What if you hiked without taking the car ? The proposed walk, from Bourg-Argental to Annonay, or vice versa, has the advantage of saving you the round trip with a bus that runs daily, including at weekends.
Hiking on the Via Fluvia route
This walk or mountain bike ride follows the tracks of the old railway line between Saint-Rambert-d’Albon, in the Rhône valley, and Firminy, on the outskirts of Saint-Etienne, along the valley of the river Deûme or Déôme, depending on the department.
It is also the route of the greenway currently being developed, the Via Fluvia, which will one day link the Rhône and Loire rivers.
Less than 14 kilometres from the village of Bourg-Argental in the Loire to the gates of Annonay next to the Parc Déomas, mainly along the river, with engineering structures dating back to the railway line, wooded fields and a valley landscape that gradually opens out onto the Annonay basin.
Either way, you can of course use your car, or take the bus with the Loire transport network and the L17 line between Saint-Etienne and Annonay.
Map: Bourg-Argental to Annonay
The route is 13 kilometres long with a difference in altitude of around 150 metres, and involves a 3-hour walk, depending on your pace:
- Corresponding IGN blue TOP map : Bourg-Argental/Annonay 2934 ET
Annonay / Bourg-Argental bus
And to get to Bourg-Argental from Annonay, you’ll need to take the L17 Loire bus to Saint-Etienne, one way or the other, depending on your preference:
- Via Fluvia, the green way