Savas: Hiking, Heritage and Geology

When choosing Savas as a destination, you can base your decision on a range of interests: scenic hikes, historic sites and a geological feature. Specific differences can help you choose a route. For one hike, the distance, elevation gain and duration are provided; for others, the landscape, viewpoints or route through Savas are the main focus.

Hikes and Viewpoints

The Le Tour du Mont Chaud hike has specific figures for distance, elevation gain and duration: 8 kilometres, 230 metres of elevation gain and 2 hours 30 minutes. The hike leads to the ruins of Saint-Julien-en-Goye, which offer a viewpoint. This lets you assess the route both by its time and elevation profile and by its destination along the way. As trail conditions can change, check them before setting out.

The Gourdan hike runs from Saint-Clair through green meadows to the village of Savas and on to Bois de Bégut. Along the way, there are lovely views of Annonay and its basin. Unlike the quantified profile of Le Tour du Mont Chaud, the described meadow route and the views are the main points of reference when choosing the Gourdan hike.

La Montagne de Sainte-Blandine and Le Col du Fayet also pass through Savas. The Bois de Bégut hike offers several viewpoints over the Annonay basin, the Vivarais Mountains and the Rhône Valley; it also follows a shaded route. If you want to compare viewpoints, the Annonay basin is mentioned for both Gourdan and Bois de Bégut. Bois de Bégut also offers views of the Vivarais Mountains and the Rhône Valley. Viewpoints and the route may change if the trail is modified. Check the current route before setting out.

Churches, History and Remembrance

The former church of Saint-Julien-en-Goye was destroyed by Baron des Adrets in 1562. The village church of Savas contains a main altar and a reredos dating from the 17th century; both were recently restored. The dates refer to different historical contexts: the destruction of the former church and the period when the furnishings in the village church were made. A reredos is the decorative structure behind an altar.

The memory of Paul Bourget is also connected to a specific place. On 29 September 2002, a commemorative plaque was placed on the house in the centre of Savas where his grandmother, Marie-Françoise Bouveron, lived. The plaque thus connects the house with the family’s history. This adds a literary memorial focused on a person, a house and a precise date to the church-related historical evidence.

The Suc de Clava and Its Subsurface

The Suc de Clava adds a geological feature to the historical and hiking themes: an outcrop of serpentinised mantle and black serpentinite rock. The flora and fauna have adapted to the distinctive underlying geology. The focus is therefore not only on routes and viewpoints, but also on the nature of the rock and the wildlife adapted to it. You can distinguish between the different highlights when making your choice: a hike with a quantified profile at Le Tour du Mont Chaud, specific viewpoints at Gourdan and Bois de Bégut, historical evidence in Savas and the geology of the Suc de Clava.

Discover more destinations: Mezilhac, Gras, Saint-Laurent-Du-Pape, Borne, Les Assions, Pranles, Saint-Martin-Sur-Lavezon, Villeneuve-De-Berg

For the regional travel overview: Ardèche.