Sentier des Grand(e)s Cru(e)s

You'll love:
• The breathtaking viewpoint of Tupin-et-Semons, overlooking the vineyards and the Rhône Valley.
• All along the trail, there are illustrated panels for children and adults, dedicated to viticulture, legends, history, and the river's ecosystem.
• The passage to Île du Beurre, a haven for wildlife, protected by one of the rare biotope protection decrees (APPB) in the Rhône.
• The freshness of the alluvial forest, the sound of birdsong or cicadas, and the scents of nature.

You'll enjoy it even more:
• Essential for appreciating the wild nature and landscapes: binoculars and a camera.
• Why not the penultimate weekend of January? Combine hiking with a visit to the Ampuis Wine Market, a nearly century-old wine event. • Come in early spring, when grey herons are born, in the evening in June to try to observe beavers, or in the fall, in the presence of migratory birds.
• By spending an extra 30 minutes in nature, experiencing the educational beaver trail.

A bit of culture:
"This furious bull"
In the 19th century, the writer J. Michelet described the Rhône, whose powerful floods devastated Tupin-et-Semons in 1684. The village was later rebuilt, but on a higher ground. In the past, watchmen monitored its color, an opaque hue foreshadowing disasters. On the Beaver Trail, a flood gauge shows the extent of recent floods, although the river is now channeled.
Chayets and échalas
The Côte-Rôtie vintage grown here shares 2,000 years of history with its southern neighbor, Condrieu. Shards of ancient amphorae found in Rome attest to their origins thanks to pottery "signatures" and analyses of wine residue. The local vocabulary and landscape also distinguish these vertical terraced vineyards. Chayets, a defense against erosion, refer to dry stone walls. As for the stakes hoisting the vines toward the sun, we speak of échalas.