A botanical trail, a restored chapel and a circular route with possible views of the Alps and Jura give a trip to Châtillon-En-Michaille a clear focus on the outdoors. The Circuit de la Michaille brings these experiences together; the food market, held every Wednesday year-round, offers a different pace for your stay. When choosing when to travel, it is therefore worth considering whether you mainly want to hike, discover trees, visit the market or go cross-country skiing in winter.
A circular hike with a clearly defined time frame
The Circuit de la Michaille is a moderately difficult 12 km circular hike. The route takes about 3 hours and 30 minutes and includes 327 metres of elevation gain. This duration makes it possible to plan the hike as a several-hour activity rather than a short stop. The moderate difficulty rating and elevation gain add useful details for planning your day alongside the route length.
The Circuit follows the botanical trail through the Arboretum d’Ardon and leads to the restored Chapelle Saint-Michel in Ardon. This circular hike therefore combines a botanical focus with a specific landmark. In clear weather, the trail offers views of the Alps and Jura. If you are hiking mainly for the distant views, bear the clear-weather condition in mind when planning; the botanical trail and chapel also give the route its own botanical and cultural interest.
Tree species and planting phases at the arboretum
The Sentier de l’Arboretum d’Ardon showcases 31 tree species. The plantings date from the periods between 1908 and 1935, as well as from 2024. This makes it possible to distinguish the planting phases chronologically: the older plantings and the 2024 planting.
The 2024 planting is trialling eight tree species that are uncommon in forests and in France. In addition to the variety along the trail, this trial provides a particular focus for anyone interested in tree species and plantings. The figure of 31 species refers to the Sentier as a whole; the eight species are part of the 2024 trial.
A weekly market at a set time
The Marché de Châtillon is a food market featuring local products, open year-round on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. This morning time slot makes Wednesday a clear point of reference for planning. Compared with the several-hour circular hike, the market is a time-limited activity. If you would like to include both, you can set aside Wednesday morning for the market and allow a separate time frame for the Circuit.
Cross-country skiing as a different type of activity
The Plateau de Retord - Cuvéry Nordic ski area offers 50 km of cross-country ski trails connected to the trails at Les Plans d’Hotonnes and Chapelle de Retord. The focus here is on a network of trails, unlike the single circular route of the Circuit de la Michaille. The activities therefore offer different ways to get moving: a moderately difficult 12 km loop taking about three and a half hours, or cross-country skiing on a network with 50 km of trails. You can choose which activity to focus on based on the type of exercise you prefer.
Discover more destinations: Cleyzieu, Montréal-La-Cluse, Maillat, Aranc, Montagnat, Cormaranche-En-Bugey, Ambérieu-en-Bugey, Relevant.
Go to the main travel overview: Ain.
