Bussigny-sur-Oron: Hiking along the Mionne

Bussigny-sur-Oron lies at an altitude of around 768 m on a south-facing slope in the Mionne valley, on the eastern edge of the Vaud plateau. From here, views extend to the mountains of Savoy, Mont Blanc, the Dents-du-Midi and the Moléson; how far you can see depends on the weather. The Mionne is also a point of reference for local hikes: two routes pass through Bussigny-sur-Oron or follow the river. The «La Mionne – Bussigny-sur-Oron» floodplain zone is listed by the canton as an area of regional importance.

Hiking along the Mionne

The Tour Est de la Commune d’Oron passes through Bussigny-sur-Oron as well as Chesalles-sur-Oron, Ecoteaux and Palézieux. The route crosses the Mionne twice; the river is a tributary of the Broye. The Tour Nord-Est of the municipality of Oron leads via Palézieux-Village, Oron-la-Ville, Oron-le-Châtel, Chesalles-sur-Oron and Bussigny-sur-Oron back to Palézieux-Village. As a circular hike, the Tour Nord-Est follows the Mionne. Regardless of the route, the river flows into the Broye.

The Tour Nord-Est is listed as 12.91 km long, with a duration of 3 hours and 18 minutes, 274 m of ascent and descent each, and technical difficulty grade T1 (easy). These figures give you a concrete basis for planning your time and route. Check the route details before setting out, as they may change. The two tours can be distinguished by their stated features: for the Tour Est, the river crossings and places passed through are given; for the Tour Nord-Est, the circular route, distance, duration and elevation gain and loss are specified.

Local history and themed hikes

In the Middle Ages, Bussigny-sur-Oron was linked to the Counts of Gruyère and attached to the lordship of Oron. Before the Reformation, residents belonged to the parish of Saint-Martin in Fribourg; later, they were assigned to the parish of Châtillens. These parish affiliations provide a glimpse into the history of the local church over time, while the connections to Gruyère and Oron relate to the medieval past.

The coat of arms also tells of local connections: it was adopted in 1923. The stars and crescent moon come from an old parish seal of Châtillens, while the goat recalls the nickname given to the villagers. The recurring themed hiking event Balade des Onze Comme Une offers another way to explore local topics. Past editions have focused, among other things, on carnots, fountains, old buildings and music; the date of the 2026 edition has already passed. The 2026 edition focused on the coal mines of Oron and took place on 7 June. The topics covered thus range from local symbols and buildings to mining history.

Landscape of the former municipality

The former municipality included the low-lying valley of the Mionne and a ridge between the valleys of the Flon and the Mionne. The elevations there reached up to 835 m. Thus, the figures of around 768 m for the village and 835 m for the elevation refer to different geographical areas: one to the location of Bussigny-sur-Oron, the other to the former municipality. The land-use figures are also tied to a specific year: in 1997, the area was predominantly agricultural; 80 percent was used for agriculture, and it also included several isolated farms. Together with its location in the Mionne valley, this paints a picture that brings together the topography, river landscape and former agricultural character.

Discover more destinations: Pully, Cully Vd, Saint-Saphorin, Chexbres, Lutry, Grandvaux Vd, Rivaz Vd, Bourg-En-Lavaux

For the main travel overview: Lavaux.