The best road cycling routes around Saint-Clair-De-La-Tour

A key climb for the 2025 and 2026 French National Junior Championships, organized in the Vals du Dauphiné region, which still bears the inscriptions on the ground as I write these lines! A really tough climb, it stings!

This pass (568 m) allows you to go from La Tour du Pin to Virieu via Montagnieu.

Found somewhat by chance and at a very affordable price, this hotel restaurant is a superb stopover for a bike ride!

Magnificent hikes without being isolated, with varied landscapes and beautiful mountain views, no elevation changes, and plenty of wildlife along the way. Top!

Regular and pleasant climb that immediately gives us a transition from the city to the countryside at the exit of La Tour du Pin. Anecdote: Segment forming part of the route of the 2025 French Championship in the downhill direction.

Chapeau Cornu Castle was originally a fortified house built on the site of an ancient Roman camp. Between 800 and 1100, feudalism took hold. The sovereigns of Vienna and the Bishop created “rear fiefdoms” to ensure security and repel attackers. In the 12th and 13th centuries, there were two allied families: the Capellas and the Cornutis. It is by derivative of these 2 Latin names that “Chapeau Cornu” was born. In 1300, Amédée de Rossilon was governor of Chapeau Cornu. He left this property to his nephews Pierre and Louis Chapel. After Pierre's death in 1358, Louis succeeded him. Pierre will leave 2 daughters, one of whom Antonia marries the Knight Etienne Laure, Lord of Veyssillieu. The latter was killed by the English while fighting under Duguesclin. His son Jacquemont Laure avenged him and his daughter Béatrice married Imbert de Groslée, Seneschal of the King, in 1413. His sons and descendants remained in Chapeau Cornu until 1650. It was in 1601 that Chapeau Cornu took the name Château. But in 1638, the Castle fell into disuse. The last occupants, the Matthieu de Rame couple, left no children and in 1693, the property passed to Aymard Micha de Burcin. He expanded the estate through multiple purchases and died in 1755, donating all his property to his cousin Philippe Guillaume de Grammont. After the storming of the Bastille on the night of July 25 to 26, 1789, “the great fear” began. A band of rioters, determined to destroy the property of the squires, arrived in Chapeau Cornu at 1 a.m. The steward at the time had the idea of treating them as guests and opened the doors of the wine cellars to them. The damage underground is impressive: the undrinked wine is emptied but the castle remains intact. After the Revolution, the castle was purchased by Jean André Barge from the de Certeau family. He diverted the bed of the stream coming from the hill which then passed into the castle. He had the large buildings to the south-east and east built on the vault. Ruined, he sold part of the land to people from Vignolles. In 1855, the castle and 80 hectares surrounding it were bought by his son Ferdinand de Certeau. The estate remained in the family until 1891. The Bourgoin Court then ordered a judicial liquidation and had the property sold in several lots. Source: Vignieu website

Nice view of the Chapeau Cornu castle from the road.

Built in 1867, the church was built on the edge of the plateau on a sort of terrace offering a breathtaking view of the entire region.