Discover Givors

Givors offers a variety of themes to explore during your stay: local walking trails, art and architectural heritage from different periods. The themes below can help you tailor your trip to your interests. For nature, the focus is on routes through rural and urban areas; those interested in culture will find historic buildings, an industrial heritage site and works by Georges Salendre. The city is also home to a cultural and intergenerational meeting place.

Walking Trails and Pilgrim Route

Seven geolocated local walking trails pass through rural and urban areas. They offer the chance to discover seasonal fauna and flora, so the experience of nature varies with the season. The “Grand tour de Givors” is a 17-kilometre walking route. This specific distance gives you a point of reference for planning; check route conditions before setting out. Givors is also the first stage on the Lyon–Arles section of the Camino de Santiago. The information answers different planning questions: Which areas do the local trails pass through, how long is the named Grand tour, and what role does Givors play as a stage on the Camino? This distinction helps you consider the natural setting, route distance and pilgrim stage separately.

Cultural History and Buildings

The town’s architectural history can be traced through several dates. Givors’s second castle dates from the 12th century; the Église Saint-Nicolas was built in 1820. It has 17 monumental stained-glass windows, another distinctive feature of its architecture. The Ancien canal de Givors was inaugurated in 1781. For a chronological comparison, the castle offers a reference point in the 12th century, while the canal’s inauguration in 1781 and the church’s construction in 1820 provide two later dates. The chimney of the BSN glassworks is the only surviving structure that bears witness to the glassworks’ activity in Givors. It thus points to the town’s industrial history through a surviving physical trace, while the castle, canal and church can be placed in context by their historical dates.

Art and a Cultural Meeting Place

Givors’s cultural heritage includes around a dozen works by Georges Salendre. Most of the artist’s works are exhibited in the park at the Maison du Fleuve Rhône. The Maison itself is a cultural and intergenerational meeting place open to everyone. If you are considering a visit, check the programme details in advance. The Micro-Folie adds another dimension to the local art scene: it features nearly 3,000 works from major national institutions. These two art themes offer different perspectives: Salendre’s works are part of the local cultural heritage, while the Micro-Folie features works from major national institutions.

For planning your stay, these different types of guidance sit side by side: the walking trails suit a nature or hiking focus, while the stage information is relevant to the Camino; among the cultural themes, you can choose between historical dates, industrial history and art. The Camino connection adds a stage perspective to your walking plans, while the building dates and canal inauguration mark specific points in the town’s history.

Discover more destinations: Jons, Pollionnay, Pontcharra-sur-Turdine, Décines-Charpieu, Villefranche Sur Saône, Chessy, Avenas, Ranchal.

For the broader travel overview: Rhône.