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The Moulin de Sachas bird sanctuary

The Moulin de Sachas bird sanctuary

Description

The Moulin de Sachas Bird Sanctuary is the perfect place to discover the rich fauna that inhabits our forests. The refuge is equipped with information panels, bird and bat boxes and insect nests.

Detailed itinerary :

1. Leave the Centre Montagne parking lot to take the road towards the Ayes valley

2. At the next junction, continue towards Les Ayes. Then take the path on your left. The path is on the last bend out of the village, just before the letterbox marking the entrance to a property. Be careful, there are three steps down.

3. Go down the Serre path until you reach the tarmac road on Rue des Ayes. Turn right and walk along the roadside.

4. Cross the bridge and continue on the main road.

5. Before the road narrows, take a small lane on the right, between house no. 9, rue des Ayes, and house no. 7, rue des Ayes. A sign on the wall of house no. 9 indicates Moulin de Sachas.

6 Go around the back of the houses and past the Moulin de Sachas.

7. At the Moulin de Sachas, take the path slightly up on the right. A wooden pedestrian baffle marks the start.

8. Follow the canal-side path to the gravel pit.

9. At the gravel pit, approach the edge of the torrent des Ayes to read the final signs.

10. At the edge of the torrent des Ayes, turn left to go up to the center of the gravel pit. Be careful, you'll have to walk over the canal intake. At the gravel pit, look out for nesting boxes high up in the trees.

11. From the gravel pit, take the wide track. Walk past the reach and continue along the track as close as possible to the torrent.

12. Follow the track along the banks of the torrent des Ayes until you return to the village. Be careful, there are gardens on both sides of the track as you reach the village.

13. Back on the asphalt road, cross the bridge on your left. Then take the Chemin du Serre path up to the Centre Montagne.

14. At the top of the path, turn right onto Route des Ayes and head back down towards Centre Montagne.

15. At the next crossroads, keep left to reach the parking lot in front of you at the next junction.

Technical Information

Walking
Difficulty
Very easy
Duration
45mn
Dist.
1.6 km
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Altimetric profile

Starting point

22 Parking du Centre Montagne Impasse de l'Orée du Bois , 05100   Villar-Saint-Pancrace
Lat : 44.871057Lng : 6.630163

Points of interest

image du object

Sachas' Mill

This mill, built in the 18th century, enabled families from Villard-Saint-Pancrace to grind their flour. It had two millstones, one with a metal shaft and the other with a wooden shaft, dating from 2 different eras.The mill ceased to operate during the German occupation in 1943. These two millstones and rods included twenty paddles to receive the water, and a hopper fixed to the floor above the millstones to receive the grain. Over the years, it was perfected to produce flour of two different qualities. The flour, which was then discharged through a chute into a wooden bar, passed through a sieve to separate the flour from the wheat grain husk known as "bran". This mill produced a characteristic noise, due in particular to the clattering of the belts on the two millstones, the friction of the gears and the water that fell from the wheel to give the necessary force to grind the wheat. A dozen families from Villard-Saint-Pancrace came to grind their flour and maintain the mill. The children and women took care of the "corvée" of the canal bringing the water from the Ton canal to the mill. This involved cleaning, cutting, mowing and weeding the canal to ensure that the water reached the mill. Restoration of the machinery will enable visitors to see the mill in operation, and discover its history, intimately linked with the lives of the village's inhabitants from 1732 to 1943. A press is also present, although it no longer works, and was used to make marmot oil and walnut oil. The building has been restored as closely as possible to its former glory, allowing the site to relive the nuances of its past.

15, Rue des Ayes 05100 Villar-Saint-Pancrace
- Office de tourisme des Hautes Vallees -
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Date and time

  • From 15/04/2026 to 15/11/2026

Additional information

Updated by

Office de tourisme des Hautes Vallées - La Grave - La Clarée - L'Izoard - 22/09/2025
www.hautesvallees.com/la-grave/
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Open period

From 15/04 to 15/11.

Subject to favorable weather.

Contact

Phone : 06 07 07 31 08

Email : izoard@hautesvallees.com

Website : www.hautesvallees.com/lizoard/

Facebook : www.facebook.com/izoardtourisme/

Type of land

Ground

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Caution!
We have no information on the difficulty of this circuit. You may encounter some surprises along the way. Before you go, please feel free to inquire more and take all necessary precautions. Have a good trip! 🌳🥾