Presentation
This easy loop takes in the Nâves valley and its mountain hamlets. The route, dotted with a rich natural, cultural, architectural and historical heritage, can be combined with breaks to discover and explore certain elements of this heritage in greater depth.
From the Maison de la Montagne, head towards the centre of the village of Grand-Nâves. Turn left into the small road leading up to the church. Go past it and turn left onto the dirt track (heading south-west). After about 300 m, you will come to an oratory. Continue along the side track, slightly to the right. After reaching an altitude of 1340m, the path descends towards the village of Fontaine.
This village was burnt down by German troops on 10 June 1944 in retaliation for an attack by FTP resistance fighters in the valley. A plaque in the centre of the village commemorates this tragic event.
You can pause to admire the majestic ‘liberty lime tree’, over two centuries old (located above the refuge Dessevlaz and the gîte Le tilleul), or to visit the admirable baroque church of Saint-Pierre (keys available from the refuge Dessevlaz).
Continue your hike down towards the hamlet of Ronchat, taking the small local road (heading east, under the D93).
On the way down to the hamlet of Ronchat, admire the panoramic views over the valley, the resort of Valmorel, the Col de la Madeleine and the Lauzière massif.
At the entrance to the village, on the right, you can see the hamlet's former communal oven. Below is a large house with some wood carvings by a former resident, Henri Favre.
Just past the chapel, turn left onto the path that climbs up through the meadows towards Grand-Nâves. The path alternates between wooded areas and meadow crossings to reach the bottom of the village of Grand-Nâves. At the bottom of the montée de la Berlire, admire the old stone pool. Walk up this street as far as the route du fruit commun, to reach the Maison de Nâves on the left, your starting point.
Rate
Free of charge.
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Boucle des trois villages – B11_Nâves [gpx]
Route informations
Duration : 1.5 Hours
Maximum altitude : 2080 M
Elevation : 190 M
