Notre-Dame-De-Boisset: History and Hiking Trails

Notre-Dame-De-Boisset offers two clear points of interest for planning a trip: a long history of Marian devotion and a rural landscape with marked trails. Its historical themes range from the establishment of a chaplaincy around 1070 to the history of Château de Bussières. Outdoors, local trails pass through valleys, along waterways, and through fields and forests. This gives you a sense in advance of whether you would prefer your stay to focus on religious and architectural heritage or on the landscape and hiking.

History of Marian Devotion and Remembrance

The chaplaincy, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, was established around 1070 and became a parish in the Diocese of Mâcon. The Marian shrine remained a thriving pilgrimage center until the 19th century. Its religious significance therefore extends beyond a single historical moment, connecting an early ecclesiastical foundation with a pilgrimage that held importance for centuries.

A votive painting in the church commemorates the reception and accommodation of 89 refugees expelled from Lorraine during the Second World War. It also preserves a specific chapter of local history: helping people forced to leave their homes by the war. A white statue of the Virgin Mary bearing the Miraculous Medal was also placed on the façade of the parish church. Mass is celebrated at 10:30 a.m. on August 15. If this recurring date is important to your travel plans, confirm the Mass time in advance.

Château de Bussières

Château de Bussières was built as a fief in the second half of the 13th century and passed into the ownership of Charles Ferrier in 1724. This timeline spans its medieval origins and a change of ownership several centuries later. For a historical focus alongside Marian devotion, the château offers a distinct point of interest: its construction and the subsequent change in ownership.

Hiking Trails and Landscape

Two marked circular trails lead through the commune. They pass through valleys, along waterways, and through fields and forests. Along the way, visitors can discover the local flora and fauna as well as the formerly dispersed settlement pattern. The route descriptions thus combine nature observation with a glimpse into Notre-Dame-De-Boisset’s earlier settlement history. The commune also has extensive deciduous forests, and its landscapes change in many ways with the seasons.

Escapade Boscoise is a rural hike between Notre-Dame-De-Boisset and Pradines Abbey, passing numerous streams. Together with the valleys, fields, forests, and waterways, this hike illustrates the variety of landscape experiences the area offers. If you plan your stay around your own interests, you can weigh the historical focus against the rural surroundings without needing to experience both in the same way.

Dining and Getting There

Auberge de Boisset offers fine dining featuring fresh, seasonal produce. In good weather, meals are served on the terrace in a garden surrounded by greenery. Dining on the terrace is therefore weather-dependent; if you would like to eat outdoors, take this into account when planning.

For road access, Notre-Dame-De-Boisset is well connected via the A72 toward Saint-Étienne and Clermont-Ferrand, and the A89 toward Lyon. Depending on where you are starting from, these routes offer an initial guide for your journey. Plan your specific route according to your starting point, and factor the journey in along with the area’s points of interest when planning your stay.

Discover more destinations: Perreux, Le Chambon-Feugerolles, Coutouvre, Arthun, Chambœuf, St. Alban Les Eaux, La Tuilière, Saint-Michel-Sur-Rhône.

Back to the regional travel guide: Loire.