ROUTE 23.
(Mont Cenis Route.)

Paris to Mâcon, Bourg, Chambéry, Mont
Cenis, and Turin; with branches to
Lyons and Geneva.

By rail the whole way. Distance from Mâcon to Geneva, 101 miles; to Chambéry and St. Michel, under Mont Cenis, 73 miles.

Mâcon, as in Route 20. Cross the Saône by a viaduct on five arches, each 118 feet span, into department Ain, a district of wet marshes and lakes, but very fertile, up the Veyle, to

Pont de Veyle (5 miles). Vonnas (53 miles). Population, 1,440. Mézériat (2 miles). The Jura mountains in view.

Polliat (33 miles). Population, 1,500. And 5 miles from this is

BOURG, or Bourg-en-Bresse,

on the line from Lyons to Besançon (see page 100), 47 miles from one, 97 miles from the other, and 23 miles from Mâcon. Population, 13,735.

HOTELS.-De France; de l'Europe; du Midi. The chief town of department Ain (formerly La Bresse), in a fine spot on the Reyssouse; founded by the Dukes of Savoy, and given up to France, 1350. One fountain is dedicated to General Joubert. Bronze statue of Bichat the surgeon, by David. Notre Dame Church contains some noticeable carvings. At the Hôtel de Ville is the Musée Lorin, bequeathed 1856. Prison on the site of the ducal Château, and a large hospital,

In Faubourg de Brou is the fine Gothic Church of Brou, built in 1506-32, by Margaret of Austria (Charles V.'s aunt), whose motto, "Fortune, infortune, fort une," (i. e., "Let fortune or misfortune come, here is one strong heart,") is repeated all over it. It is 228 feet long. This rich gem of florid gothic is dedicated to her husband, Philibert le Beau. It contains many arabesques, stained windows, a rocd loft, and three marble tombs, supported by sibyls and boys, of Philibert (while alive and when dead), his wife, and his mother, Margaret of Burgundy. The dial was set up by Lalande, the astronomer, who was born at a house marked "Observatoire, 1792,"

Here the line of the Dombes Company, SO miles long, from Châlon and St. Germain du Plain comes in; via Cuisery, Mantenay, Attignat.

A rail is open, viâ Ramasse, to Nantua (as below).

From Bourg, through the forest of Seillon, to

La Vavrette (6 miles). Pont d'Ain (5 miles), on the Ain (a suspension bridge), the gorge of which is crossed by the rail. On Mont Olivet (about 1,000 feet high) is an old Castle of the dukes of Savoy. Population, 1,470.

[CERDON (8 miles), is near the fine Fallof Marcelin, and the great Fall of the R. Fogue, in a wild spot.

Nantua (22 miles from Bourg), or La CluseNantua, a sous-préfecture, &c., of 3,701 souls, under some overhanging cliffs, on a lake between the mountains in the Jura chain, having a Lombard Church, where Charles the Bald was buried. At Jujurieux, in this neighbourhood, is M. Bonnets silk factory for women, opened about 1839.

Hotels.-Du Nord; de l'Ecu (crown piece). Ambronay (3 miles), near a Roman fort, called Motte Sarrasin. The Gothic church was part of an abbey founded by St. Bernard.

Ambérieu (4 miles), at the junction with the direct line from Lyons. (See A, below.) Population, 2,470. It stands at the foot of the Jura mountains, on the Alberine. The source of the Gardon is at hand, near Mont Luisandre, which stands 2,653 feet above sea. Across the Rhône (to the south) is the A Rail in this large and curious Grotto de Balme. direction, 11 miles long, was opened 1875 to St. Sorlin, Villebois, and Montalieu.

[A. The stations towards Lyons are as follow:Leyment (4 miles), in a gorge. Meximieux (5 miles), under an old castle. Population, 2,500. Montluel (8 miles), stands below the ancient Mons Lupelli, on the Séraine. Population, 2,800. It was the capital of Valbonnes. Beynost (2 miles). Miribel (2 miles). Population, 2,920. Thence to St. Clair, on the Rhône, and over to Les Brotteaux, in the suburbs of Lyons. See Route 20.] From Ambérieu, the rail passes up the valley of the Alberine, among wooded heights, to

St. Rambert-en-Bugey (7 miles), or St. Rambert-de-Joux, where the river Brévon falls in, on the Alberine, among mountains, with a population of 2,800, employed in the manufacture of cotton, woollens, damasks, silks, velvet, and paper.

