La Baume: Hiking and Religious Heritage

La Baume: Hiking Trails and Religious Heritage Sites

La Baume offers several ways to explore the area: hiking trails with different focuses and religious heritage sites. The “Balade au Nant de la Scie” is an easy loop with a specified distance, approximate walking time and elevation gain; “Le bord de la Dranse” draws attention to the forest and the river’s meanders. Another route passes through La Baume, while the “Circuit patrimoine de La Baume” connects several religious sites. This lets you plan your outings around exercise, landscape or heritage.

Hikes with Different Focuses

The “Balade au Nant de la Scie” is an easy 2.0 km loop hike that takes about 30 minutes. Both the ascent and descent cover 71 metres of elevation. The route crosses the Nant de la Scie twice before reaching the hamlet of La Goutreuse. These details help you assess the time required and changes in elevation together; the two crossings add a distinctive feature to the route.

The “Le bord de la Dranse” trail offers a contrasting landscape. It passes through the forest beside the water, where the Dranse forms broad meanders; access is very easy. The two trails have different focuses: the Balade is defined by its loop, walking time and elevation gain, while the Dranse trail centres on the forest, river meanders and easy access. If you would like to focus on the river landscape when choosing a trail, this one offers a different experience from the loop at the Nant de la Scie.

The “Randonnée pédestre: de hameaux en villages” route passes through La Baume and several other settlements. Check seasonal conditions before setting out. This adds a route shaped by settlements to the trails associated with the river and forest.

Religious Heritage in La Baume

The “Circuit patrimoine de La Baume” leads to the town’s religious heritage sites: the Église de l’Immaculée Conception, the chapel at Le Promerat, several wayside shrines and the Grotte Notre Dame de Lourdes. The trail starts at the cemetery car park near the grotto. The starting point gives you a specific landmark for this heritage trail.

The Église de l’Immaculée Conception de La Baume is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception and was built in the 19th century. Its organ dates from 1872, is listed as a historic monument and is still mechanically operational. Individual self-guided visits are available on request. If you plan to visit the church, enquire about visiting arrangements in advance.

The Grotte Notre Dame de Lourdes is carved into the rock. It lies beyond the town centre, beside the road to La Goutreuse. The chapel is in the hamlet of Le Promerat and is also part of the heritage trail; the church, chapel and grotto offer different points of interest in the town’s religious heritage.

Another Landscape Perspective

The Seytrouset alpine pasture is also a landscape landmark in La Baume and can be reached via longer trails. It adds an alpine pasture to the hiking and cultural destinations. Your options for exploring the area therefore include trails through the forest and along the Dranse, religious buildings and this distinctive landscape.

Discover more destinations: Annemasse, Lucinges, Scionzier, Sixt-Fer-À-Cheval, Cons-Sainte-Colombe, Nancy-Sur-Cluses, Loisin, La Forclaz

For the broader travel guide: Haute-Savoie.