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Daytripping

France: The Giant Kettles in Saint Germain de Joux (Les Marmites de Geant) and Combe Michel

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Features: Forest – river – history – panorama view

Overview: I will say it is a medium to difficult walk, mainly because of the crossing of the scree

Time: around 3-4 hours               Km: 10                Hight to climb: 568

You will find the map at the bottom of this page.

This walk brings you to the heart of the Semine valley, and you will be able to explore its hydraulic heritage.

The staring point is in the centre of Saint Germain-de-Joux where it should be relatively easy to find a parking spot for your car. I found ample parking right next to the church.

To find the start of the walking path you’ll have to walk 50 meters down in the direction of Bellegarde on rue de la Gare.

You will soon see the familiar yellow signpost which is right after the petanque area on your left-hand side. The path will take you down to the Giant kettles – but before going there, you should take some time to explore the old sawmill.

The water wheel, which has been completely restored, measures 7,54 meters in diameter and has 96 blades. This makes this water wheel the biggest in the department de l’Ain.

Back in the good old days this little village had no fewer than eight sawmills along the two rivers that connects here, and the last one closed as late as 1998.

One of these sawmills also used to cut stone coming from a neighbouring quarry, and most of the churches in the area were then build with these stones coming from Saint Germain-de-Joux.

When crossing over the bridge you will see a new yellow sign indicating the hiking path. Follow the path down along the river to Les Arcis.

From Les Arcis, follow the signs towards Combe Michel and Marnod,

until you reach this signpost:

The first time I tried to walk this route I was not able to find the path. I admit I was very badly equipped, with no good map, but to my excuse there was also a lot of forest work going on which has changed the original pathway. The trick is to not be tempted to walk down, to walk no longer than 100 meters in a straight line from the sign and keep your eyes to the left. Then, in between the trees, you will see a small path. When you’ve found it, it will take you up into the forest of Beloz.

After some minutes you will reach Pierrier du Rocher de Beloz. This is a mass of loose stones that cover the slope of the mountain. Such masses are also called screes.

Crossing this scree can be daunting. My friend who came along with me was very quick and focused on a rapid crossing, and we were both happy to put our feet back on an earthy path after the approximately 50 meters walking on loose gravel. The forest itself is amazing, with threes overgrown with moss. Bring a camera because with the right light you can take amazing photos here. You will also get a really good view of the motorway and viaducts and witness how it is sculpted into the landscape. I have so many times seen the nature from a car window along the highway. Looking at the highway from another viewpoint enables you to admire the great engineering knowledge that’s made this highway possible.

Moving on along the path takes you up and over to Combe Michel, before you start to descend back to Saint Germain-de-Joux past the small hamlet of houses in Marnod.

In Petit Marnod, we started to wonder if we’d lost track of the path, since we were faced with a barrier across the road. The trick is to walk past it and continue until you see a wall of three logs. The path follows these logs to the left. You will soon be rewarded with another great viewpoint of Saint Germain-de-Joux, the highway, and some small summits.

The Marnod is a really charming hamlet of houses and you will be walking along the road that connected these houses to St. Germain-de-Joux. If you are lucky and find some of the locals out and about enjoying their coffee or a glass of wine, they’ll be happy to talk with you. They also have a really great sense of humour and could end up asking you to watch out for crocodiles and toy cars!

Follow the signs down to Longefand and then back to Saint Germain-de-Joux.

Happy walking, and feel free to share!

Walks around Pays de Gex

France: Walking from Fort l’Ecluse to Leaz – La vierge de Leaz

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Features: Forest – river – ruins – history – panorama view

Overview: Accessible for all, but be prepared for a couple of steep uphill climbs

Time: around 2,5-3 hours               Km: 8,5

You will find the map for this walk at the end of this post.

Description: This walk starts from the parking atFort l’Ecluse. The exit for the parking is right after the tunnel if you are coming from the Pays the Gex region; make sure to start braking before you exit the tunnel as it is very easy to miss (speaking from my own experience here).

The walk is marked with yellow signposts, but I think there must have been a lot of water flowing down the river Rhone lately because for the stretch along the river’s edge it’s not so obvious where to walk. Hopefully the commune of Leaz will fix this, because it is a very beautiful walk that more people should discover.

Follow the signpost that takes you along the Chemin du Lavoux and past a very cute collection of houses and gardens.

When you come to the railway lines, you cross over, turn right and walk through a small underpass. Follow the path until you come to the Moulin the Condière crossing, then follow the small path on your left side that will take you to Leaz-village.

As you walk down along the old stream, you’ll notice something interesting on the right side of the path: you’re passing lots of old ruined houses, some of them barely visible in the overgrowth of bushes and trees. This is a clear sign of milling activity from way back. Try to imagine this as a very lively place back in the days, when many families would have been working and living here.

Les Moulins de Condrière:

The first mills were built in the 14th century, so around 700 years ago. These mills were the main component of a lucrative commercial and economic activity in the region. At the time, the local activities also included of gold panning. The Lord of Leaz built a sawmill and established a ferry service on the Rhone to transport the goods. This being along the travel route from Geneva to Lyon, the Lord of Leaz also built an inn to provide travellers a bed and time to rest their feet.

