The Monts du Lyonnais in 4 days
An hour west of Lyon, the Monts du Lyonnais roll up to 946 metres in meadows, hedgerows and hilltop villages. People come for a Gothic collegiate church above a town known for its cured meats, the smallest commune in the Rhône, a hat-making museum at Chazelles and ridge-top trails.
The plan, day by day
Day 1
- Morning
Saint-Symphorien-sur-Coisefree · about 1 hA hilltop town at 600 metres crowned by a 15th-century Gothic collegiate church, and still the capital of the area's charcuterie.
- Afternoon
Atelier-Musée du Chapeauabout 1 h 30A hat museum in a former Chazelles-sur-Lyon factory, where working machines and craftsmen turn fur felt into finished hats.
Day 2
- Morning
Signal de Saint-Andréfree · half a dayAt 934 metres, one of the highest points of the range, named after the survey marker Cassini set up here for his map of France.
- Late afternoon
Riveriefree · about 30 minThe smallest commune in the Rhône, at 42 hectares: a few lanes of tight stone houses on a hilltop above the Gier valley.
Day 3
- Morning
Yzeronfree · about 1 hA village on a rocky outcrop above the slopes running down to Lyon, with views over the city and, on clear days, the Alps.
- Afternoon
Parc de Courzieuhalf a dayA wildlife park in the Brévenne valley, known for its wolves and a free-flight bird of prey show where the birds skim over the audience.
Day 4
- Morning
Montrottierfree · about 45 minA village at 669 metres on the edge of the Monts de Tarare, around the remains of a 10th-century castle built by Savigny Abbey.
- Afternoon
The Roman Gier aqueduct at Chaponostfree · about 45 minThe longest and best preserved of the four aqueducts that supplied Roman Lugdunum, about 85 kilometres long; Chaponost has its finest run of arches.
Where to sleep in the Monts du Lyonnais
- Le Relais des Bergers · €80 a night
- Hôtel de la Poste · €85 a night
- Hôtel L'Horizon · €80 a night
- Hôtel Château Blanchard · €110 a night
Plan this trip
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