Discover Noirétable

When looking for a hotel in Noirétable, it helps to first decide what kind of stay you would like. The options range from trails and walks to a pilgrimage site, a sundial and a distinctive rock formation. This can help you decide whether you would prefer to combine your trip with outdoor activities, religious and cultural history, or a geological feature.

Hiking trails and walks

The GR3 long-distance hiking trail crosses the grounds of Notre-Dame de l’Hermitage. A circular trail leads from the sanctuary to the Lit de la Vierge. The two routes are different in nature: the GR3 focuses on crossing the grounds, while the circular trail starts at the sanctuary and has a named destination. So when planning, the first thing to consider is whether you have a long-distance trail or a loop with a specific destination in mind.

Le Plan d’Eau offers an easy walk along the water. This adds another way to spend time outdoors to the two route descriptions: a walk defined by its waterside path and easy-going route. When weighing up different ideas for the day, you can therefore choose between a long-distance trail, a circular trail and a walk, each described in a different way.

Pilgrimage site, sundial and legend

Notre-Dame de l’Hermitage is a pilgrimage site with a monastery, two chapels and a spring in the forest. Its religious character is linked to several architectural features and the presence of the spring. The site cannot therefore be reduced to a single building: the monastery and chapels are just as much a part of its character as the spring in the forest. This offers a clearly defined point of interest for travelers interested in culture.

Another cultural attraction is the Cadran solaire. Yves Guyot created the sundial in 2000; it is an analemmatic sundial of the azimuth type. In addition to the pilgrimage site, it offers a different perspective: here, the focus is on a single named work and its specific technical type. Its year of creation and creator place the work in a particular time and personal context, while the type designation describes its technical design.

Les Grandes Sagnes de l’Hermitage is associated with a legend. Set in the 12th century, it tells how the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared to a criminal who, according to the story, stayed there until his death. The story has been passed down as a legend, not as a verified account of an event. Alongside the pilgrimage site and the sundial, it offers a distinct story for the cultural side of a trip, with its religious association and legendary status going hand in hand.

Rock formation and landscape

Autel de la baronnie is a formation created by erosion, consisting of a series of rocks with basins carved into them. The formation is more than 50 meters long. Its geological origins, linear structure and basins all shape the landscape: the focus is not on a single rock formation, but on a series of rocks arranged in a row. Its length gives the formation a sense of scale, while the carved-out basins are another distinctive feature. For travelers interested in landforms, this is a specific point of interest that differs from the trails and pilgrimage site.

Discover more destinations: Dancé, Violay, Le Chambon-Feugerolles, L'Hôpital-le-Grand, Rozier-Côtes-D'aurec, Saint-Romain-le-Puy, Andrézieux-Bouthéon, Saint-Germain-Laval

For the regional travel overview: Loire.