Saint-Genis-Laval offers several distinct things to discover: fort history, historic buildings, culture and green spaces. When planning a visit, it is particularly important to distinguish the Fort de Côte Lorette itself from the walking paths and activities in the surrounding park.

Fort and Memorial

The Fort de Côte Lorette was built in 1895 at the highest point in Saint-Genis-Laval and offers remarkable views. It is a memorial to 120 resistance fighters who died in the Martyrs’ Vault in 1944. The fort itself is not open to visitors. The park around the fort has a fitness trail, an arboretum and walking paths.

The site thus combines two distinct points of interest: the fort commemorates the events of 1944, while the paths and other activities are part of the surrounding park. Its location at the highest point and the remarkable views also give the fort a scenic dimension.

Parks and Landscape

Parc de la Maison des Champs offers green spaces and pleasant shade in the centre of Saint-Genis-Laval. It is a distinct green space within the town and offers a different focus from the memorial at the fort.

Parc de Beauregard is a municipal park with a wooded area and meadows. It also preserves remains of the Gadagne family’s summer residence: open stone staircases, a basin, a vegetable garden, historic grapevines and an orangery. The park also has playgrounds.

The two parks differ in their defining features: Parc de la Maison des Champs centres on green spaces and pleasant shade, while Parc de Beauregard combines meadows and a wooded area with traces of the summer residence and playgrounds.

For a change from a park, the Sentier de Sacuny offers a different way to experience the agricultural landscape. The path runs alongside meadows and farmland used in a variety of ways. The succession of these different areas shapes the character of the walk.

Culture and Architectural History

La Mouche is a hybrid venue in the centre of Saint-Genis-Laval, combining theatre and arthouse cinema. La Mouche presents around 20 performances each year, spanning theatre, dance, circus and music. Some performances also take place outside the venue, for example as part of Les Météores, a festival of circus and street arts. As the programme and festival dates may change, check the latest information before your trip.

Another historic landmark is the Observatoire de Lyon: its historic site in Saint-Genis-Laval was established in 1878. Villa Chapuis is a 19th-century building and has been listed in the supplementary inventory of historic monuments since 1986. Its notable interior features include paintings, stained glass, ceramics and wood panelling. The musician Michel Chapuis created them between 1895 and 1897.

Lavoir de la Platte also tells the story of an earlier use of the Beauregard estate. Initially a reservoir for irrigating the estate, it was converted into a public washhouse in the early 19th century. Together with Villa Chapuis, it shows how varied the historic sites in Saint-Genis-Laval are, from a listed building with elaborate interior features to a former washhouse.

Discover more destinations: Saint-Symphorien-D'ozon, Civrieux-d'Azergues, Joux, Le Breuil, Saint-Laurent-D'oingt, Lantignié, Beaujeu, Tarare

For the overview of the wider region: Rhône.