A 12 km hiking trail ends in the Aaron Valley at a lake with facilities. There are also five marked hiking trails, an arboretum and the Chapelle Saint-Claude, with a large fresco about the history of the plague. Belmont-De-La-Loire thus offers several focal points for planning a trip: routes of different lengths, views of regional tree species, time by the water and a chapel visit that requires a reservation.
Hiking trails by length and character
Five marked hiking trails have been awarded the Sport-Nature label by the Loire Department. The Chemin de Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle also passes through Belmont-De-La-Loire: its fourth stage runs between Propières and Le Cergne and is listed as 19 km and five hours. This stage therefore has both a stated distance and a time estimate.
The En passant par la Croix Bleue circular trail – PR 5 is 15.5 km long and starts in Belmont-De-La-Loire. It passes through the arboretum. There, you can discover twenty tree species commonly found in the region, as well as other rare species. This route combines a longer circular trail with a botanical focus, so the tree species are more than just a passing detail along the way.
The Belmont Trail route is 10 km long, marked in green and classified as easy. It starts at the car park of the Plan d’eau de Belmont-De-La-Loire, where there are changing rooms, showers and toilets. Check the route and facilities information locally before travelling.
Taken together, the route lengths provide a specific set of options: 10 km for the trail, 12 km for Jusqu’au Bout du monde, 15.5 km on the PR 5 and 19 km for the Compostela stage. The 19 km stage is also listed as taking five hours. If you are comparing routes, you can first choose by stated distance and then consider the time estimate for the relevant stage.
Arboretum and leisure by the water
Jusqu’au Bout du monde is a 12 km hiking trail awarded the FFR label. It ends in the Aaron Valley at a lake with facilities. Another way to spend time outdoors is at the Base de loisirs du plan d’eau. Set in a wooded area around a lake and the River Aaron, it offers fishing, picnic areas and sports facilities.
Each place has a different focus: the PR 5 highlights the arboretum and its tree species, while the Base de loisirs offers opportunities for fishing, picnicking and sports. The lake at the end of Jusqu’au Bout du monde, meanwhile, is a specific destination along the route. Which of these options you prioritise can shape your stay, without requiring you to combine every activity into a single outing.
Chapelle Saint-Claude: history and visits
The Chapelle Saint-Claude was built in 1632 over a mass grave of plague victims. Inside the chapel is a fresco measuring 8 m Ă— 2 m. It depicts the plague epidemics that devastated Lyonnais and Beaujolais in the 17th century. The focus here is therefore a specific historic site and the depiction of the epidemics in the region.
Visits are free and available daily from 1 May to 31 December, by prior reservation. Guided and self-guided visits are offered for individuals and groups. If you plan to visit the chapel, confirm the reservation and seasonal visiting arrangements in advance.
Use your planned itinerary to guide your hotel search
When choosing a hotel, your planned activities can help guide your search: if hiking is your main focus, compare the trails by their stated lengths. The PR 5 also offers the arboretum as a separate point of interest; for the chapel, take the season and reservation requirements into account. Compare the location of a specific accommodation with the places you want to visit. This lets you tailor your search to your itinerary rather than assume a fixed schedule for Belmont-De-La-Loire.
Discover more destinations: Saint-Priest-La-Vêtre, Savigneux, Saint-Jean-La-Vêtre, Le Crozet, Notre-Dame-De-Boisset, L’hôpital-Sous-Rochefort, Saint-Rirand, Saint-Priest-En-Jarez.
For the broader travel overview: Loire.