[A pass to the right, 12 miles long, leads to Belley (20 miles)a sous-préfecture and bishopric, on the Furan, near the suspension bridge on

the Rhône (by rail from Virieu-le-Grand, page 134). It was rebuilt after a fire in 1385 by the dukes of Savoy, and given up to France, with Bugey, 1609.

The Cathedral has two pillars of a Roman temple to Cybele. Hotels.-Loyola; Tissot.] Tenay. The line ascends, and then descends to the valley of the Rhône, at

Rossillon (8 miles), through a tunnel of 1,883 feet, to

Virieu-le-Grand (4 miles). Population, 950. Branch to Belley (page 133).

Artemare (2 miles). Here Mont Colombier, and the fall of Cerveyrien (4 miles) may be visited. The The mountain (close by) is 5,030 feet above sea. tooth-like peaks of the hills are called molars. Culoz, 5 miles (buffet), on the Rhône, under the south-side of Mont Colombier. Here the branch line to Geneva parts off, via Seyssel, &c., as below. The direct line to Chambéry, crosses the Rhône by a bridge of 685 feet, into department Savoie ; passing under Mont du Chat, along the beautiful lake of Aix, or du Bourget, to

Châtillon (5 miles). Then to

Aix-les-Bains (10 miles), in a basin of hills, where the branch to Annecy turns off. Pop., 4,430. HOTELS.-Grand Hotel d'Aix; first-rate establishment, situated near the Casino; highly recommended.

Grand Hotel de l'Europe et du Globe; Mr. Bernascon, director. First-class hotel; very elegant and comfortable.

Grand Hotel de l'Univers et des Ambassadeurs. Kept by Mr. Renaud. Beautiful garden.

Combe Monastery, founded 1225; Bourget Castle; and Bourdeaux, under Mont du Chat (5,210 feet). [The line to Annecy passes through the fine Gorge de Fier, under the Semnoz Alp, to Albens (8 miles), where Roman coins of Claudian, &c., have been found. Rumilly (8 miles), on the Chéran; the Roman Rumilliacum, with a population of 4,000. Annecy (12 miles), the old capital of the Duchy of Savoy, now chief place of department Haute Savoie, which extends to the Lake of Geneva and Mont Blanc. The town (population, 10,160) stands on a plain among mountains, near Annecy Lake, which is 9 miles by 3, and gives outlet to the Fier, a branch of the Rhône. It has a museum and library (12,000 vols.) at the Hotel de Ville; a Castle of the former Counts, now a barrack; bishop's palace, and Cathedral; St. François church, where St. Francis de Sales, one of its bishops, was buried, 1632; and a statue of Berthollet, the chemist, who was a native, in the public Garden, near a fountain. English Servicc at the French church. Eugène Sue died at La Tour, 1857. Fine views from the Paquier promenade, and from La Tournette, over the lake (7740 feet high). At Anneciacum, the Roman town, 2 miles north-east, are some inscriptions. Hotels.-De Verdun; de Savoie; d'Angleterre; de l'Aigle.

Excursions, on the Lake, to Château Duingt, and Château de Menthon, where St. Bernard was born; also to the Castle of Faverges, the Roman Fabriacarium, where they forged iron and copper. It is 22 miles to Geneva, and 30 to 40 round to Chamounix and Martigny, under Mont Blanc. (See Bradshaw's Hand-Book to Switzerland).]

From Aix the line proceeds for 10 miles to

CHAMBÉRY.

English Church Service.

Hotel de France; kept by Mr. Chison, close to the Railway Station; very clean and moderate. Des Princes; de la Paix, near the Station. Cold tea should be drunk instead of the water. Pop. 18,300.

The ancient Camperiacum, on the Leysse, and former capital of Savoy, now the chief place of department Savoie. It has a Cathedral; a Sainte Chapelle, at the Castle, built 1230, by the Counts of Maurienne, its old feudal owners; Hôtel de Ville, with Library of 25,000 vols.; Palais de Justice, Academy, Theatre; with a Poor House and Hospital, founded by a wealthy native, General de Boigne, who was in India, in Scindiah's service.

