On a sunny day in November, our team welcomed Emilie, columnist at Lyon city blog Lyon City Crunch for a great nature and gastronomy getaway. We have delivered to this passionate about good restaurants our most beautiful addresses and our great nature spots just 1h15 from Lyon where she lives.
Find his experience here !
Useful information
- Duration: 2 days
- Ideal season: autumn
- Ideal for a romantic plan or between friends
story
The day begins with a first stop in Beauzac, at the table of Sandy Caire, a passionate chef who wanted to share his profession by giving lessons in his large professional kitchen. The morning recipe will be a puy lentil velouté with grilled duck (grillaton is the local graton and it's um…yum). I learn a few things about cooking lentils. The course program is super complete and quite teutchi. “To fillet a trout in zero bone mode” or “to debone a rabbit” would tempt me. Some courses are even suitable for juniors and not expensive at all. The house also serves as a guest room and table d'hôte in the evening..'
The day continues with the discovery of the small village of Solignac-sous-Roche and mainly by its inn, Lou Pinatou. The village, clinging to a hill, offers a superb view of the Loire Valley and the Meygal saps in the distance.'
Lou Pinatou lou crush
I've been bathing my Lyonnais friends for a week with this indecent value for money hostel. This couple of young chefs (she in pastry, he in the kitchen) has been officiating for more than 10 years now in the family inn. Respect for the product, the terroir and the consumer.
The village of Chalencon and the Devil's Bridge
Each region has its Devil's Bridge and the legend that goes with it. At the foot of village of Chalencon, is a 12th century bridge. From the small car park overlooking the Ance, you can learn more about this legend, before descending a pretty path through the woods which leads to the bridge. If you don't come across the devil during your crossing, you can go up the other side and visit the small village (almost abandoned in winter) of Chalencon. Its particularity is its feudal castle on the rocky peak overlooking the valley.
This historical and bucolic visit can be done from Saint-André-de-Chalencon and is the subject of a short easy walk of 1h30.
Direction Monistrol-sur-Loire
Head to the town of Monistrol-sur-Loire to discover Bruno Montcoudiol's pastry and chocolate workshop. Just what I needed before heading back to Lyon.
This MOF offers pastry courses based on desserts, choux pastry and recipes around chocolate. But more simply, his shop is full of delicacies in front of which it is hard to contain oneself. I fell for an excellent gingerbread with super light candied oranges and not dry at all with its fine icing (disappeared before I had time to take a single photo), as well as a small jar of apple jam - pear-verbena, which will be perfect to accompany foie gras toast.
I did not know this corner of the Haute-Loire which is finally very accessible from Lyon (no winding mountain roads, little snow, a free highway…). I discovered there a series of hills, very charming forest roads, and wild valleys dug by the passage of the Loire and its confluences..'
Coming from Lyon for the day is quite possible (1h20 drive if all goes well). That leaves plenty of time for a nice walk, the discovery of some emblematic places (such as the castle of the Bishops of Monistrol, or the medieval village of Chalencon) and a good local meal.
And if you're going away for the weekend, you MUST go all the way to Puy-en-Velay to climb through the medieval streets to its surprising cathedral, and “climb” the rock Saint-Michel-d'Aiguilhe.
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