The best road cycling routes around Charvieu-Chavagneux

In January 1847, an inquiry was opened into projects towards Geneva, Besançon, Dôle-Châlons. In 1850, the Lyon Chamber of Commerce and Industry adopted the project for a rail link from Lyon to Chambéry via Saint Genis sur Guiers. Applications to operate this line were rejected until 1877. The works lasted 4 years, financed in part by Belgian capital. The inauguration took place on October 9, 1881, and the first train ran on October 30. The line started from the Gare de l'Est (Avenue Félix Faure) and ended at Sablonnières. It had 16 stations and 3 stops over a distance of 72 Kms. Passenger traffic increased from 4 daily round trips in 1897 to 8 in 1935. A passenger took 40 minutes on the 6:35 AM train to get from Lyon to Pont de Chéruy and 34 minutes to return to Lyon on the 7:23 PM train. Despite everything, the line was closed to passengers in December 1938, then reopened from September 1939 to December 31, 1947. VFD (Voie Ferrée du Dauphiné) coaches took over the service between Crémieu and Lyon; Freight traffic supplied the main industries (Grammont in Pont de Chéruy and Vicat in Bouvesse) as well as the various industrial zones. The network served 70 private sidings. At its peak in 1935, 1,000,000 tons transited this line. The decision by the cement works to no longer use the rail in 1978 was to deal it a "fatal" blow. In 1980, in its last year, 540,244 tons (including 150,130 of scrap metal) were still transported. In 2001, CoUrLy (Community of Urban Areas of Lyon) and the General Council of the Rhône adopted a decision to reactivate passenger traffic on part of the route of the Eastern line. The objective is to connect Lyon to Saint Exupéry airport.

Very beautiful village with character, entirely made of stone; from the village, you can see the Madonna of the Larina Archaeological site.

It was erected in the 15th century. Originally, it was just a modest oratory (half the size of the current chapel). At that time, Philip of Savoy fell from his horse near the site where the chapel was later built. His wife, Margaret of Bourbon, fearing for his life, vowed to build an oratory and a church in Brou if he survived. He recovered, but sadly, his wife died in 1483. It was therefore his second wife, Claudine de Brosse, also known as Claudine de Bretagne Penthièvre, who had the chapel built on the spot where her husband had his accident. Initially, it was a small oratory: a ribbed vault without any openings. It was Margaret of Austria, daughter-in-law of Margaret of Savoy, who fulfilled the second vow. In 1867, the chapel was enlarged and looted. A statue of the mother and child, which had been placed in a niche on the facade, was replaced by a painting. https://www.saintejulie.fr/chapelle-notre-dame-de-lorette/

Shaky section in the rails of the Eastern Lyon Railway

Beautiful little town, quite touristy, but worth the detour

Beautiful stone village and World Heritage Market Hall

Magnificent town hall

Although first mentioned in 1540, the Cingle fortified house was undoubtedly built in the second half of the 14th century by the Pèlerin family. Originally composed of a main tower and a wing back to the west, it perhaps originally included a curtain wall. During the 15th century, the south wing was extended towards the west, a main building comprising a lower room and an upper room was attached to the north of the main tower, while a turret occupied on the first floor by an oratory and on the second by a dovecote is built to the east, projecting. A wing including the kitchen on the ground floor is also built at right angles to the north of the courtyard. The farm itself retains some architectural elements dating from the 16th century. Source: Ministry of Culture