Aboën: Hiking and Local History

For a stay in Aboën, two circular routes offer a practical framework: both start in the village, but differ in length, duration and the stops described. There is also the Notre-Dame parish church, with its building history and clearly identified architecture. Local themes range from paths through forests and fields to traces of former livestock farming, laundry facilities and industry. This makes it possible to plan according to the time you have available and your interest in architectural or local history.

Hiking from Aboën

The “Circuit du Saut du Bonson” circular route starts at Place de l’Église in Aboën. It is 8 km long and takes about 2 hours and 30 minutes. The route follows dirt roads and grassy paths between hamlets, through forests and fields; it also follows the Bonson stream and passes mills and viewpoints. In 2026, the circular route is open daily year-round and free to access.

The “D’un clocher à l’autre” circular route starts in Aboën, in front of the church. At 12 km and about four hours, it is the longer of the two hikes; orange markings indicate the route. Along the way are rural features such as bachats, also known as livestock watering troughs. In the past, they were used to water livestock after it returned from the pastures. From the route, you can view the privately owned medieval Château de Fournier near the hamlet of Fournier.

For a direct comparison, the routes take around 2 hours and 30 minutes versus about four hours. The themes described also differ: the Circuit du Saut du Bonson follows the Bonson stream and passes mills and viewpoints; “D’un clocher à l’autre” passes livestock watering troughs and the privately owned Château de Fournier. You can weigh up the time required and the thematic focus when choosing a route.

Notre-Dame and its building history

The Notre-Dame parish church in Aboën dates from the 19th and 20th centuries. Its elongated floor plan comprises three naves, along with a groin vault and a rib vault. The three naves divide the building lengthwise, while the two types of vault refer to different ceiling structures. The floor plan and roof structure thus provide two specific aspects of the architecture.

The present-day tower has its own building history: Julien Dubost designed it in 1933; it was built in 1934 and inaugurated in September. The date of the tower adds specific years to the church’s broader classification as dating from the 19th and 20th centuries.

Traces of everyday life and industry in the past

The Lavoir de la Combette is a washhouse where women from the community used to wash their laundry. This use ended around 1967, after the community was connected to the water supply. The history of the lavoir links a specific former everyday activity with changes to the local water supply.

In the hamlet of Le Bedeau, also known as Moulin Vincent, stands the building that housed the first factory founded by M. Montcoudiol. Moulin Vincent was also home to a hydraulically powered installation that supplied a dynamo used to generate electricity. This connection to technology adds the use of hydropower to generate electricity to the local history.

Discover more destinations: La Grand-Croix, Charlieu, Saint-Symphorien-de-Lay, Saint-Sauveur-En-Rue, Usson-En-Forez, Balbigny, Briennon, Saint-Jean-Saint-Maurice-sur-Loire

For the main travel overview: Loire.