Saint-Rirand offers two hiking routes with different planning details: a marked circular route starting in the village and the GR®342, listed as a two-day hike. Forests, moorland and the history of glassmaking add further themes to your stay. So, when choosing Saint-Rirand for a trip, you can take hiking as well as the area’s natural and local history into account.
Moorland and forest
Forests cover three quarters of the commune. The protected site “Tourbière et landes de la Verrerie” is a continental ZNIEFF type 1 and includes Saint-Rirand. The “Tourbières du Plateau de la Verrerie” are part of the Natura 2000 network and designated an Espace Naturel Sensible (ENS) by the Loire Department.
The peat bog of the Tourbières du Plateau de la Verrerie is home to the rare common lizard and the round-leaved sundew, a small carnivorous plant. A wooden walkway is intended to allow all visitors to discover the peat bog and its unusual landscapes. Alongside the protected areas, this peatland habitat is therefore one of Saint-Rirand’s key natural features.
Hiking routes from Saint-Rirand
The marked Le Plateau de la Verrerie circular route starts in the village. A route description dated 22 August 2026 gives a length of 11.5 kilometres and a maximum elevation of 595 metres. If conditions change, check the trail markers locally. This makes both the distance and the markings useful points of reference for your planning.
The GR®342 “Combraille – Côte Roannaise” also starts in Saint-Rirand. It is described as a two-day hike, “In the footsteps of Saint Martin of Tours.” The two routes differ in their planning details: the circular route has a stated distance and maximum elevation, while the GR is described as a two-day hike. This helps you distinguish between the hiking options by format without equating their routes or levels of challenge.
Glassmaking history and local history
The history of glassmaking is also part of the story of the Plateau de la Verrerie. In the 17th century, glassmakers from Lorraine set up glass furnaces there. They made small items: vials, beakers, drinking glasses, bowls, small carafes and pendants. This range of examples gives a tangible sense of the focus on smaller glass objects at the time and adds a cultural-historical dimension to the hiking route.
The church in Saint-Rirand was built between 1887 and 1888. It houses a statue of Saint Clair. The statue was associated with a pilgrimage in 1930, when people invoked the saint against eye ailments. The church’s construction and the pilgrimage thus represent two distinct historical moments in the village: the building of the church at the end of the 19th century and the religious devotion evidenced by the 1930 pilgrimage.
When planning your trip, you can consider these themes side by side: the marked circular route with its specific distance details, the two-day GR and the history of glass and the church. Saint-Rirand can therefore be explored through more than one hiking route; its natural and cultural features offer further ways to shape your stay.
Discover more destinations: Saint-Symphorien-de-Lay, La Valla-En-Gier, Saint-Just-Saint-Rambert, Le Cergne, Violay, Sail-Sous-Couzan, Roanne, Fontanès.
For the broader travel overview: Loire.
