Discover Ambierle

Discover Ambierle through its many highlights: the Saint-Martin Priory, the Alice Taverne Museum and the Village du Livre are complemented by trails through vineyards, forests and meadows. A cultural trail runs through the village, as does the Route des Vins. When planning your stay, you can focus your time on architecture and collections, a hike, or wine and book culture, depending on your interests.

Culture, architecture and the book village

The Saint-Martin Priory was built between 1450 and 1480 and features Gothic architecture. Its Burgundian-style roof is made of polychrome glazed tiles. As a Cluniac priory, it contains architectural evidence spanning a longer period, from the 12th century to the mid-18th century. The specific construction period and this broader time span describe distinct historical layers.

The Alice Taverne Museum presents collections on the art and traditions of Roannais and Forez in an 18th-century house and its outbuildings. Recreated scenes of rural daily life include a village shop, a farmhouse, a classroom and a healer’s room. The museum thus focuses both on regional art and traditions and on staged scenes from rural daily life.

The Village du Livre brings together bookshops and book-related crafts, including three bookshops and a bookbinding workshop. The book village association manages its activities and brings together the bookshops and book-related businesses based there. For groups, the Maison de Pays et du Tourisme organises tours of the cultural heritage on request. The Alice Taverne Museum has been organising guided tours of the village for several decades.

Trails and landscape

Numerous hiking trails in Ambierle pass through vineyards, forests and meadows, offering viewpoints and local attractions. The La Madone viewpoint lies above the village centre, with views across the plain. The Via Sancti Martini cultural trail also passes through Ambierle, offering a different focus from a hike through the countryside.

The Les Servajeans hike is 11 kilometres long and starts in the village of Ambierle. It offers a chance to discover the surrounding vineyards, landscape and a viewpoint. The Route des Vins offers another option: the 16-kilometre Loop 2, La Sportive, passes through the village and starts in Changy. When planning, the key differences to note are the distances and starting points: Les Servajeans starts in Ambierle, while La Sportive starts in Changy.

Wine and finding your way around the village

A municipal overview from 2024 lists five wineries in Ambierle. They continue the village’s long-standing winemaking tradition and either farm organically or are in the process of converting to organic farming. Alongside the cultural heritage and trails, winegrowing offers another way to explore the village’s history.

The Maison de Pays et du Tourisme provides tourist information and sells regional food products, local crafts, postcards and books. Tours of the cultural heritage are available there for groups on request. Another activity is the free interactive Baludik treasure hunt, “La Disparition de la cuvée d’Ambierle”: visitors search for the missing donkey Pompon and the famous Cuvée. Check before your visit whether the digital activity is currently available.

Discover more destinations: Saint-Pierre-De-Bœuf, Sail-Sous-Couzan, Pouilly-sous-Charlieu, Planfoy, Notre-Dame-De-Boisset, St. Alban Les Eaux, Fourneaux, Saint-Rirand.

Back to the regional travel overview: Loire.