Discover Saint-Régis-du-Coin

Saint-Régis-du-Coin offers natural sites, sports trails and traces of historic routes. When planning your trip, you can focus on different things: exploring wetlands and their wildlife and plant life, choosing a specific route, or combining viewpoints with architectural history. The places and routes below offer several options to consider.

Wetlands and waterside paths

The Tourbière de Gimel is a wetland at an altitude of 1,200 metres, at the source of the Dunerette. In June, you can observe dragonflies and cotton grass there. A purpose-built wooden boardwalk leads visitors into the heart of the wetland. There is a car park to start from; the Tourbière is accessible to wheelchair users with assistance. Check this accessibility information before your visit.

The Plans d’eau de Prélager also bring together waterside scenery and history. This chain comprises seven artificial ponds, created for leisure in the second half of the 19th century along the Dunerette, near its source. They lie at an altitude of about 1,100 metres, just below the hamlet of Prélager. The area is designated a Natura 2000 wetland. The La Couronne pond is a first-category fishing water.

There is also a family game at the Tourbière, “Drosira et la Tourbière musicale”. It combines a nature trail and investigative challenges with other activities and a final game. Details may change; check the latest information before your visit.

Trail running, mountain biking and winter sports

The Pôle Trail in Saint-Régis-du-Coin is located in the Parc Naturel Régional du Pilat. It has more than ten waymarked routes with varying levels of difficulty and technical demands, as well as three dedicated training loops: “TRAINING ZONE”, “TRAINING COTE” and “FARTLEK”. The reception area includes changing rooms, showers and lockers. Other facilities include a Nordic walking route, a canicross route, two permanent trail routes, a Training Zone and a Training Park.

The listed routes also differ in the figures that matter for planning: La Glacière is a 6.8-kilometre canicross route with 100 metres of elevation gain. Les Menhirs de Gimel is a 21-kilometre trail route with 540 metres of elevation gain. This lets you compare the stated distances and elevation gains of the two routes without confusing them with the short access paths to viewpoints. Most paths in Saint-Régis-du-Coin are suitable for mountain biking; conditions on individual paths may vary.

For Nordic skiing, the Domaine Nordique de St Régis du Coin offers 15 kilometres of groomed, marked trails, with access from the village. If you are planning your trip around this activity, check current conditions in advance.

Views and traces of history

The Table d’orientation du sommet de Panère is at an altitude of 1,302 metres and can only be reached on foot from the village of Saint-Régis-du-Coin or the hamlet of Gimel. Another viewpoint is the Table d’orientation du crêt de Chaussître, at 1,220 metres. From the car park above the hamlet of Teil, the Chemin du Teil takes ten minutes to walk; from the orientation table, you can see the Yssingelais and Haute-Loire. The ten-minute estimate applies to this approach from the car park mentioned.

On the Chemin de Petaloup, 100 metres of paving and slabs remain. The road-building technique is considered typical of the Ancien Régime. The path is also part of a pilgrimage route linking the Rhône with Le Puy. Another trace of history is the Pierre des 3 évêques: the stone is 2.50 metres in diameter and lies on a watershed. Under the Romans, it marked the boundaries between the provinces of La lyonnaise, La Gaule and La Narbonnaise; in the Middle Ages, it became a meeting point for the dioceses of Lyon, Vienne and Le Puy-en-Velay.

At the Chapelle et le petit clos, the enclosure of the first cemetery stands opposite the original church, built in 1830. The new church was completed in 1896, and its stained-glass windows were made the following year. Along with the paths and viewpoints, this architectural history offers another focus for planning your trip.

Whether you are looking for a hotel for days spent observing nature, running trail routes or visiting historic sites, Saint-Régis-du-Coin offers a range of options. Choose according to the places and activities that interest you most, and check any time-sensitive access and offer details before your visit.

Discover more destinations: Saint-Cyprien, Montverdun, Montbrison, Saint-Didier-Sur-Rochefort, Savigneux, Luré, Bourg-Argental, Chambles.

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