Mountains and Wonders 

Breathtaking panoramas in the Ardèche. We wake up, we gain height whether on foot or by bike, for a walk or a hike!

Paths, roads and shaded trails that allow you to gain altitude. They hold their promises of adventure and escape. You will only have one desire: Go higher !

Lalouvesc

Getting to Lalouvesc is an elevation in itself. When you take the winding road to reach the Sanctuary, you inevitably lighten your mind a little.

From the belvedere that is the village, the departures of marked circuits are numerous. Short or long hike, themed family trails or with a sports group everyone will find the way that suits them.

Around the Mont Chaix and Besset the shaded hike hovers above the Ay and Nant valleys. Offering spectacular panoramas on the Alps and the Vercors on one side then on the Gerbier des Joncs and the Mézenc on the other. 

Ardèche panoramaCamille Roberjot
Ardèche panoramaLalouvesc Tourist Office

A good bowl of Ardèche and fresh air

Here we breathe, we get oxygen! The forest trails offer great protection during the hot weather. You will also have the possibility to fill your water bottles at the St Régis de Lalouvesc fountain which is drinkable and fresh. 

The circuits allow you to go around or climb these small mountains. Immersed in a bath of nature and greenery, we enjoy the splendor of the landscapes. The wealth of fauna and flora amazes walkers. And even the starry sky since it is on this playground that takes place each year for Halloween the semi-nocturne Lalouvesc Fir Trail. 

They recommand us!

Walkers talk about it

“ Very nice (family) hike around Lalouvesc with beautiful views of the village and the basilica of St Régis [… ] In addition, the very shaded route that we appreciated with the heat wave! Recommended with either a pie or a blueberry ice cream on arrival!!!”

Jako 07 on site visorando

Mount Felletin

The bravest will not hesitate to get up early to reach the summit and admire the sunrise. From above, a magnificent panorama of the Ardèche awaits you.

From the top of its 1387 meters of altitude, the Grand Felletin dominates the Ardèche and the Haute-Loire. Here again, multiple trails allow you to adapt the duration and level of your hiking trip. The easiest access on foot, ideal for families, is from the Charousse pass. You can park your car there before a small climb of less than 3 kilometers to the top. But sports enthusiasts can plan a bike ride from the Vallée de la Cance or a 7-hour hike from the village of Monestier. The site is snow-covered in winter, which will delight lovers of snowshoe outings. Big spaces, elevations, forests and valleys. The beauty of nature reaches its highest point at the Croix du Grand Felletin. Benches, interpretation tables and an orientation table highlight this natural site. 

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Ardèche panoramaRenaud Vezin
Ardèche panorama

Are we flying away? Above the Ardèche plateau

Come on ! a hot air balloon ride to admire all this from above? Discover the magnificent panorama of the Ardèche. On one of the peaks of the Val d'Ay overlooking the secret valleys of the Cance and the Ay appear strange blocks of stone arranged: an oppidum. The rocky summit of the Suc du Barry is locally called the Chirat Blanc due to the light granite blocks that stand out in the landscape.

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  • Severine Moulin

What is a Chirat?

Chirat (chiron, in certain regions) is the local name given to the flows of boulders which cover the slopes in the form of scree and are sometimes called scree.

The highest of the small mountains of northern Ardèche is precisely a Chirat: The Felletin. Its stone flow collapses from the summit towards the Cance valley and offers us the spectacle of an unobstructed view of the Annonay basin, the Rhône valley and the Alps from Mont Blanc to Mont Ventoux. 

A quesaco Oppidum?

The Nant valley is one of the mountainous areas that have been inhabited for a very long time in the Haut-Vivarais. The human presence there now dates back several millennia and begins more particularly here.

A stronghold dating from the Gallic era, the oppidum was a secure and fortified center of residence and exchange thanks to the advantageous choice of its location, here at the top of the Suc du Barry surrounded by cliffs. The stone blocks are arranged in a fortress and archaeologists have unearthed traces of huts.

The very pleasant and shady hike allows you to push to the top and enjoy the view while admiring the remains of this very distant past.  

The highest point of the green Ardèche, the Grand Felletin from Monestier is a superb mountain hike. Hike n°45 of the “Annonay-Serrières” topoguide on sale at the Ardèche Grand Air Tourist Office