PaysdeGex | The Activity Factory

Features: River – Views – Birds- Trees – Animals

Overview: Accessible for all

Time: around 1-hour Km: 4,8

Description: The best starting point for this walk if you come by car is the big car park in front of the Gaston Laverriere sports complex.

Next to the car park there is a playground, a small skate park and also various possibilities for ball games (basketball, football and volleyball).

You will find a walking path that starts between the buildings to your left when standing in front of the Gaston Laverriere building.

After passing the buildings take right on Chemin des Tattes. After around 500 meters you’ll come to a crossing and because this is a circular walk you can choose to go left or right.

I normally start off to the left and has done so for this description. The left side will take you across the fields along the stream of Le Lion and you will find benches to sit down and rest if you need.

You will have the views of the Jura mountains on one side and the Alps on your other side.

After around 1,8 km you will arrive at a residential area. At the crossing, keep right. You will soon be passing the two tennis courts and a small playground.

Keep going straight on. When you reach the crossing with the possibility to take left to Ornex, you should stop to take a look at the Marais de Bois de Vessy. Here, the commune of Ornex has installed ponds for birds. Because of the large number of insects found around these types of ponds, many species of birds seek out these areas to find food. These ponds also provide an important source of drinking water for the birds. You will find observation platforms allowing you to get a better view of the animal life in and around the ponds.

When you’ve finished your bird watching, return back on the walking route towards Prevessin. Very shortly, you’ll reach the BMX and street work-out park. Turn right after the BMX park and continue straight on until you find yourself back at the starting point for this walk.

Happy walking!

Features: River – Views – Birds- Threes – Animals

Overview: Accessible for all

Time: around 1,5 – 2hours Km: 8,2

Description: I started this walk from the small car park in the centre of Vesegnin, next to the Domaine de la Boissière. You can find the exact starting point on the map further down if you don’t know the area. Further away, next to the elementary school of Grand Chènes, there’s a bigger car park and also a play area for those kids who still have some energy left to burn after the walk.

Starting from the Vesegnin car park, you walk along Route de Vesegnin through the small hamlet of buildings. After about 500 meters, take left onto Promenade de la Manchette.

Continue straight on. After another 500 meters, take left and follow the promenade de la Manchette. Keep walking straight on, after yet another 500 meters you again keep to the left and walk through a small barrier and continue straight on.

Now, walk until you see a bridge on your left side. Cross the bridge and you will see a small pathway that takes you along the river Le lion. In the springtime when there is plenty of water you may come across one or two people fishing.

If you are the proud owner of a fishing rod and would like to try catching a nice trout or two, don’t forget to buy the fishing licence before you start fishing. You can get this at the tourist information. Fun fact: women pay less for these licences in France, as a way to promote fishing as a less gender-specific activity!

Walking along Le Lion is peaceful, and you won’t meet a lot of people. In the springtime, you will be sure to smell the wild garlic that grows here in large quantities.

If you pay attention to the river you will also see the point where the rivers Le Lion and Le Grand Journans meet.

Where the pathway joins the road, continue to the right, and soon you will be walking past a small farm with chickens, horses and cows.

Continue along this road until you reach a roundabout. Here, keep right and walk on the Vie Detraz through another roundabout. When you reach the third roundabout, take right and you’ll soon be on the carriage road again.