Pralong can be explored via two routes with different profiles. The Sentier découverte des 2 pics can start in Pralong at the foot of Pic Griot. The hiking trail is 10.92 kilometres long, rated easy and takes around three hours. For a mountain biking route, the VTT circuit Entre Ruillat et Pralong offers an option with a different rating: the loop is 19.5 kilometres long, difficult and marked black according to VTT-FFC. Check local trail conditions before setting out, as they can change.
Hiking between Pic Griot and La Madone
The Sentier découverte des 2 pics was created jointly by Champdieu and Pralong. It leads to the protected basalt site of La Madone; on the way to Pic Griot, you can discover basalt columns and dry grasslands. The hike therefore takes in a protected basalt site, as well as geological formations and dry habitats. These landscape features add concrete reasons to choose the route based on its points of interest, alongside its length and duration.
Basalt landscapes and special habitats
At Puy de Griot, dry basalt grasslands create a habitat for the Zygaena fausta moth. This turquoise-blue Mediterranean butterfly is found in the Loire only in such habitats. The areas have been managed by the Conservatoire d'espaces naturels RhĂ´ne-Alpes since 2004. This makes the basalt landscape meaningful not only as a landform, but also as a habitat.
A cross erected in 1933 marks a viewpoint with a 360-degree panorama over the plain and the Forez Mountains. The year it was erected gives the viewpoint a historical connection; it is thematically distinct from the geological formations at Pic Griot. Those comparing landscape views with nature themes will find two different highlights here: a panoramic view of the plain and the Forez Mountains on the one hand, and basalt and dry grasslands on the other.
Trail information and themes
Along the Sentier découverte des 2 pics, informative and interactive signs provide information about the local fauna and flora, as well as the history, culture, ecology and geography of the area traversed. At La Madone, an orientation board also points out the Ruillat Valley, the vineyards of Côtes du Forez, Champdieu and the Forez plain. The two elements serve different purposes: the signs explain themes relating to the area, while the board at La Madone names specific places and landscapes.
The history of Saint-Romain Church
Saint-Romain Church also offers a historical point of reference that can be precisely dated: it was first mentioned in writing in 1225. The parish was under the authority of the nearby Benedictine priory of Champdieu. The year provides a chronological reference, while the connection indicates the church's ecclesiastical context. For travellers who want to complement the area's landscapes and nature with cultural history, Saint-Romain offers another specific point of interest.
Discover more destinations: Saint-Romain-le-Puy, Le Bessat, Perreux, Grézieux-Le-Fromental, Andrézieux-Bouthéon, Bussières, Saint-Cyprien, Pouilly-sous-Charlieu.
For the regional travel overview: Loire.
