Chénas: Wine, Walking Trails and Hotels

Chénas offers several themes for your stay: the wine of the same name, trails through varied landscapes, and evidence of the area’s wine and local history. If you’re looking for hotels in Chénas, it can help with planning your trip to decide on your main focus first: Would you like to concentrate on wine, spend time outdoors, or discover historic places and buildings? Each option offers a different emphasis.

Wine, Tastings and the History of Winemaking

The Chénas appellation extends across the communes of Chénas and La Chapelle-de-Guinchay. Chénas wine is a red wine with notes of black fruit, peony and spices. For wine enthusiasts, this brings together the appellation’s specific geographical area and a clearly defined flavour profile.

The Cave du Château de Chénas includes a 560 m² vaulted cellar dating from the 17th century and operates a wine shop where you can taste Beaujolais crus. Here, a distinctive architectural feature and a wine-related offering come together at the same named place. The cellar’s size, vaulted form and age describe the space, while the tastings focus on Beaujolais crus.

Wine is also at the heart of Les Hauts de Chénas, but with a different emphasis: an exhibition there showcases winemaking and wine tools from the last century. Guided tours of the vineyards and cellar are available by appointment. This lets you distinguish between the exhibition and the guided visit, rather than treating them as the same experience. As visitor arrangements can change, check the current conditions in advance; a guided tour requires an appointment.

Trails Through Vineyards, Forest and Heathland

The Circuit de Gargantua is an 18 km route through vineyards, woodland and heathland. These varied landscape types shape the character of the trail and offer a distinct way to experience Chénas beyond its wine-related attractions. Check current trail conditions before setting out.

The Moulin à Vent windmill on the Circuit de Gargantua is designated a historic monument dating from the 15th century. The circuit also offers a 360-degree panoramic view from the Cabane des Chasseurs. The route therefore combines a designated landmark and a named viewpoint with its landscapes. The windmill and the panoramic view remain separate points of interest to consider when planning.

Les Hauts de Chénas offers a different way to explore the landscape with its Forest Path. The trail is entertaining and educational, with a focus on woodland flora and fauna. While the Circuit de Gargantua crosses vineyards, woodland and heathland, the Forest Path focuses on the natural environment of the forest. This distinction can help you choose the right focus for your outing.

Historic Traces and Other Experiences

Some remains of the old settlement of Chénas have survived and can be explored. They add traces of the former settlement to the broader historical themes represented by the explicitly named monument and exhibition. The historical perspective thus ranges from a 15th-century structure to the remains of the old settlement.

Mini-Golf of Sélène offers another, more playful perspective. It has ten fun holes, each named after a Beaujolais cru; one hole is dedicated to the wines of the Mâconnais. Here, wine is not presented through tastings or an exhibition, but as a theme for the names and design of the holes.

For planning your trip, the different options are easy to distinguish: the Cave du Château de Chénas and Les Hauts de Chénas offer wine-related experiences, the Circuit de Gargantua combines a longer route with varied landscapes, and the Forest Path focuses on woodland flora and fauna. The windmill, the remains of the old settlement and the mini-golf add history and another activity to the mix. This lets you tailor your stay to what interests you most about Chénas.

Discover more destinations: Juliénas, Givors, Solaise, Bibost, Saint-Jean-Des-Vignes, Le Bois-D'oingt, Ouroux, Vernaison

For the broader travel overview: Rhône.