Jayat: Mills, Church and Trails

Jayat can be explored through several specific themes: the history of the priory and church, the workings of two mills, and trails through the Reyssouze wetlands. Saffron also provides a culinary connection. You can choose different focuses for your stay—from architectural history and historic milling equipment to a hike or a gravel ride.

Priory and church: distinct chapters in the town’s history

The priory of Jayat was founded in the 11th century by the religious order of Saint-Pierre de Mâcon. Jayat’s church is dedicated to the Virgin Mary of the Assumption. Its construction history runs from a Romanesque predecessor to a neo-Gothic replacement. The older church extended along the road to Béréziat. The foundation stone for the present building was laid on October 22, 1877; it was completed in 1880. Its dedication, predecessor and replacement thus offer different starting points for exploring Jayat’s history. The chronology can be traced through the specific construction dates, while the terms Romanesque and neo-Gothic distinguish the two church buildings.

Two mills with distinct technical profiles

The Moulin de Bruno was built around 1258 by Carthusian monks. It has four levels with functioning milling equipment, including millstones, rollers and a sack hoist. Its age, layout and range of machinery offer several ways to explore this mill: you can connect it both with its founding history and with the technology found there. Access to the machinery may require contacting the site in advance. If you are particularly interested in the equipment, take this requirement into account when planning your visit.

The Moulin de Cézille, also known as the Moulin Gaud, has been converted into a small museum. Its equipment includes a large waterwheel, a functioning horizontal sawmill, a grain mill and a power station. A 1931 Ruston-&-Hornsby engine is also still in operation there. The machines’ operation may vary depending on the conditions of your visit. Compared with the Moulin de Bruno, the technical range described here extends from the waterwheel and sawmill to the power station and engine. The two mills thus offer different highlights: the Moulin de Bruno is noted for its four levels and specific milling equipment, while the Moulin de Cézille features several kinds of technical installations as well as the 1931 engine.

A hike or a gravel ride

The La prairie de Jayat hike starts in Jayat and follows the “La Traverse” greenway and rural paths to the Reyssouze wetlands. It links a starting point in town with a destination in the wetland landscape. For those exploring on foot, both the route and the meadow landscape are part of the trail description.

For a gravel-bike ride, the Circuit Gravel 11 bleu offers a different option. The 26.8-kilometer loop passes through the Cézille and Jayat wetlands in the Reyssouze valley; Jayat is an alternative starting point. These details make the differences from the hike clear: this route is described as a loop with a stated length and an alternative starting point, while the hike is outlined by its start in Jayat, the paths it follows and the wetland as its destination. The two descriptions refer to separate routes; choose according to the activity and the route features specified for each.

Saffron as a culinary connection

L’Atelier du moulin Riottier serves traditional, flavorful cuisine made with local products and saffron. Visitors can meet the owner there and learn about saffron cultivation. This concrete insight into saffron growing adds a culinary theme to the local history and trails through the wetlands. When planning your time in Jayat around your interests, you can choose from several distinct options: mills and their technology, the church’s history, walking or gravel biking, and learning about saffron.

Discover more destinations: Saint-Laurent-sur-Saône, Loyettes, Curciat-Dongalon, Saint-Didier-De-Formans, Dompierre-sur-Chalaronne, Cerdon, Oyonnax, Saint-Étienne-Du-Bois

For the broader travel overview: Ain.