CyclingExpertBoucle

9 - Château de Chavaniac-Lafayette and Senouire

Start: Place de l'église à Saint-Georges-d'Aurac

Off you go to cycle through the Senouire valley! The river rises a few kilometres from La Chaise-Dieu and joins the Allier near Vieille-Brioude. Your route along the river will take you to the village of Saint-Pal-de-Senouire, and you will be able to follow in the footsteps of the Marquis de La Fayette, a native of Chavaniac-Lafayette. The route invites you to discover a beautiful green, hilly, wooded landscape of the Haute-Loire, which is also steeped in history!

Distance: 47.2 km
Elevation gain: +879 m
Elevation loss: -879 m
Duration: 2 h 30 min

Route on the map

Base map © OpenTopoMap (CC-BY-SA): route licensed under ETALAB-2.0 via Données : Comité Départemental Randonnée Pédestre Haute-Loire · FFRandonnée · sportsnature.hauteloire.fr — sous licence ETALAB 2.0.

The feel of the route

This fortified house (maison forte) from the 14th century, altered and restored several times over its history, is none other than the birthplace of the famous General the Marquis de La Fayette. A hero of the American War of Independence alongside George Washington and a great name of the French Revolution, Gilbert du Motier de La Fayette was born here on 6 September 1757 and spent his childhood in this same château. Orphaned at 13, the young heir chose a distinguished military career. The Château de Chavaniac went through three major reworkings: by the Suat family in the early 18th century, by the Lafayettes at the end of that century, and by the Lafayette Memorial with John Moffat from 1920. Inside, the exhibition design retraces the life of the man: his birth, his marriage to Adrienne de Noailles, and his various roles in the history of France and of the United States. On leaving the château, go and explore the park! Listed as a “Jardin remarquable” (remarkable garden), the place invites you to stroll along its lime tree avenue, admire its rose garden and marvel at the Lafayette oak.