Presentation
The micro-adventures of the Beaujolais Geopark guide you through wide open spaces and introduce you to local producers. During this walking route, discover the Lac des Sapins (Lake of the Fir Trees) and its forest landscapes.
On this walking route, discover Lac des Sapins and its forest landscapes. HIKING: Les Petites Mollières
Lake Sapins is nestled in the heart of the Reins Valley, one of the three main rivers that cut through the Beaujolais Vert region along a north-south axis. Along with the Azergues and the Trambouze, the Reins has played a major role in shaping the local landscapes, with its wooded peaks and valleys covered in pastures.
In this idyllic landscape, it's hard to believe that some 340 million years ago, long before the time of the dinosaurs, the environment was far more hostile and that lava, incandescent debris, and ash were ejected by volcanoes (sometimes at several hundred kilometers per hour for the latter). Yet this is precisely what the local rocks reveal, recognizable in the field by their predominantly gray/bluish matrix in which lighter-colored crystals are embedded.
The route quickly leaves the shores of Lac des Sapins and begins its ascent towards the Bois des Mollières forest. At an altitude of around 700-750 meters, you enter a forest dominated by Douglas firs. A little higher up, the GR7 long-distance hiking trail passes, continuing along the watershed and leading from the Vosges Mountains to the Pyrenees. Along the way, place names like "Mollières" or "La Goutte" indicate the abundant presence of water, in the form of springs or wetlands.
GOURMET BREAKS
Fun'Yaourt offers Italian-style ice cream and sundaes made with yogurt from Ronno and milk from Marnand. Some of the fruit used in the flavors is sourced locally. Find them seasonally by the lake, on the beach side, behind the mini-golf course.
Just a stone's throw from the lake, on the Domaine des Meyré, the GAEC de Calissandre is a farm run according to organic farming principles. It produces cow's milk cheeses, yogurts, eggs... Direct sales from Monday to Saturday starting at 18 pm.
Type : Marked loop
Distance : 15km
Elevation : 483m
Duration : 5h
Marking details
Trail Stations No. 4