Armoy combines outdoor activity in the forest with several chapters of local history. The Bois de Ville covers 118 hectares on a terrace formed around 10,000 years ago as the Rhône Glacier retreated. So the natural side of a stay here includes not only the forest itself, but also the origins of its landscape. Cultural traces range from a Roman coin find to parish history and a former plaster factory.

Landscape and Outdoor Activity in the Bois de Ville

The fitness trail in the Bois de Ville comprises four marked, equipped circular routes and twelve fitness stations. This gives outdoor activity in the forest a clear focus: you can consider the routes and stations as a combined offering and distinguish them from the long-distance trail. The GR5 also passes through the Bois de Ville, but it is a long-distance trail and therefore a different starting point when choosing how to explore the forest.

The forest also offers paths and routes for walkers, joggers, cyclists, horse riders and people looking for other kinds of exercise. This gives you more options for your stay than simply choosing between the fitness trail and the long-distance trail: you can consider the Bois de Ville as a place for different kinds of outdoor activity. The choice begins with deciding whether marked circuits and fitness stations, long-distance hiking or another of the activities mentioned matters most to you.

Archaeological, Ecclesiastical and Industrial History

The church in Armoy is dedicated to Saint Peter and Saint Paul. In the former parish of Armoy, Le Lyaud and Trossy were considered hamlets; church services and religious ceremonies were held in the church. The parish history thus offers a glimpse of the church’s dedication and of the former links between the parish and its hamlets. The Ermitage provides an archaeological point of reference: numerous Roman coins were discovered there in 1863.

The former plaster factory reveals another part of the area’s history. A large brick chimney, a stone building and the visible course of a canal remain; the locations of eight kilns can also be seen. The factory was among the most important in France and produced more than 100,000 quintals of plaster. Its historical significance and traces of production can therefore be seen side by side: some elements survive as structural remains, while others can be identified from the visible course of the canal and the kiln locations. The former plaster factory can be visited individually, free of charge and without a guide. Check the visiting conditions before your visit.

The historical themes differ in how they can be explored: the coin find is tied to a specific year, the parish history to a religious dedication and former ties with hamlets, and the plaster factory to surviving structures and visible traces of production. You can therefore explore Armoy through whichever aspect interests you most: archaeology, church history or industrial history.

Discover more destinations: Saint-Jeoire, Seythenex, Talloires, Cervens, Les Praz-De-Chamonix, Thénésol, Annecy-Le-Vieux, Bloye.

For the wider travel guide: Haute-Savoie.