Heritage lovers are sure to spot the traces left by a flourishing industrial legacy, in Chazelles-sur-Lyon in particular, with its former felt hat manufacturing plants, and in Saint-Symphorien-sur-Coise with its shoe and furniture factories, and meat curing plants, which are still in activity. This is a veritable breadbasket for Lyon, and the whole territory is marked by intense farming activities dominated by pig and poultry farming, and vegetable and dairy productions.

More than anything else, this is a land of contrast: between the hills and valleys, the altitudes range from 300 m for La Giraudière (in the village of Brussieu) to 915 m for the Pilon (in Montromant). This is also farming land, most of which is devoted to pastures and meadows… in other words to nature, with its hedges, woods and forests. There are still some highly-preserved sites to be discovered via marked trails, on foot or by mountain bike.

A FAMILY DAY

9 am: Leave Lyon 

Arrive in Saint-Martin-en-Haut at around 9.45 am and start your day by paying a visit to the Tourist Office, where you can borrow up to 4 electrically-assisted bicycles free of charge (pre-booking is recommended, trailers for children are also available, open from Tuesday to Sunday included). And set off along one of the bicycle trails to Saint-Symphorien-sur-Coise.

By this time you should be feeling peckish, so you can head for the Haute-Rivoire Deer Park for a picnic.

Then you can immerse yourself in the Middle Ages at "Salva Terra", a medieval park and village which is open from the end of March to early November. From July to September, you can make the most of your outing and get lost in the Labyland corn maze! Once you've found the exit, make a short detour via one of the many farms along the way, to end your day on a gentle note.

6 pm: Back to Lyon

GETTING HERE BY CAR

Take the A7 towards Pierre-Bénite, the A450 towards Saint-Genis-Laval/Brignais, the D36/D36E and the D30 towards Soucieu-en-Jarrest, the D25 towards Thurins and then the D311 towards Saint-Martin-en-Haut

For further information:  Monts du Lyonnais