Saint-Étienne: Discover water, climbing and mining

Saint-Étienne offers a range of ways to plan your visit: on the water, you can choose from various craft and a guided boat trip; there are also climbing routes, a section of the GR® 3 and a recreated underground mine gallery. These options differ in activity and how they can be enjoyed. The access arrangements are also useful when planning: as well as climbing routes that can be explored independently, there is a guided boat trip and a gallery that can only be visited as part of a guided tour.

Watercraft and a guided trip

At the Club nautique de Saint-Étienne in Saint-Victor-sur-Loire, you can use or rent catamarans, dinghies, canoes, pedal boats, stand-up paddleboards and windsurf boards with instruction. Another option is the electrically powered « Grangent » boat, which offers one-hour discovery trips through the Gorges de la Loire. A guided tour introduces the Grangent reservoir, the dam, the landscape of the gorge meanders and its medieval castles. The topics therefore range from the reservoir and dam to the landscape of the gorge meanders and medieval castles. The choice is not just about the type of craft, but also the format: supervised use or a one-hour guided discovery trip. Check the trip schedule and availability before planning, as both may change.

Climbing routes at Révotes and Mousset

Révotes and Mousset should be considered separate climbing sites among the rocks of the Gorges de la Loire. Révotes has eight climbing routes of varying difficulty, which can be climbed independently. The rock at Mousset has eleven climbing routes, also for independent use. In addition, there is a mountain course there combining Via Ferrata, hiking and climbing, which must be completed with a guide. The number of routes refers to each respective site; when planning, it is also important to distinguish the guided course from the routes that can be used independently.

A section of the GR® 3

The GR® 3 connects the source of the Loire to its mouth. An 18.2-kilometre section runs through the Lizeron valley to the Gorges de la Loire; a new variant runs close to the banks of the Loire. For orientation, distinguish between the overall route and the local section: the length of 18.2 kilometres applies to the section mentioned, while the proximity to the river describes the variant. This allows you to distinguish the full route of the GR® 3 from the specific section whose distance is given and which is relevant to your hiking plans.

The mine gallery at Puits Couriot

At Puits Couriot – Musée de la Mine, you can visit a recreated underground mine gallery; it can only be accessed as part of a guided tour. When planning, it is useful to distinguish this from a boat trip: the Grangent trip lasts one hour and is guided, while a guided tour is required to enter the gallery.

A houseboat accommodation in Saint-Victor-sur-Loire

Meublé House Boat is a houseboat accommodation moored in the port of Saint-Victor-sur-Loire. Saint-Victor-sur-Loire is within the territory of the city of Saint-Étienne.

Discover more destinations: Saint-Cyr-Les-Vignes, Saint-Julien-Molin-Molette, Mably, Riorges, Le Crozet, Cordelle, Bessey, Saint-Romain-le-Puy

For the regional travel overview: Loire.