At Lac des Meinettes, a 14-hectare expanse of water, nature-themed trails, and distant views come together. The Tour du lac des Meinettes is four kilometres long and takes one hour and 30 minutes. In the village centre, the Fontaine Jeanne d'Arc makes a striking cultural landmark. Saint-Jeure-d'Ay thus offers tangible reasons to explore the landscape, along with sights in the village.
Lac des Meinettes and its trails
Lac des Meinettes is a reservoir created in 1990 for irrigation. From the lakeside promenade, you can look out over the surrounding church towers and, in the distance, the Alps. The lakeside setting therefore combines views of the nearby area with a far-reaching horizon. A constructed, 3.5-kilometre-long path runs along the lake; information boards introduce the local fauna and flora. If you want to focus on nature as you walk, you will find prompts there to observe the area's animal and plant life.
The Tour du lac des Meinettes is an easy, marked circular route covering four kilometres. It has an elevation gain of 20 metres and takes one hour and 30 minutes. The starting point is at the welcome sign and car park at Lac des Meinettes in Saint-Jeure-d'Ay. The distance, elevation gain, and duration make it easy to plan the walk as a separate block of time, without setting aside a whole day for hiking.
Walks from Saint-Jeure-d'Ay also lead beyond the lake to Montbard and into the RhĂ´ne Valley. Along the way, there are views of the Vercors. These destinations offer a different direction for walks than the trails around Lac des Meinettes: they lead from Saint-Jeure-d'Ay out into the wider landscape, while the lakeside path and circular route centre on the lake.
Sights in the village
The Fontaine Jeanne d'Arc is in the village centre. A cast-iron statue of Joan of Arc rises above its roof. The combination of the fountain and the towering figure gives this spot a distinctive appearance. Those interested in the village's cultural heritage will also find a Romanesque church, one of Saint-Jeure-d'Ay's sights.
The church houses a wooden Christ from the 15th century, listed as a historic monument. It also has Gothic choir stalls with canopies, likewise from the 15th century. The Romanesque church and Gothic choir stalls highlight different aspects of the building and its furnishings; the wooden Christ adds a historic object with its own protected status.
The Saint-Jeure-d'Ay puzzle trail gives children a chance to discover Lac des Meinettes and the village. The activity booklet is available from the tourist office; ask there about current availability. Alongside the walking trails, it offers a way to connect the village and the lake through a puzzle-solving activity.
An event in July
The Festival des Singes Heureux takes place on the last weekend of July and has been held in Saint-Jeure-d'Ay since 2002. If you want to plan your trip around the festival, check the dates for the current edition in advance. That way, you can coordinate your visit with your other interests, without limiting your stay to walks or sights in the village alone.
The trail information helps you plan your time: the Tour du lac has a specified distance, elevation gain, and duration, while the constructed path by the lake is described as having information boards about local fauna and flora. There are also walks with views of the Vercors, as well as the church, Fontaine Jeanne d'Arc, and the festival as cultural points of interest. Depending on whether you are most interested in landscapes, nature, or village culture, you can explore Saint-Jeure-d'Ay with a focus that suits you.
Discover more destinations: Accons, Cornas, Le Pouzin, St Pierre De Colombier, Silhac, Saint-Marcel-Lès-Annonay, Gras, Lavillatte.
For the broader travel overview: Ardèche.
