In La Ricamarie, industrial heritage and waterways offer distinct points of interest. The town’s last headframe stands at the Puits des Combes; the Sentier de l’eau leads to water-supply facilities along the Ondenon. A mining museum, a chapel restored several times and a memorial site complete the picture. So, depending on your interests, you can choose between mining history, commemoration and a clearly defined route during your stay.
Mining History and Memorial Sites
The headframe at the Puits des Combes was completed in 1950 and is the last headframe in La Ricamarie. Together with the above-ground buildings, it was listed as a historic monument by decree on 3 November 2003. The two dates mark different milestones: 1950 is the year it was completed, while 2003 is the year it was listed as a monument.
The Musée de la mine explores coal-mining methods and recounts the lives of former miners through their experiences underground. Tours are led by former miners. The museum is on the ground floor of a school behind La Ricamarie town hall. Check the current visiting programme and arrangements before your trip.
The Chapelle polonaise also has a restoration history: its plasterwork, paintings and decorations have been restored several times, with the original forms and colours taken into account.
The Monument des Étoiles commemorates the 14 victims of the so-called Fusillade du Brûlé of 16 June 1869. Every year, the municipality of La Ricamarie and the Épallle Théâtre commemorate the shooting with the Résonances de luttes festival. The monument and the festival offer different forms of remembrance: the monument recalls the victims, while the festival marks the annual remembrance of the event. If you plan to travel for a particular edition, check the event dates in advance.
Waterways and Planning Your Time
The signposted Sentier de l’eau circular route is 9.5 kilometres long, takes about three hours and has an elevation gain of 176 metres. It leads from the washhouse via reservoirs to the Barrage de l’Ondenon, taking in older and newer facilities for water collection, storage and distribution. The water supply is the route’s central theme. Around the Ondenon, the trail also passes the Bessy information board.
Hiking trails lead from the Barrage de l’Ondenon into the Pilat and up to the Belvédère du Guizay. There is also a two-hour walk in La Ricamarie along trails and forest roads. This gives you two options of different lengths for planning your time: the two-hour walk and the approximately three-hour Sentier de l’eau. If you are interested in water-supply facilities, the Sentier offers a clearly defined theme; the walk is another way to spend time on trails and forest roads.
Discover more destinations: Saint-Just-Saint-Rambert, Bourg-Argental, Les Salles, Mars, Régny, Luré, Saint-Galmier, Arthun.
For the broader travel overview: Loire.