Follow the path until you come to the stream named le Rochefort. Normally there should be a small bridge to take you across. However, as mentioned, there must have been a lot of water in the area this year, because the bridge is gone. Hopefully, the commune will replace it soon. For now you’ll have to jump across on the rocks, which is luckily not too difficult.

Once over the stream, walk up until you find two paths. Both will take you to Leaz. I chose the one on the left which took me along the Rhone and below the belvedere. Stay on this path until you meet a road and walk up to the village of Leaz. The village is very charming, so take some minutes to explore before you follow the signposts towards the belvedere and the Vierge de Leaz.

Castle ruin:

In the 19th century, an inscription found in the ruins show that the site on the hill has been occupied since Roman times.

In the 12th century it was property of the Priory of Payerne (Vaud, Switzerland).

In the 13th century, Leaz, thanks to the Baron of Gex Simon de Joinville and his wife became a market town. This basically meant that the Baron of Gex could legally claim half of the profits made by the hard-working millers and any other prosperous activity.

This economic prosperity continued into the 14th century.

The religious wars in the 16th century and the annexation of Pays de Gex by France in 1601 destroyed the castle and must have changed the life for everyone living in the houses just below the belvedere summit. If you look closely you can see traces of the ancient houses on the slopes of the hill.

Legend of saint Victoire:

Victoire was a teenage girl who looked after a herd of goats on the peaks of the Vuache mountain. One day she heard a voice telling her to build a chapel (this apparently happened a lot back in those days). She then erected a chapel on the western tip of the Vuache and founded a small religious community.

The years passed in peace and meditation until groups of Saracens (which was the term used in the middle ages to refer to Arab Muslims) went up the Rhone valley to raid and plunder the villages near the river (another popular activity back in those days).

Hoping to find valuables, the plunderers climbed the mountain. Victoire, who had been able to shelter her nuns, suddenly finds herself surrounded by the Saracens. When cornered at the edge of a cliff overlooking the Rhone, she prefers to throw herself into the void rather than to fall into the hands of the invading Saracens. But, according to legend, God could not ignore such a faithful servant, and an invisible hand seized Victoire as she was about to crash to the ground and carried her across the river to the rock in Leaz. Victoire was then sheltered by the residents of Leaz and would later return back to the other side of the Rhone to rebuild her chapel.

After taking in the history and the beautiful view of the Rhone, you continue the circuit. Keep to your right after the parking when coming down from the belvedere and take the first path you see on your righthand side. This will take you back to the stream Rochefort.  After the stream you also have the option between two paths. You can choose to pass the Moulins de Condrière again or take the upper path. They will both take you back to your starting point and the parking at Fort l’Ecluse.

Happy walking, and feel free to share!

Walks around Pays de Gex

France: A walk with some history Pouilly and Pregnin

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Features: River – religious monuments – historic buildings – railway

Overview: Accessible for all

Time: around 2 hours     Km: 8,5 km

Description: My start point was the big car park next to the church in Pouilly. If you don’t know the area, have a look at the map you can find at the bottom. There, you can also download the trajectory.

Before you start off on your walk you should take a minute to look at the church. The Église Saint-Pierre de Pouilly is the oldest building in St. Genis-Pouilly, and it is also among the oldest buildings in the whole of Pays de Gex.

The church was constructed in the 12th century on the ruins of a Roman villa. Over the years there have been numerous modifications made to the building, but the church choir remains as it was originally. The bell tower and the nave were built in the middle of the 19th century, and the two side chapels were built in 1847.

Inside the church there are two valuable old paintings. One of these was given by the emperor Napoleon in 1861.

To start walking, go back to the roundabout and follow Chemin de la Lechere all the way until you see the Botanic garden centre on your right. On the way there, you will be walking past the allotment gardens where you might see people growing their own vegetables in the summer months.

Just before the entrance to Botanic and the new sports shop and climbing centre you will see a narrow pathway on you right.  It is marked with a little blue stick. This little pathway will take you to the statue of La Vierge des Marais.

Few people know about this statue and even fewer have visited this monument which is basically located in the middle of nowhere. Its history, however, is fascinating.

In the 12th century, the lordship of Gex drained the surrounding land and built a castle to protect the pathway from Geneva to St. Claude via the Crozet pass. This castle was then destroyed in the 15th century by the Savoyards.

Because of an outbreak of fever in the villages of Pregnin and Pouilly, the swampland was drained again in 1817 as an attempt to protect the people. It was largely believed that the causes of the disease were to be found in the swamp. Despite this drainage, people in the nearby villages still got fever and diseases. The locals then asked for protection from the church because some believed that an evil spirit, the “virgin of the swamp”, was the main culprit.

In 1858 the statue was erected thanks to donations and work provided by the local people. In the 19th century children were baptized there on summer days. Every 31st May the inhabitants from the surrounding villages went in procession to La Vierge des Marais. Today these rituals have largely been forgotten, and very few now make theit way to this place that at some point in time was very important for people living in Pregnin and Pouilly.

