Hike along the Hermance river: From Lake Geneva to Loisin
In autumn 2021, I walked along the Hermance river, at the border with France on the east side of Geneva.
Here is an official brochure about the river (PDF), from this page.
Here is a map of the path I walked:
- Download path KML
- Download large map
- More photos on Flickr
- Day of the hike: September 13, 2021
In the morning, I took the Léman Express to Gare des Eaux-Vives in Geneva, then boarded a couple of TPG buses in order to reach Hermance, a small town on the east side of Geneva at the border with France. At first, I headed to Lake Geneva and the mouth of the Hermance river. Then I started walking along its course upstream, following a trail on the Geneva side called Vallon d’Hermance. When I reached Veigy-Foncenex, the river started flowing fully inside France: I kept following it (Promenade de l’Hermance). At some point, I took a fork in order to walk along Nant des Marais, an affluent of the Hermance. It passed through swamps called Marais des Mermes and Marais de Ballavais. Finally, I reached Loisin and waited there for the bus to Annemasse.
▲ In Hermance in the morning.
▲ Tour d’Hermance.
▲ Église Saint-Georges.
▲ Lake Geneva (Lac Léman).
▲ Construction.
▲ Plage d’Hermance.
▲ Hermance river, just upstream of its mouth.
▲ Bridge to France.
▲ Abandoned border post in Chens-sur-Léman.
▲ Another bridge.
▲ Hermance.
▲ I walked a path along the Chamburaz river, which flows into the Hermance.
▲ Chamburaz.
▲ I came back to the Hermance.
▲ Vieux Pont (Pont de Bouringe).
▲ Border stone (#217).
▲ The bridge from the path known as Vallon d’Hermance, on the Geneva side of the river.
▲ Hermance. Its water level was quite low.
▲ A cave on the other side.
▲ Jura mountains.
▲ Border stone at Pont de Crevy.
▲ Pont des Golettes.
▲ Sunflower, on the French side.
▲ Hermance getting smaller.
▲ Pont Neuf towards France.
▲ Upstream.
▲ Border stone on the bridge.
▲ The path continues and is known as Promenade de l’Hermance. Both sides of the river are now in France (Haute-Savoie).
▲ Arriving in Veigy-Foncenex.
▲ Small fish.
▲ Low level.
▲ The Hermance is canalized.
▲ Église Saint-Georges.
▲ Hermance.
▲ Ford. It can be underwater if the water is high.
▲ Walnut.
▲ Pont du Vert. A little upstream, the Nant des Marais joins with the Hermance.
▲ Signal des Voirons.
▲ Bois de la Cure.
▲ The trail got worse as it passed by Marais de Ballavais.
▲ Low water on Nant des Marais.
▲ Small bridge across Nant des Marais.
▲ Château de Thénières.
▲ Boardwalk in Marais de Chilly.
▲ Signal des Voirons.
▲ Église Saint-Affre in Loisin.
▲ Bus stop.
▲ “Jesus saves Speak to him!!!” sticker at the bus stop.
▲ Léman Express train in Annemasse.