Beaujeu: Heritage, Beaujolais and Trails

When planning your trip to Beaujeu, you can choose from a range of interests: Romanesque architecture and an old half-timbered house, insights into the Beaujolais terroir, and trails for hiking and cycling. A multi-day festival also features on the events calendar in November. The topics that interest you most can help you choose your destination and plan your stay.

Heritage in Beaujeu

The Church of Saint-Nicolas is an example of Romanesque-Byzantine transitional architecture influenced by Cluny. Its bell tower is Romanesque and influenced by Cluny; the choir is listed as a historic monument. If you are interested in architectural history, you will find two specific points of interest here: the church’s architectural classification and the heritage status of its choir.

Another historic building is Beaujeu’s half-timbered house. It dates from the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries and was added to the supplementary inventory of historic monuments on February 15, 1977. The listing applies to this half-timbered house; the Church of Saint-Nicolas and the house each offer a different way to explore the town’s heritage.

Terroir, museum and tastings

The Maison du Terroir Beaujolais is dedicated to the region’s terroir. The visit covers five rooms and is designed to be lively, playful and focused on enjoyment. There is also a shop selling local producers’ goods, including Beaujolais wines, regional specialties, local creations and books about the region. A visit thus brings several themes together under one roof: regional products, terroir and books from the area.

The core of the Marius Audin Museum collection is also displayed in a thematic exhibition at the Maison du Terroir Beaujolais. The museum houses almost 10,000 works that bear witness to the history of Beaujeu and the Beaujolais region. Another way to learn about the history of the Sires de Beaujeu is the guided tour “Beaujeu Chronicles, narrated by Vandalmonde et Guichard”. It ends with a tasting in the cellar. Check the tour dates before your trip.

Hiking and exploring the trails

On the route to the Croix de Rochefort, the highest point is at an elevation of 888 metres. From the orientation table, the panorama stretches across Beaujeu and the surrounding mountains. On the Estelle trail, you can put together your own route from four signposted trails or walk just part of the total distance. These options differ in whether you head for a viewpoint or choose the length of your hike from several marked trails.

The Balade des Sires is a circular trail with little elevation gain, starting at the grounds of Château Saint Jean. Along the way, you can discover flora and landscapes; the trail is described as suitable for families. A separate orienteering experience is aimed at children aged eight and over: the tour is eight kilometres long, passes control points and ends with a treasure chest. The Circuit Site du Château Saint Jean circular trail starts at the Hôtel de Ville car park.

Cycling and suitable routes

The Voie Verte du Beaujolais follows the Ardières valley for more than 15 kilometres between Belleville and Beaujeu. For a mountain biking trip, there is the B3 loop from Beaujeu to Saint-Didier-sur-Beaujeu: it is 24 kilometres long and starts at Beaujeu church. These route details offer different information for planning, including the length of the mountain bike loop and the Voie Verte’s route between two towns.

At the Maison du Terroir Beaujolais, the bike rental service offers hybrid bikes for adults, electrically assisted bikes, mountain bikes, trailers and child seats for children. Rental options may change; check in advance for the current selection. This lets you take the available bike types and child-carrying accessories into account without assuming that the routes mentioned and the rental service are a single offering.

Les Sarmentelles in November

Les Sarmentelles is a multi-day Beaujolais Nouveau festival. The Les Sarmentelles association organizes it during the third week of November to promote Beaujolais Nouveau. The 2026 edition’s program includes tastings, funfairs, live music, markets, dinners, performances, guided tours and children’s shows. Program items may vary from one edition to another; check the specific event dates before your trip.

Discover more destinations: Quincié-En-Beaujolais, Limonest, Saint-Martin-en-Haut, Sainte-Colombe, Saint-Clément-Sur-Valsonne, Quincieux, Yzeron, Saint-Genis-Les-Ollières.

For the broader travel overview: Rhône.