Transborder stroll: a course in History

The «Guide de découverte du patrimoine transfrontalier» once again suggests a lovely walk. An itinerary that begins in Avusy whose village, and especially the Church, built in 1758, are a testament to the, at times difficult, coexistence of catholics and protestants who shared the valdo-genevan territory at the end of the 16th century. Then, a short distance from there, an even older history awaits you in Sézegnin. The village probably sheltered a gallo-roman villa and a 700 tomb burial ground dating back to the «Bas empire» (4th-6th century A.D.) before becoming, in the Middle Ages, a part of the estate of the genevan priory of Saint-Victor. Two magnificant limestone fountains constructed in a row and dating back to the end of the 19th century can still be found there today. The Lyana farm, named after the first protestant family from Tuscany to take refuge in Geneva, also merits a glance; the renaissance entryway with a sash window in particular.

Next, cross the border through the «Voye des Mors», a souvenir of the road and ford that the inhabitants of Sézegnin used in the 18th century to get to the Malagny cemetery to bury their dead. On the way, you can admire the riverain that is home to many endangered flora and fauna like the northern goshawk or the black flycatcher. You then head for the village of Malagny which still has a few beautiful farms typical of the region before returning to the Humilly woods, an estate used by the Carthusian monks for their flocks of sheep. No more than a short distance from there are some amazing biotopes : the «coteau sec», where orchids mingle with saxifrages, and the Repentance pine forest which evokes images of the landscape of the south of France. After skirting the ancient Laire ford, which can be crossed on foot in the summer, and the Néry path, shaded with magnificant trees, you come to the last stage of your walk : the Champlong castle, a noble testimony to the 17th century, and the affluent Launay manor from the same era.

Informations:

To find Avusy, click here

Recommended walk described in «Guide de découverte du patrimoine transfrontalier. Les chemins du bassin genevois». Editions Slatkine, 2002. On sale at genevan bookshops and at the office of tourism of the Annemassienne Agglomeration, 15 €.

For more ideas on walks and explorations also look up www.genevoishautsavoyard.com

Photo: Repentance path - Réseau Touristique du Genevois Haut-Savoyard