De l’Aze à l’Ergues - Beaujolais Vert - Claveisolles

You'll love it:
- A route that swings from one valley to the other: one, on the V side, watered by the Aze, then its neighbor, on the Saint-Nizier side, where the Ergues flows. The "twin" streams, separated at their source, meet further south, at Le Gravier, to form the Azergues River.
- The relief of the high Beaujolais valleys, carved by water, and connecting with the peaks: Tourvéon and Saint-Rigaud, Roche d'Ajoux...
- Dense forests for sensory hikes. The earthy scent of humus and the tangy scent of conifers mingle, the chiaroscuro of the undergrowth swept by rays of light, the freshness of the foliage, the rough texture of the bark of century-old Douglas fir trees...
- Between two Douglas fir trees, an opening onto pastures tended by herds of goats and dairy cows, a vision of a gourmet promise for cheese lovers.

You'll enjoy it best:
- In active mode: Nordic walking or trail running.
- In summer for the freshness of the forests, in winter to immerse yourself in nature gone wild.
- Admiring the tops of the majestic Douglas fir trees.
- Stopping at a producer's store or farm to create a 100% cheese picnic. While passing by, say hello to the goats.

A bit of culture:
The Railway Loop
Between Saint-Nizier-d'Azergues and Claveisolles, the engineering structures of the Lyon/Paray-le-Monial line tell the story of a technical challenge in railway layout. To design the route, engineers had to adapt to the rugged terrain.
The railway was the first designed in this way in France and opened in 1900. To connect the Azergues Valley from the Loire, it passes through a tunnel over 4 km long. Large embankments and five viaducts are then required to cross the ravines and counter the slope. From Claveisolles, the trains make a 4.5 km loop to reach the valley floor.