He spent £150,000 on his Château here, and died 1830. The public monument to him has four elephants spouting water from their trunks. Statue of Pres. Favré, on Place Grenette. Count Joseph le Maistre, born 1754. Walks in the Botanical Gardens, and at the Terrace. Grande Chartreuse, in about 9 hours, on foot, to

Montmélian (9 miles), or Montmeillan, a fortified post on the Isère, where the line from Grenoble falls in. (See Route 25.) Branch to St. Pierre and Albertville, for Brides-les-Bains, and its bath establishment, casino, and church, built by Mad. Blanc. Follow the river to Chamousset (8 miles), which may be further ascended by road to Moutiers and the little St. Bernard Pass; also round to Annecy and Chamounix; but the rail ascends the valley of the Arc, to St. Pierre d'Albigny (5 miles), and a rained castle, Aiguebelle (7 miles), La Chambre (14 miles), St. Jean de Maurienne (6 miles). The line between this. Michel was for a time blocked up, 1872, by a land slip mile long.

St. Michel de Maurienne (7 miles), where the Pass and Tunnel routes of Mont Cenis part off. It is about 50 miles by either to Susa, on the Italian side. The Pass Route, along the diligence road, was traversed by Fell's climbing rail in 4 hours. The Tunnel Route strikes off near Modane, to the southwest, and passes through Col de Fréjus by a Tunnel nearly 8 miles long, to Bardonnechia on the Italian side, shortening the distance by two hours, It was opened December, 1870, after 12 years' labour. Luggage examined at Modane. (See Special

Edition of Bradshaw's Continental Guide.

HOTELS.-International; Lion d'Or. BUFFET. From Geneva, towards Culoz, the rail passes Seyssel station (8 miles), opposite the village which lies on the Swiss side of the river, and is reached by a suspension bridge. Here Seyssel Asphalte is quarried. Pass the iron Viaduct of the Vizéronce, 121 feet high. The Pyrimont Seyssel mines of asphalte are close by. The Rocky banks of the Rhône in this fine Highland district are pierced by a succession of tunnels; the longest being Paradis, opening out upon the Credo mountains (5,360ft.high), and Arlad Castle.

Bellegarde (11 miles), a buffet. From here, a branch of 42 miles is open (at the back of Geneva)

to St. Julien-en-Geneva, Annemasse, on the Arve, St. Cergues, and Thonon, in Haute Savoie, on the Lake. Only two short gaps between Thonon and Bouvert, and Bellegarde and Nantua, remain to be filled up to complete the line to the Simplon. Here are a fall of the Rhône, the deep bed of the Valserine, and the fine viaduct of the Valserine, 820 feet long, on 11 arches. Leaving Bellegarde, we enter the grand Credo Tunnel, 2 miles long, ventilated by six shafts, the deepest being 705 feet down to the line. It took 3 years to make.

The fort of Ecluse, built by Vauban to guard the deep pass, becomes visible. Two short tunnels of 279 feet and 606 feet, to

Collonges (7 miles). Population, 1,280.

Chancy (1 mile). La Plainė (3 miles), the first place within the Genevese territory. Satigny (3 miles) Population, 1,044. Meyrin (23 miles). Here the line attains its culminating point, 1,334 feet above sea level, and Mont Blanc may be caught sight of. Pass a long cutting and embankment to

Geneva, 100 miles from Lyons, 114 from Mâcon, 389 from Paris. For this and places in the French province of Haute Savoie, see Bradshaw's Hand-Book to Switzerland.

ROUTE 24.

Lyons to St. Etienne, Andrézieux,
Montbrison, Roanne.

By railway, 84 miles, 4 to 5 hours. Over the Saône, at Mulatière Bridge, to

Oullins (3 miles), on the west bank of the Rhône, in a pretty spot, having a church in which Jacquard is buried; and the Château du Perron, which belongs to the Lyons Hospital.

Irigny (34 miles).

Vernaison (2 miles), opposite Solaise.
La Tour-de-Millery (1 mile).

Grigny (14 mile), opposite Ternay, is a little port, and has remains of a fine château of the Moulceau family.

Givors (2 miles), is placed where the canal and the Gier join the Rhône, and has a basin 880 feet long. Pop. 10,000. Hotel.-De Provence. There are important glass-works and foundries here, and a large new Church, in the Grecian style. A junction of 8 kil. places it in communication with Chasse, on the Marseilles line, across the Rhône.

