Thoiry: Hiking, Wetland and Crêt de la Neige

Thoiry offers various options for a stay involving hiking and cycling. The Balade Les Chênes is a short circular walk through fields; Balade le Marais incorporates a wetland and the Ruisseau de Fenières into its route. The Voie verte de Thoiry is a combined walking and cycling path that runs south of Thoiry. These options therefore differ in both landscape and mode of travel. To help plan your trip, you can first decide whether you are most interested in a short loop, the surroundings of a wetland, or a combined walking and cycling path.

Balade Les Chênes: Short Loop and Oak Trees

Balade Les Chênes is a short circular walk along a path through fields near a farm. Numerous oak trees grow along the route, including its oldest oak. The short loop and the trees give this walk a different character from Balade le Marais. If you are looking for a short loop and find oak trees an appealing part of an outing, you can take this description into account when making your choice.

Balade le Marais and the Wetland

Balade le Marais takes walkers through fields and around farms, using quiet roads and paths. The route also goes around the wetland and along the Ruisseau de Fenières. Information boards at the Marais de Fenières explain how the wetland retains water, filters it naturally and regulates water flow. The information on the boards may be updated. Compared with Balade Les Chênes, the focus shifts from oak trees and a short loop to the wetland and its water-related functions. This distinction may help you choose if you would also like to learn about the role of a wetland during a walk.

On Foot or by Bike on the Voie verte

Unlike the two Balades, the Voie verte de Thoiry is a combined walking and cycling path. It runs south of Thoiry along a former railway line that has been converted for soft mobility. Its former use makes it a distinct type of route: you can consider it as a walking or cycling path rather than equating it with the two circular walks. Practical trail conditions may change; check them before setting out.

Crêt de la Neige and the Jura Mountains

Crêt de la Neige offers a broader landscape reference: at 1,720 metres, it is the highest peak in the Jura Mountains in the Ain department. It lies on the municipal boundary between Lélex and Thoiry and within the Haute-Chaîne du Jura National Nature Reserve. This context sets the peak apart from the described field and wetland paths: here, the focus is on elevation, the Jura Mountains and its location within a protected area. This allows you to consider both local trails and the connection to the Jura when placing Thoiry in context.

Sheep’s Milk Products from Bergerie de Baisenaz

Another local highlight is the production at Bergerie de Baisenaz. They make fresh sheep’s cheese, sheep’s cheese with herbs and Tomme du berger. Their products also include plain yoghurts and yoghurts with vanilla, orange, lemon, forest fruits, caramel or mocha. Flans with vanilla, caramel, and vanilla with a caramel coating are also part of the range. The selection may change over time.

Discover more destinations: Châtillon-En-Michaille, Nantua, Chaneins, Vongnes, Saint-Genis-Pouilly, Ornex, Cormoranche-sur-Saône, Mionnay.

For the broader travel overview: Ain.