Parc Naturel Régional du Pilat

Lyon & the Rhône Valley


In the mood for a rural escape? Make a beeline for the Parc Naturel Régional du Pilat, which spills across 650 sq km between Lyon and St-Étienne. A haven for ramblers and ecotourists, it's peppered with stuck-in-time villages and crisscrossed with walking trails; check http://pilat-rando.fr for trail maps and descriptions. Bring your camera; it offers breathtaking panoramas of the Rhône Valley from its highest peaks, Crêt de l'Œillon (1370m) and Crêt de la Perdrix (1432m).

A handy access point from St-Étienne is the village of Le Bessat (reachable via Bus TIL 102), where you can start several scenic walks.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Lyon & the Rhône Valley attractions

1. Musée d'Art e d'Industrie

7.45 MILES

Set in a palatial 19th-century building, this museum showcases St-Étienne's three big industries back in the day, namely bicycles, ribbons and guns!…

2. Musée de la Mine

8.15 MILES

An old industrial mining site that was once the lifeblood of St-Étienne has been transformed into a fascinating exhibition complex. On a 75-minute guided…

3. Cité du Design

8.33 MILES

Find out about the Biennale Internationale Design fair and browse diverse, regularly changing exhibitions at the Cité du Design, in a gleaming glass-and…

4. Musée d’Art Moderne et Contemporain

9.61 MILES

The country’s second-largest Art Moderne museum after Paris’ Centre Pompidou, this museum features an exceptional collection of 20th-century and…

5. Musée Gallo-Romain

20.52 MILES

Across the Rhône from Vienne, the Musée Gallo-Romain highlights Vienne's historical importance, displaying several rooms full of dazzling mosaics and…

6. Temple d'Auguste et de Livie

20.54 MILES

Best of all the Roman monuments in Vienne is this striking Roman temple right in the heart of the old town. Take a look at the superb Corinthian columns…

7. Église & Cloître St-André Le Bas

20.57 MILES

You can't miss this imposing church on the northern fringes of the old town. The back tower is decorated with tiny carved stone faces. In the cloister,…

8. Théâtre Romain

20.7 MILES

This vast, well-preserved Roman amphitheatre was built around AD 40–50 at the base of Mt Pipet, on the eastern fringes of the old town. At that time, it…