St. Romain (3 miles).

Burel (2 miles).

Couzon (3 miles), near a tunnel of 2,950 feet.

Rive de Gier, close to the last station, a manufacturing town of 14,380 souls, on the Gier, where the canal to Givors ends in a large basin at the middle of the best coal-field in France. They make glass, steel, machinery, railway carriages, silk, &c., here. Hotel.-Du Nord. It is in department Loire. Some distance to the right, at Champonost, are many arches of a Roman Aqueduct.

Grand Croix (3 miles), or Les Rouardes.

St. Chamond (3 miles), under a cultivated hill, where the Janon joins the Gier. Population, 12,650. It is well built, and has two churches, a college and library, public baths, and a ruined château, with many foundries, cotton and silk mills. Ribbons, lace, nails, copper goods are made.

Hotels.-De la Poste; du Lion.

Many fossil plants, of the usual tropical character, are found in the coal mines.

Terrenoire (5 miles). Then through a Tunnel of 4,900 feet (only a single line), to St. Etienne (1 mile).

ST. ETIENNE (35 miles from Lyons). Buffet.

HOTELS.-De France; du Nord; de la Poste. Post Office and Telegraph, Place Marengo. Population (1876), 126,020. In 1804 it was only 24,000.

A sous-préfecture in department Loire, on the Furens, with little to recommend it beyond its manufactures of fire-arms, tools, cutlery, hardware, and ribbons, coke, some of the most important in France. It stands under Mont Pilate (3,516 feet high) on a rich bed of coal and iron; and the river turns above a hundred factories of various sorts. Grindstones are quarried in the neighbourhood, of the white sandstone of which the houses are built.

The Hôtel de Ville, in the Grand Place, is a large pile, including the bourse (exchange), chamber of commerce (conseil de prud'hommes), prefecture, and a Bibliothèque. The Church of St. Etienne is of the 11th century; Notre Dame is of the 17th century. Here are, also, a Palais des arts, Museum of minerals and practical arts, Jardin des Plantes, a school of mines, school of fine arts. a college, government gun factory, and a salle de spectacle (theatre). The ribbons produced here are of great

Conveyances: Rail to Le Puy (see Route 28), Montbrison, &c.

[Across the Mont Pilate ridge, dividing the basins of the Loire and Rhône, lies BOURG-ARGENTAL (17 miles south-east), which stands in the valley of the Déôme, under an old Castle, and is noted for its white silk manufacture. Annonay (see Route 20), is 9 miles further.

From St. Etienne to Andrézieux is the oldest bit of railway in France, opened 1828. It goes to Villars (3 miles).

La Fouillouse (2 miles) and St. Just (2 miles), where the line to Montbrison turns off. [It passes Andrézieux, near the Loire, Bonson, where the branch to St.Bonnet-leChâteau turns off (see p. 133) Sury-leComtal, St. Romain-le-Puy, whence it is 4 miles to

MONTBRISON.

HOTELS.-Du Nord; de la Poste; du Lion d'Or. Population, 6,475.

This town, via which there is a correspondence with Clermont (see Route 53), was chosen for the capital of department Loire, being near the middle of it; it stands on the Vizezy, under a volcanic rock, which bears some remains of a castle built by the counts of Forez, and gives name to the place.

The old town walls are gone; it is ill built; and the only edifice worth notice is Notre Dame Cathedral Church, founded 1205, by Guy IV. Comte de Forez, whose marble effigy, with a lion at the feet, is inside. It is a plain Gothic building, having but one tower completed, and a lofty vault. St. Maurice church has a dome The Préfecture belonged to the brethren of the Oratory; a library of 15,000 volumes is at the College. There are a corn market, Palais de Justice, barracks, and a hospice, founded 1220. Charles VII. signed a treaty here with the Duke of Savoy. It was ravaged by the Calvinist leader, the Baron des Adrets, 1562, In the neighbourhood are three mineral Springs on the river.

A line is open from here to Lyons, via Montrond (below), and Tarare (Route 20.) A line is also open via Thiers to Cleremont (Route 53.) About 1 mile south of Montbrison, at Moignt, is a round building, about 130 feet diameter, faced with pilasters, and commonly called the Palace of the Saracens. It is supposed to be the site of the Roman Mediodunum. Further south (13 miles from Montbrison), is St. Bonnet-leChâteau (page 136), near Agrippa's Roman way, on the top of a hill, on which stood the camp of Varus, afterwards styled ChâteauVair.]