Back on the main path, continue up Rue de la Faucille until you see Hotel Kyriad. Here, you take left and continue straight on as you walk past the Boulodrome (yes, we’re in France!) and cross the Allondon river. You then arrive at a crossing where you take right and walk across a roundabout. Follow the little road next to Sidefage and after a few meters you will pass an area for motorbike sports. You’ll find yourself on a small pathway. Walk along the old and closed-down railway line (no need to look out for trains!). After a few hundred meters, around the 3 km mark, I suggest you walk down to the river to listen to the sound of running water. If you’ve paid your fishing licence (www.cartedepeche.fr), this a good spot to try your luck with the fishing rod.

Back on the main track, continue along it, and when you arrive at the seemingly abandoned training area for mountain biking on your left side, take right and you’ll soon be in the small hamlet with the not-so-attractive name (in English) of Flies.

On your route back to Pregnin I suggest you walk past the Chalet Suisse. This building, which as its name implies resemble a Swiss chalet, has a fascinating history.

In 1947 the “Swiss colony of the Pays de Gex” was founded at the Swiss passport office in Gex. This association of Swiss locals did not have their own meeting place, and the 1st August was celebrated in many different locations over the next 25 years. Eventually, the association was able to buy a plot in Flies at a very good price, and with donations from its members they managed to construct their own building in 1972.

Inside the chalet, all the Swiss cantons and their coats of arms are reproduced. The association is still active and offers information to people who seek to become Swiss. The Chalet Suisse can also be rented for marriage celebrations, birthday parties and seminars.

Walk back to the roundabout and continue to the village of Pregnin. Take your time walking through the village as there are many old and beautiful houses. Finally, find Rue de L’Eglise and walk back to the church and the starting point.

Happy walking!

Walks around Pays de Gex

France: Historic walk in picturesque Gex

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House from the 1600 century.

This is a town people usually drive past, either on their way up into the Jura mountains, or towards Geneva in the other direction. Until recently, the main road passed right through the town centre, but now skirts around it, making Gex even easier to overlook.

Courthouse and prison – in the middle ages the prison was located inside the caste. It was moved out of the castle in 1616. Later it became to small (or maybe there were just too many criminals around) and it was moved outside of town. The new prison had twenty-four cells divided between two floors: twelve on the ground floor for men, and twelve on the first floor for women.

Having lived in the Pays de Gex area for almost 20 years I decided that doing the historic walk around Gex was well overdue. Knowing that there is a weekly market on Saturdays, I decided that it would be a good occasion to combine visiting the market stalls with exploring some history. As the walk took me around Gex I realized how little I knew about the history of the area I live in.

You can almost feel the different epochs of history when walking around. In the little “bourg” (town centre) just below the castle ruins you are taken back to the middle ages and you can imagine how crowded it must have been in medieval times, with lots of noise and family life around the small square.

In other parts of Gex you feel taken back only a couple of hundred years, when Gex was an important and prosperous town in the region, with its small yet majestic town hall and courthouse.

Town hall – you will see on the doors that the coat of arms shows the Sire de Joinville

With all the contemporary architecture and large supermarkets and shopping centres that the influx of people to this area has brought in recent years, it’s easy to overlook the small local towns like Gex. I really recommend that you take some time to explore this small and charming town in the near future.

Fountain – built in 1746 with stones from Samoëns in Savoie.

You will find the walking route further down in the article but it’s always useful to have the printed map. You can get it from the local Tourist Office, located in Rue des Terreau.

In the summer months the tourist office also offers guided tours. To contact the Tourist information:

https://en.paysdegex-tourisme.com/contact-opening-hours-tourist-office.html

Each stop on the route has a panel of historic facts. Since these panels are unfortunately only in French, here are some historic facts about Gex and Pays de Gex:

Le Pays de Gex was called “Gaium” in the very old Latin charters, which is a word the old Romans used to describe a thick forest.

Gex has been inhabited since at least 1800 years before Christ.

In the 11th century, the Lordship of Gex became a Barony under the authority of the Count of Geneva.

Castle – built in 1353 by the Savoyards to guard the passagewayover La Faucille and the Jura mountain. In 1590 the Swiss decided it was time to attack and destroy it.

The geographical surface stretched from Fort l’Écluse in the west all the way to Versoix in current Switzerland, before being split between Geneva and Gex. In 1353 the Duke of Savoy sized the Barony and it became part of the Duchy of Savoy.


Church  – built in 1860 and replacing the old church which was located where you today will find the Perdtemps primary school.

Gex and the Pays de Gex remained a political entity under the rule of the Dukes of Savoy for the next two hundred years until 1536, when the Bernese moved in to snatch control over the region. From 1563 Pays the Gex was torn between the Swiss, the Savoyards and the French and their respective religious convictions, with Catholicism in France and the Protestant reform going on in Switzerland. In 1601 Pays de Gex became attached to the Kingdom of France.


Tanneries – The tanneries used the water from the river Journans along with the tree bark that the nearby forest provided for the treatment of leather. The varying levels of water in the river forced the tanneries to stop the work for four months of the year. The last of the tanneries closed during the economical downturn of 1929.

Happy walking!