Saint-Bonnet-Le-Courreau combines hiking trails with insights into the landscape, local history and the production of regional goods. There are various themes to consider when planning your visit: La vallée de Chorsin leads from an old glacial valley to the Plateau de Garnier, Pont de Subertha is an old bridge associated with two routes, and the mill focuses on oil production and a water-powered sawmill. Other highlights include a mineral spring, a panoramic view in suitable weather, and historic religious buildings.

Hiking Trails and Landscape

The route description, updated on 4 July 2025, describes La vallée de Chorsin as a moderately difficult, 13-kilometre hiking route taking about four hours and 50 minutes to walk. This is a longer hiking outing, for which you can plan the distance, difficulty and time commitment together. The route leads from an old glacial valley to the Plateau de Garnier, which is part of the Hautes-Chaumes. Its landscape thus connects the valley with the high plateau.

The GR3 is also available to hikers in Saint-Bonnet-Le-Courreau. The section of the GR3 and signposted circular route No. 5 both use Pont de Subertha. The old bridge has been here since the Renaissance. This brings a specific connection to hiking routes and a historic structure together in one place, without describing the individual routes using the same distance details.

Spring, Viewpoint and Local History

Font Fort is a carbonated mineral spring. Its geological location is described with unusual precision: the water emerges from a fissure in the bed of the Pierre Brune stream. This particular landscape feature adds to the hiking trails and differs from the openness of the plateau.

At the edge of the village, an orientation board offers a panoramic view across the département and the Alps in suitable weather. The weather condition is part of the view: when conditions are right, the vista extends far beyond the surrounding area. The village’s architectural history can also be traced to specific places. The church of Saint-Bonnet dates from the early 16th century. The Chapelle Saint-Roch is a Renaissance chapel and recalls that Saint-Bonnet developed from a priory located in Courreau. The church and chapel thus represent different aspects of local history.

The Mill and Regional Production

The Moulin des Massons is a working mill in the Vizézy valley. A guided tour concludes with a tasting. Another guided tour focuses on oil production. At the water-powered sawmill, visitors can also watch logs being sawn. The mill, oil production and sawmill showcase different ways of working in one place, rather than focusing on just one product.

Visitors can get a separate insight into cheese-making at the Société fromagère de St Bonnet le Courreau at Pont de la Pierre: it offers an insight into the traditional production of Fourme de Montbrison (AOP). Together with the tours at the Moulin des Massons, this makes for a culinary focus that includes cheese, oil and the tasting at the end of the mill tour.

Discover more destinations: Bussières, Planfoy, Saint-Jean-La-Vêtre, Villerest, Cellieu, Saint-Romain-le-Puy, Juré, Saint-Symphorien-de-Lay.

For the broader travel overview: Loire.