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La Vallée Secrète, Col de l'Épine du Bouchet from Thônes - Cycling itinerary
1 alert on this circuit
MAISON DE LA POMME ET DU BISCANTIN:
Alerte visiteurs
Du 12 juillet au 30 août, tous les vendredis entre 14h30 et 17h30, atelier enfants gratuits et sans réservation.
Description
Travel to the heart of the Haut-Savoyard landscape par excellence. This loop will take you through hamlets & villages, orchards & mountain pastures, in a bucolic & peaceful setting at the foot of Mont Charvin. As an added bonus, you'll enjoy stunning panoramic views of La Tournette and the Bauges mountains.
On the way to the Col de l'Épine, the small village of Le Bouchet-Mont-Charvin has stayed out of the tourist way. On the way back, the Marlens lake, close to the cycle path, offers a refreshing break.
Cycling tip:
This is a short loop, but devoting half a day to it means you can stop off at Le Bouchet-Mont-Charvin or Lac de Marlens.
Ideas for overnight stays:
- Near Faverges-Seythenex, Hôtel Le Florimont in Saint-Ferréol.
- In Thônes, the Hôtel du Midi in the heart of downtown Thônes, near the arcaded houses. The 15th-century arcaded houses are well worth a visit.
Technical Information
Altimetric profile
Starting point
Additional information
Tips
Annecy Mountains topo-guide, on sale for €5 at the Thônes Cœur des Vallées Tourist Office.
Updated by
Office de Tourisme de Thônes Cœur des Vallées - 13/03/2026
www.thonescoeurdesvallees.com
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Environments
Mountain location
Open period
All year round daily.
Contact
Phone : 04 50 02 00 26
Email : infos@thonescoeurdesvallees.com
Website : https://www.thonescoeurdesvallees.com
Type of land
Hard coating (tar, cement, flooring)
Location complements
Departure from the Tourist Office, opposite the church.
Topo guides and map references
Topo guides references :
Annecy Mountains topo-guide, on sale for €5 at the Thônes Cœur des Vallées Tourist Office.
Guidebook with maps/step-by-step
1. Thônes > Serraval: from the Tourist Office, turn right at the church onto the D12. Follow the D12 to Serraval via the Col du Marais.
2. Serraval > Col de l'Épine: in Serraval, take the D162 towards Le Bouchet-Mont-Charvin. Stay on the D162 to Col de l'Épine.
3. Col de l'Épine > Marlens > Faverges-Seythenex: continue on the D162 towards Marlens. Join the D1508. Cross the traffic circle to join the cycle path. Turn right towards Faverges. Leave the cycle track at the entrance to Faverges-Seythenex and turn left onto the D2508. Follow this road until you reach the Tourist Office.
4. Faverges-Seythenex > Saint-Ferréol > Serraval: take Rue Carnot, Rue Gambetta and Rue de la Gare, then the D12 towards Saint-Ferréol and Serraval.
5. Serraval > Thônes: continue on the D12 towards Col du Marais and Thônes.
Data author
