This is a little walk to do on those days where you might have a slow start on the day, or you can’t be bothered with a longer drive.

I have lived in the area for many years but never have I visited the Chapelle or the Chalet in the winter. I will defininitely do it again because it is the perfect little afternoon outing. It is near by and it offers a great view with minimal physical effort. I chose to only walk up to a forest Chalet and back which takes around 1 hour, if you have more energy you can make the walk longer.

I often see people asking for places to go sledging. I saw lots of people enjoying the snow around the Chapel. And it looked to be a fantastic place to have a grand day out playing in the snow and sledging.

From where I parked the car it takes around 30 minutes to walk up to the forest Chalet. The elevation is around 170 meters and should be manageable even for small feet. If you have a sledge with you I am sure that the small feet with be comfortable installed on the sledge while you will be sweeting a little extra pulling them upwards.

There are view points along the way where you can stop and take in the beautiful view of the Pays de Gex, Geneva, Jura and the Alps.

Pope Pius the 9th made the Chapelle de Rianmont to be the protective sanctuary of the Pays de Gex. Every Pentecostal Monday there is a pilgrimage. The story says that all young men from Vesancy going to war in 1870 came safely home thanks to the protection by the virgin. The chapel should be open for visits every day between 9-18.

If you don’t want to park and have a look around the charming centre of Vesancy the best place to park in the winter is in Route de la Vesanciere.