A staircase with 102 steps leads to a 24-metre-high viewpoint at the Église de Saint-Romain-La-Motte. From there, the panorama stretches across the Roannais Basin and the Monts de la Madeleine. The church is open to visitors who would like to discover its architecture and history; check local access arrangements before your visit.
Walking and Pilgrimage Routes
The municipal “Les balades colorées” offering comprises five circular walking routes. They share a starting and finishing point at the church square. A 3.5 km walking trail starts behind the post office and also ends there. A considerably longer route is the GR®765 stage from Saint-Romain-La-Motte to Saint-Alban-les-Eaux, signposted for walkers: it is 17.5 km long. The different distances help distinguish shorter walks from a longer stage.
The Way of St James reaches Saint-Romain-La-Motte at the hamlet of La Brosse. After passing through the town, it continues via Béchevet and Senouche towards Saint-Haon-le-Châtel. Travellers interested in staying near the pilgrimage route will find a municipal pilgrims’ hostel in town, with room for up to three people. Stays are limited to a maximum of one night; confirm capacity and length of stay with the municipality before travelling.
Churches, Chapels and Historic Buildings
The former church of Mareuil was dependent on Cluny and dedicated to Saint Peter in 995. The construction history of Château de Vaux dates back to the first half of the 16th century. Around 1590, Henri d’Apchon transformed the château into a fortress. At the entrance, a pointed-arch portal and a stone window with tracery or mullions have been preserved. The construction period, later alterations and surviving details offer different ways to explore the history of the place.
The Haute-Maison Chapel is octagonal and built of dressed stone. Its features include a small apse, a white marble altar, intricately decorated pinnacles and a domed roof with a campanile. A door behind the apse leads to a crypt beneath the chapel.
The Four Ă chaux de Senouche also tells the story of a former use. Built at a later date, the lime kiln operated for only a short time; its operation ended during the 1914 war. It is made of granite. A brick vault spans the entrance, and its structure also includes an access ramp and an oval firing chamber lined with bricks.
Winegrowing and the Landscape of the Roannaise Plain
The Gamay grape variety adapted well to the soils of Saint-Romain; the town gave it the name Gamay de St Romain. Trébande is also associated with the history of winegrowing: in the Middle Ages, the area was mainly covered with vineyards, whose produce benefited the Benedictine Abbey of Ambierle. These historical connections give the route name “N°13 – du Gamay à la Côte” a local significance.
The “N°13 – du Gamay à la Côte” route passes through the landscape of the Roannaise Plain, with its rivers, ponds and bocage hedgerows. Along the way, it runs near Château de Boisy. This makes it possible to distinguish two aspects when planning: the winegrowing history reflected in the route’s name, and the landscape features along its course.
Discover more destinations: Pommiers, Marcoux, Pouilly-sous-Charlieu, L'etrat, Saint-Martin-la-Sauveté, Commelle-Vernay, Saint-Julien-Molin-Molette, Saint-Cyprien.
For the broader travel overview: Loire.
