Chaponost: Aqueduct, Nature and Culture

Chaponost brings together Roman heritage, natural environments, and places to experience culture and agriculture. When planning your trip, it is worth first asking what interests you most: the surviving arches of the Gier Aqueduct, habitats and species at Boulard, or a visit to an educational farm. The formats also differ—from guided tours that must be booked in advance to half-day and full-day walks, as well as an exhibition venue with a regular weekend program.

The Gier Aqueduct: Arches and Visits

The Roman Gier Aqueduct dates from the 2nd century AD. At the Plat de l'Air site, you will find the longest continuous stretch of aqueduct arches currently visible in France. Of the 92 arches that supported the channel in Roman times, 72 still stand there. Its date, surviving structure, and former function make the site interesting to visitors who want to explore Roman construction history through a tangible monument.

Guided tours at Plat de l'Air are organized year-round by reservation for groups of one or more people; they are offered in French and English. If you plan to take a tour, factor the reservation into your planning. This makes it possible to tailor your visit to one of the available tour formats.

The Tourist Office also organizes half-day and full-day walks that take in several surviving sections of the Gier Aqueduct. This gives you a clear choice when planning your day: set aside either half a day or a full day to explore these remains. The walks and the guided tour at Plat de l'Air focus on different things—several surviving sections in one case, the Plat de l'Air site in the other.

Nature Trails, Park, and Historical Traces

The Sentier pédagogique du Boulard passes through four habitats: the tree park, the stream, the pond, and the forest. Twenty-eight illustrated panels explain animal and plant species. The combination of different habitats and explanatory panels gives the trail a natural-history focus.

At Parc du Boulard, visitors can stroll among hundred-year-old trees and picnic by the pond. A walk in the park thus complements the nature-study perspective of the educational trail with a practical opportunity to spend time among the trees and by the water. The difference is useful when choosing between the two: the trail focuses on habitats and species, while the park offers a walk and a picnic.

The Vallée en Barret is a sensitive natural area of ecological and historical significance. Traces found there include the remains of the siphon bridge of the Roman Gier Aqueduct and the Guichardet wall, with its pink, net-patterned masonry. The description of this area thus brings together a natural setting and tangible evidence of the aqueduct's history. These architectural remains offer a different historical focus from the row of arches at Plat de l'Air.

Exhibitions and Insights into Agriculture

The Salle du Cuvier at Maison Berthelot in Chaponost is an exhibition venue. Works by artists and associations are shown there very regularly on weekends. If you would like to include culture in your travel plans, the weekend schedule is a useful guide; the program features a changing range of works and exhibitors.

The Ferme du Milon combines agricultural produce with educational visits. The farm sells its own products as well as fresh produce from local growers. The farm offers visits for groups. Children can feed the animals and meet pigs, poultry, donkeys, and Gribouille, the Highland cow. The visit then continues to the barn and sheepfold, before heading down to the pond and the Le Garon river. Shopping and group visits appeal to different interests: local produce on the one hand, and encounters with animals on the other.

Discover more destinations: Brullioles, Chassagny, Lyon, Lucenay, Condrieu, Saint-Priest, Villeurbanne, Charly

For the broader travel overview: Rhône.