RADELIERS ASSOCIATION

The transport of timber by water was a major speciality until the end of the 19th century. The banks of the Loue occupied about a hundred workers. The radeliers collected the barrels cut in the nearby Chaux forest, made rafts and transported them to various ports in the region. A tedious job. In 1995, Robert Francioli and his friends revived this heritage. The brotherhood of Saint-Nicolas des radeliers de la Loue was born; the latter being the patron saint of river people. The volunteers of the association multiply since then the initiatives, enriching the animation around the river. These include the creation of a documentary collection, an exhibition, and port visits (in Chamblay and Montbarrey). Summer floating demonstrations at the Toussaint de Cramans mill, evenings on the life of bargemen follow one another; not forgetting the opening of a 15 km educational trail. Since 2014, the site has been officially recognised as a floating valley. After 34 years of research, last year Robert Francoli and Elisabeth Acolat-Peuquet published a book on what has been a flagship of local activity.