Sury-le-Comtal sits on the flat floor of the Forez plain, the broad basin of the Loire between the Monts du Forez and the Monts du Lyonnais. It is a small town with a big secret: its château, outwardly modest, holds some of the most remarkable seventeenth-century carved wooden interiors in France, with ceilings, panels and fireplaces carved in exuberant detail. Guided visits are possible on certain days.
The Forez plain is an old lake bed, flat and fertile, dotted with ponds and farms, and crossed by the Loire. Volcanic hills rise here and there, the most striking being the basalt peak of Saint-Romain-le-Puy a short ride away, crowned by a Romanesque priory with superb views over the plain. Montbrison, the old capital of the counts of Forez, is a few kilometres north, with a fine collegiate church and the round Salle Héraldique, decorated with coats of arms.
The riding on the plain is relaxed, with straight roads and gentle bends, and it can be windy. To the west, the roads climb into the Monts du Forez, where the scenery changes rapidly to forests, meadows and high moorland, and the riding becomes much more challenging and rewarding. To the east, the Monts du Lyonnais offer rolling hills and winding roads.
Sury-le-Comtal has fuel, shops and a few restaurants. Montbrison is the place for a wider choice and for the local cheese, fourme de Montbrison, a cousin of the blue fourme d'Ambert. From the priory of Saint-Romain-le-Puy, the view over the Forez plain to the mountains is one of the best photo opportunities in the area, particularly in the evening light.