La vallée qui travaille
Hiking in the heart of the Ainan region is to immediately immerse oneself in its industrial past. The village of Saint-Bueil, among others, preserves remnants of these factories in the countryside: hydraulic installations, former silk mills, factory owners' houses…
Discover the first hydraulic installations that, as early as the 15th century, harnessed water power to supply the first mills, forges, and wheelwright workshops. Then, during the Industrial Revolution, the Valdaine region quickly saw the arrival of the first industrialists who established silk mills and their imposing factory complexes—the era of the Great Silk Factory! You won't be surprised, then, to discover along your route mansions resembling castles, and old factories with their characteristic shed roofs (Veyre and Thomas factory) that still dot the banks of the Ainan River. The second part of the route will take you up onto the Velanne plateau. At La Sauge, you'll still find traces of an old weaving mill…
The stages of the circuit:
– La Roche de St Bueil
– Chemin de la Grande Roche
– Berthier Mill Bridge
– La Satre via Le Perrier (along the old Bel Air factory)
– The Branch
– Bat
– Sacred Heart
– Sage
– Sage ridge
– La Roche de St Bueil