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La Dolce Via

Hikes & walks in Les Ollières-sur-Eyrieux

La Dolce Via - Hikes & walks in Les Ollières-sur-Eyrieux
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La Dolce Via, built on an old railway line, winds between Saint-Agrève and Le Cheylard, Le Cheylard and La-Voulte-sur-Rhône, as well as between Le Cheylard and Lamastre. 90 km of pure happiness overlooking the Eyrieux valley, to discover on foot, by bike, safely, as a couple, with family or friends. Easy walk in nature along the Eyrieux River, light descent and flat through different vegetation, tunnels, viaducts, lookouts.

Description sheet

DepartmentArdèche
Departure municipalityLes Ollières-sur-Eyrieux
Outing typeCycling itinerary
DifficultyEasy
Duration5:30
Recommended periodfrom april to october
EnvironmentCountryside
Kilometres90 km
Altitude upon departure91m
Change in altitude300m

Access

From the Town Hall of Ollières, cross the bridge, 150 m on the left, you will arrive at the parking of the station, you are then on the Dolce Via.

Itinerary

La-Voulte-sur-Rhone - Les Ollières (19.5 km). Here you are in Ardèche ready to discover a territory very different from the Rhone Valley. The route plunges you into the Eyrieux valley, in addition to the Le Cheylard - Lamastre link; valley "postcard" which was long called the pink valley because of the abundant peach flowers at the end of winter. You will discover these orchards, cultivated land and an open landscape. The villages of Saint-Laurent-du-Pape and Saint-Fortunat-sur-Eyrieux and their local businesses will allow you to fill the backpacks or hungry bellies (village centers 200 m from the way). The roadside playground and city park in Saint-Fortunat will also be an ideal stopover before joining Les Ollières-sur-Eyrieux.

Les Ollières - Chervil Bridge (14.5 km). Canoe-kayak, ride in Rosalie, adventure course, old mills or weavings built in stone and recognizable by their large fireplace line this course. 2 km, past a farm, then in front of the Aquarock (adventure trail). From here you can see the belvedere on your right, belvedere chestnut wood overlooking the valley of the Eyrieux, and offering an exceptional view. A little before Saint-Sauveur-de-Montagut, at the Moulinon, you can make a gourmet stop and taste artisanal ice cream from Ardèche, with nearly 200 perfumes classic or unusual.

Chervil Bridge - Le Cheylard (13.5 km). Here you are in the gorges of the Eyrieux river where the route winds through dense vegetation with chestnuts as a backdrop! In Cheylard, two bathing sites near the Dolce Via are waiting for you as well as discovery activities like the Ark des métiers!

The Cheylard - Saint-Martin-de-Valamas (7 km). Past Le Cheylard, you go up the course of the Eyrieux towards Hautes Boutières to reach Saint-Martin-de-Valamas, the cradle of the jewel. In the summer of 2018, you will be able to visit the Atelier du Bijou, where Charles Murat built his first factory in 1868. This building of the industrial heritage of the Boutières, a real place of transmission of knowledge and know-how, is now a place to visit. and a business incubator in the heart of the village. On La Dolce Via, at the end of the Riotord Tunnel, you can admire the remains of the Château de Rochebonne, a heritage treasure of the Ardèche, perched on a volcanic promontory overlooking the Eyrieux valley.

Saint-Martin-de-Valamas - Saint-Agrève (17 km). You now enter the upper Eyrieux valley with greenery, where streams and forests are linked, first to reach Saint-Julien-Boutières (5.5 km) then Intres (8 km). In the spring, when the broom is blooming, the mountain is adorned with a blazing yellow, giving the incredible illusion of catching fire. While passing on the viaduct of Chapignac, the time seems to stop, and the landscapes of the Ardèche reveal all their depth. From the former Gare de Chapignac, you can reach the village of Intres (1 km of road, with uneven) and enjoy the picnic area in a pleasant and relaxing. The second part of the section reveals the technical prowess developed at the time for the construction of the structures that allowed the train to access the Ardèche plateau. Tunnels, bridges and viaducts succeed one another to cross mountains and rivers and to lead you on the plateau of Saint-Agrève culminating at more than 1000 meters of altitude. At Saint-Agrève, point of arrival (and highest point!) Of La Dolce Via, you will enjoy an exceptional panorama of the Monts d'Ardèche and the Cevennes (Mont Mézenc, Mount Gerbier de Jonc...). From Saint-Agrève, many opportunities for discovery are available to you: Mont-Chiniac, Lake Devesset, Velay Express (tourist train to the Haut-Lignon and Haute-Loire)...

Cheylard-Les Nonières (8 km). From Cheylard, you leave behind the valley of Eyrieux to take a little height and walk the many works of art (bridges, viaducts) that mark out the route of La Dolce Via. The views of the Lac des Collanges and the Boutières and Monts d'Ardèche landscapes, with Mount Gerbier de Jonc and Mount Mézenc as a backdrop, will amaze you. The culmination of this 8-km course is the crossing of the Nonières tunnel, the longest in La Dolce Via with its 320 meters (lit!), Allowing you to pass under the village and continue on the gentle path towards Lamastre and the Doux Valley. In Nonières, a path has been laid out to reach the center of the village by bike or on foot (300 meters with elevation gain).

The Nonières - Lamastre (11,5 km). The 12-kilometer stretch that connects Lamastre to the Nonières, while skirting the Sumène to the village of Saint-Prix that it crosses, also encroaches a few kilometers on Désaignes whose medieval village is classified Village of Character of Ardèche. This part of La Dolce Via will allow you to discover the technical prowess necessary for the construction of the old railway line: retaining walls, tunnels (that of Nonières, the longest of La Dolce Via, measuring 320 meters... illuminated !), bridges and viaducts. Note the Saint-Prix viaduct: it consists of 5 arches of 12 meters and a smaller one above the road. Lamastre, city of cinema since several films were shot at least partly here (The Cracks, The Judge and the murderer, The Hill with the thousand children, or even the Children of the marsh) is also the arrival station of Mastrou, mythical steam train allowing an incomparable discovery of the Gorge du Doux.

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