La Renardière (3 miles). St. Galmier (3 miles) gives name to a gassy table water.

Montrond (6 miles), a little place on the Loire, 9 miles from Montbrison (as above), having the ruins of an old Castle, with another, called Bellegarde, not far off. Here the line from L'Arbresle, via Bessenay and Meys, comes in.

The next station on the main line, is

Feurs (6 miles), on the Loire, the old capital of Forez, and the site of the Roman Forum Secgusianorum, of which traces are seen, in parts of the church, and in a mosaic, in a house hard by, besides parts of columns, aqueducts, &c. There is a bronze statuc to Colonel Combes, who fell at Constantine, in Algiers. Population, 2,900. Outside is an unfinished Church, begun by Louis XVIII., as a memorial to the victims of the Revolution. Mont Lezore, a basalt bill, is near.

Balbigny (5 miles); then comes

St. Jodard (6 miles), on a double incline. Vendrange St. Priest (3 miles), near St. Symphorien de Lay, which has remnants of old walls and cotton factories.

St. Cyr (3 miles) and Le Coteau.

Roanne (4 miles), Buffet. Hotels.-Du Nord; du Commerce. The Roman Rhodumna, and a souspréfecture in department Loire, on that river, with 23,000 population, and a good carrying trade in wines (called Renaison, St. André, &c.), cotton, ginghams, grain, iron, charcoal, &c. It has a good bridge over the Loire, a large church, baths, a theatre, and a library of 10,000 volumes at the college. (See page 79.)

Hence the rail proceeds to St. Germain des Fossés, near Vichy and Moulins (see Route 45), where the junction with the Orleans rail is formed, making the direct railway distance of Roanne from Paris 280 miles.

ROUTE 25.

Lyons to Bourgoin, Grande Chartreuse,
Grenoble, Gap, Digne, Cannes, Nice.
By rail to Grenoble, thence by road. Distance
about 260 miles. For the railway to Nice, see
Route 20.

Lyons Station, in Perrache, as in Route 20.
Venissieux (44 miles), in department Isère.
St. Priest (3 miles). Pass St. Laurent-des
Mures (population, 1,200), so called from its mul
berry trees.

Heyrieux (6 miles).

St. Quentin (2 miles). Coaches to Beauvoir, Chamagnieu, Crémieu, Diémoz, Heyrieux, La Fayette, Royers, St. Georges, Septéme, Vienne, &c. La Verpillière (2 miles), and its old château, in a pretty spot.

Vaulx-Milieu (2 miles)
La Grive (2 miles).

Bourgoin (2 miles), on the Bourbre, has 5,000 population, and manufactures of cotton, linen, paper, and leather. Buffet. Hotel.-De l'Europe. From here the line is carried on towards Grenoble as below. Coaches to Les Abrets, Aoste, Chambéry, La Combe, Côte St. André, Faverge, Pont de Beauvoisin, St. Chef, St. Thibaut, Vignireaux, &c. Cessieu, on the Bourbre.

La Tour du Pin (9 miles), a sous-préfecture, with 2,700 souls, on the Bourbre, with a trade in wine, grain, leather, &c.

St. André-le-Gaz (43 miles), where the road from Grenoble and Voreppe crosses the Rhône, towards Belley, on the other side of it.

[Following the Chambéry road, you come to PONT DE BEAUVOISIN (6 miles), on the Guiers, which is spanned by a single-arched bridge, leading over to the new French Department of Savoie. Population, 3,800. La Chaille pass leads on by Les Echelles-de-Savoie (15 kil.), St. Thibault-de-Cour (7 miles), by Chambéry (7} miles), whence the rail is taken to St. Jean de Maurienne, then over Mont Cenis to Susa, and by rail again to Turin, in ITALY. At Les Echelles-de-Savoie, there is a way, south, to St. Laurent-du-Pont, rom which the Chartreuse may be visited, as below.]

Chabons (10 miles), and Grand Lemps (2 miles), followed by Rives (1 mile), where the line to St. Rambert turns off, and

Voiron (6 miles), in the richly-cultivated valley of Grésivaudan, Coaches to Apprieu, Burcin, Cham