Hello, everyone! I'd like to plan a day trip to Parc de Pilat this weekend and end the trip with some stargazing (my partner has a telescope that we can hardly use in the city). My French is still a bit weak so I'm struggling to navigate the not-yet-fully translated website (http://www.parc-naturel-pilat.fr/).
Has anyone visited Pilat before? Are there hours or fees to enter the park? What are the best places to visit there? Any tips for stargazing in or near Lyon?
Merci en avance! :)
Hi Jen,
you can go for countless hikes around Lyon! We usually go either to the "Monts de Lyonnais" or to the "Monts d'Or"! A good starting base in the "Monts de Lyonnais" is either Yzeron or any other village. We park our car and follow any yellow sign. Unfortunately not many of them are "boucles" = round trips and you have more or less to return the same way you came. We have a particularily pretty hike around Messimy which lasts about 3 hours. We take a picknick and eat it at a perfect picknick table near a small river. Should you be interested in joining us, let me know! We are a bit older with children at university, but still very young at heart! :-)
I don't know if you like bicycle riding, but today we went again on the "Voie Verte" near Cluny and cycled about 30 kms on former railway tracks. http://www.cluny-tourisme.com/index.php?cid=6 (you can also click on English). It's fun because there are absolutely no cars and it is perfectly safe!
Let me know if you have any other questions and of course anybody else from the Lyon region who is interested can join us! The more the merrier!!!!
Wow that's super! Thank you both for your replies. Yes, Regina, I'd love to know some of your tips for hiking. Please do send them on!
Couldn't agree more with Regina, nice day trip with lots of different things to see. Another option for stargazing is to go up to the Alps of course. There are loads of wonderful little gites that you can go to, many of them at altitude with little light around them.
Hi Jen,
of course you can go to the Parc de Pilat from Lyon for the day! We've been several times and it takes about 1 1/2 hours to get there. There is no official entry and you don't have to pay - it is just the area and it is really beautiful.
We've been hiking around Bourg-Argental and have also visited the quaint village of Malleval.
I have no tips for stargazing in or around Lyon, but plenty of hiking tips, should you be interested!!!
Regards,
Regina