”.
(1) Go through the gate and take the unmarked, fairly wide path that starts opposite the gate and narrows quite quickly.
After leaving behind the small paths that branch off to the left and climb into the forest, you’ll reach a crossroads, situated just after a pile of earth on the path.
Turn left onto the path to reach the “Croix Vitaize”, which you can see at the end of the straight stretch.
(2) Cross the road and head towards “Chargeri” by taking the path that begins with a few steps. It is situated to the left of the forest track.
After passing the entrance to a field, carry on straight ahead, ignoring the path that branches off to the right.
The path joins the forest road; follow it to the left to reach the “Chargeri” signpost.
At “Chargeri”, continue towards “La Crête” along the stony path.
(3) Turn slightly to the left to reach the “Dent du Loup” signpost, which can be seen at the far end of the meadow. This meadow is full of flowers in May and June.
Once you reach “La Dent du Loup”, turn right to head for Mont Thou.
Note: At the “La Crête” signpost, it is possible to head directly to Mont Thou.
(4) At Mont Thou, enjoy the beautiful view over the Saône valley and the Ain plain – and further afield if the weather permits. Take the time to do a short loop along the stony path.
To continue, go back through the gate and take the path that heads down furthest to the left.
(5) When you reach the edge of the woods, take the path on the left which leads into the woods. At the crossroads, continue downhill, turning left.
Carry on straight ahead at a crossroads as you head downhill, until you reach a larger junction.
(6) Turn left. After about twenty metres, ignore the small path branching off to the left.
After 200 metres, the path crosses a meadow and runs alongside a cultivated field before joining a road. At this point, the path is very narrow and, if there are several of you walking, it is advisable to walk in single file so as not to trample the crops.
Turn right onto the road and follow it for 600 metres, then, halfway along a short straight stretch, after a right-angled left-hand bend, take the path on the left.
Caution: At the left-hand bend in the road, the verge is virtually non-existent and it is safer to keep to the right-hand side of the road.
(7) At the start of the path, a barrier blocks access to vehicles but leaves a pedestrian passage.
After 300 metres, and about twenty metres before a right-angled bend to the left, take the path – which is rather hard to spot – that starts on a large flat stone next to an oak tree with a forked trunk. (See photo ‘Start of the path’).
This path winds its way through the fir trees. After a few zigzags, the path crosses a wide, partially collapsed stone wall (see photo ‘Old wall’).
The path descends and reaches the edge of a meadow, then crosses it to join a track running along the edge of the woodland.
Turn left onto the track and follow it for about 250 metres.
(8) At a left-hand bend, take the path on the right which leads into the woods. This path joins a small road which you must cross to take the path that continues straight ahead up the embankment.
After 200 metres, the path joins a track. Turn right onto the track, then turn left after 50 metres to follow the path which climbs through the woodland. At the first junction – which can be muddy in wet weather – turn left to join the Route du Mont Verdun.
(9) Cross the junction and continue along the road opposite, towards Limonest, for about fifty metres. Take a moment to admire the view before setting off along the path that branches off to the right up the hillside and begins with a small concrete platform.
This path goes round Mont Verdun, which is not accessible.
Join a road and follow it to the right until you reach a crossroads about 300 metres away.
(10) Shortly after the junction, take a path on the left opposite two tennis courts (Croix du Mont Verdun). When you reach a small road marked ‘Mont Rouge’, follow the sign for ‘Lavoir des Cendres’. To do this, take the small path that branches off to the left just before the entrance gate to the Py quarry (currently in operation). Follow this path until you reach a road. Look for the sign for “Lavoir des Cendres”.
(11) Follow the road to the right until you reach a junction with a concrete road.
At the junction, take the tarmac road to the left to visit the wash house, situated about fifty metres away.
To continue, return to the crossroads and follow the road to the left until you reach a junction with a track. Signpost: “Le Bottet”
Turn sharply onto the track towards “Moulin à Vent”. Weather permitting, you can see the Alps and Mont Blanc.
After the ruins of the mill, where there are picnic tables, take the path on the left which climbs towards the Croix Rampau.
(12) On the north side of the Croix Rampau, a paragliding launch site offers unobstructed views over the Saône valley and the Beaujolais region.
Continue along the path that leads into the woodland, in the opposite direction to the path you came along.
The path then descends through a wood before joining a track. Turn right onto the track, then after about twenty metres take the path on the left which descends into the forest towards Curis.
(13) The path then runs alongside, and later passes below, a vineyard. Ignore the path branching off to the right and continue along the path which heads back into the forest to join a wider track.
Turn right onto the track and follow it for about 200 metres until you reach a junction with a small, rather inconspicuous footpath.
(14) Turn onto the small path branching off to the right of the track and leading into the woods. This path, which you should follow downhill, crosses a fairly steep section before joining the “Chemin du Chêne”.
Turn left onto the “Chemin du Chêne” and follow it downhill to the road.
Carry on to the left along the road, follow it for about a hundred metres, then take the small street branching off to the left to reach the car park (S/E).
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