On the banks of a river in Saint-Bois stands a washhouse fed directly by the waters of the Gland. From this specific local feature, the themes extend to historic buildings, dry grasslands, and cycling and walking routes.
Nature and Landscape
The “Pelouses sèches de Saint Bois” are listed as a type I ecological area in the ZNIEFF inventory. Their dry grasslands are home to orchids and protected, rare, or endangered plant species. Species composition and condition may change. This nature theme is clearly distinct from the individual buildings and memorial sites: the focus here is on dry grasslands and their plant life.
Church, Remembrance and Stone Markers
The church of Saint-Bois was inaugurated in 1869. Its nave has three bays and is complemented by two side chapels. A bay is a section in the layout of a nave; this detail makes its architectural form more specific. The war memorial stands in the central square and was inaugurated in 1920. Eleven names are engraved on it. It serves as a site for patriotic ceremonies on 11 November and 8 May. The church and memorial thus offer distinct details and dates relating to architectural history and remembrance.
The crosses each have their own features, too. The Croix de Veyrin is a stone wayside cross. The Croix de Crozet bears the same inscription as the Croix de Saint-Bois: “1852, souvenir de Jubile”. The Croix de Compignière, by contrast, bears the words “vers la joie, par la croix”. Visitors interested in inscriptions can compare different words and references on several named crosses without treating them as a single monument.
Châteaux and Ovens
The former Château de Châtillonnet in Saint-Bois now lies in ruins. At the Château de Perrouzet, an original tower and an original gate remain visible; the château is overgrown with vegetation. The dovecote is clearly visible and is the only remnant still in good condition. These details distinguish the ruined state of Châtillonnet from the preserved and visible remains at Perrouzet.
The local heritage also includes ovens: the Crozet oven is considered the most remarkable of the four ovens in Saint-Bois. The Four de Veyrin is also associated with a cycling route, on which it is listed as a point of interest. Here, heritage and route planning come together.
Cycling Routes and Walks
The “Les Enfants du Marais” cycling loop passes through Saint-Bois. The red-marked mountain biking loop starts in Belley, is 41.5 kilometres long, and runs mainly along paths through fields and forests. Check access conditions before setting out. The signposted “Vallée du Gland” cycling loop also passes through Saint-Bois and is 39.7 kilometres long. The stated route lengths are close to one another. For “Les Enfants du Marais”, the starting point in Belley, the route marking colour, and the fact that it mainly follows paths through fields and forests are also specified.
For walkers, the “Peyzieu - Izieu et retour” circular trail is associated with the municipality of Saint-Bois. The “01 - Peyzieu - Izieu et retour” loop is listed as taking six hours. Check conditions before setting out. The time provides a concrete comparison with the cycling loops, whose distances are given in kilometres; it describes a different kind of time commitment for planning a trip.
Discover more destinations: Champfromier, Cormaranche-En-Bugey, Sermoyer, Dompierre-sur-Chalaronne, Misérieux, Civrieux, Lalleyriat, Oyonnax.
For the main travel overview: Ain.
