Saint-Lager offers a clear focus for planning your trip: vines and their wines. Trails, viewpoints and the cultural history of Mont Brouilly are additional topics in their own right. This allows you to choose between exploring wine and vines or discovering the landscape and history.

Vines, wine and tasting in Saint-Lager

The “Veni Vedi Vitis” experience explores the vine in its different forms—from wild vines to today’s grape varieties. The guided tour is followed by a guided tasting at the Espace des Brouilly. Located in Saint-Lager, it is a tasting room and shop for Brouilly and Côte-de-Brouilly wines from independent producers. The route described includes a stop there.

If you are interested in the history and uses of the vine, Clos Vitis offers a different focus. It is a conservatory of the vine, its history and its many uses. The focuses are easy to distinguish: “Veni Vedi Vitis” traces the vine from its wild form to modern varieties, while Clos Vitis looks at its history and uses. So the emphasis is not solely on tasting, but also on the many ways of exploring the vine.

Walking trails and a cycling route on Mont Brouilly

Mont Brouilly has three walking trails ranging from 1.5 to 4 kilometers in length, with difficulty levels from easy to moderate. The 3-kilometer Sentier des Bois has a botanical focus and takes in the local flora and landscape. The Sentier Clos Vitis is 4 kilometers long; it features three observation points with explanatory signs and sighting markers. The two named trails therefore differ both in length and focus: one highlights local flora, while the other includes observation points as part of its route.

Mont Brouilly also has interpretive trails with illustrated signs and whimsical sculptures. If you are considering a cycling route instead of a walking trail, the cycling micro-adventure tour to Mont Brouilly, the land of blue stone, is another option. It is rated as moderate and listed as taking two hours. This tour specifies both duration and difficulty, while the walking trails can be compared, among other things, by their respective lengths.

Chapel, views and geology

The Notre-Dame-des-Raisins Chapel stands on the summit of Brouilly Hill at an altitude of 483 meters and dates from the 19th century. It was dedicated to the Virgin Mary to protect the vineyards from hail, frost and mildew. A well-known pilgrimage has been held at the chapel every year on September 8 since 1857. This enduring tradition and religious dedication give the site a historical dimension distinct from the trails’ nature-related themes.

The viewpoints and geology offer their own highlights: one panorama looks toward the Alps from a viewpoint with an orientation table, and another looks toward the Massif Central. A geoscope explains the geology of Beaujolais. Stargazing is also recommended on Mont Brouilly. The topics covered therefore range from landscape and geological interpretation to cultural history and observing the night sky.

Discover more destinations: Jullié, Saint-Bonnet-De-Mure, Belleville-Sur-Saône, Saint-Fons, Saint-Cyr-Au-Mont-D'or, Solaise, Fleurie, Saint-Clément-Sur-Valsonne

For the regional travel overview: Rhône.