Montmeyre ferry and Chez Pierre water catchment

When you arrive in Allagnat via the D52 from the Col de la Moréno, at the entrance to the village and before the first houses, look for a cross on the left-hand side of the road, then a picnic table. Turn left onto the small road just after and park on the grassy verge.

No signposts

(S/E) Continue along the small road for a few metres, then, at a forest path on the left, follow a grassy lane on the right that runs alongside the castle grounds on the left and leads back to the D52 further on. Follow this road to the left, pass in front of the castle entrance, then shortly afterwards take the street towards the town centre (!). Keep right at the intersections and pass to the right of the large mission cross. Further on, turn right onto Rue de la Garde at the Allagnat signpost. Cross the D52 and continue opposite Rue de Puy Meunier. At the signpost of the same name, turn onto the path on the right. Ignore a path on the left and arrive at a T-junction.

^GR®® Red and White Markings

(1) Turn right onto the path marked^GR®®441A. Just before reaching the D52, ignore a path on the left, follow the road to the left and immediately ignore another path on the left.

(2) About 100 m further on, take the path on the left. Continue along this beautiful forest lane, ignoring two paths that branch off to the left from the same place about 400 m further on. Reach the next intersection, which marks the end of the double beech hedge, with a path on the right closed by a barrier.

No markings

(3) Follow the path on the left. Shortly afterwards, pass a beautiful beech tree and a field of horsetails on the right, then ignore a path on the left that is closed by a barrier. Shortly afterwards, at the fork, keep to the right, then ignore a path on the left that turns sharply. You will come to a road (D68).

(4) Cross carefully and, on the other side, do not take the path that immediately branches off to the right, but pass the barrier of large stones and, facing the paragliders' landing area, turn right, following a fence on your left, thus bypassing a small hill, the Grand Sault, with the Puy de Dôme in your line of sight.

(5) At the fork in the path, turn left. Shortly after passing another field of horsetails on your left, you will arrive at the Bac de Monymeyre site.

(6) At the signpost of the same name, ignore the path on the left and continue straight ahead, passing the troughs (watering places) on your left, an information panel about Les Ardents, then the commemorative stele, before reaching a large crossroads.
Turn left and follow this track, ignoring a few small paths on the right. Pass an information panel about the Montmeyre summer pasture, then arrive at an intersection with another track and continue on the left to reach the D68.

(7) Cross over, follow the road opposite towards Montmeyre, then turn onto the first path on the left.

(8) At the intersection with a path marked by the^GR®®, at a small iron cross, continue straight ahead. Cross a small road and, further on, ignore a path on the left. You will arrive at a road at the entrance to Montmeyre.

(9) Follow the street opposite, passing an information panel about the blacksmith on your left, ignoring the street that branches off to the left, pass to the right of a drinking trough and a wash house, then turn onto a path that descends steeply to the left, at a cross.

(10) Turn onto the first path on the left, a grassy path overlooking the Ceyssat stream. Further on, ignore a path on the left, then arrive at a road at the entrance to Chez Pierre. Follow the road straight ahead and you will soon reach an intersection at the Chez Pierre signpost.

(11) For a short round trip, continue straight ahead to the water catchment, information panel and aqueduct, then return to the Chez Pierre signpost.

(11) Take the street on the right, then, just after the entrance to a property, turn right onto a grassy path overlooking a small valley. You will arrive at an old small road.

(12) Take it to the right to cross a stream, then immediately turn onto a path on the left and continue with the stream on your left. You will arrive at Route d'Allagnat, at a crossroads with a public notice board.

(13) Continue along the street opposite, ignoring a farm track on the right at an information sign about Allagnat Castle, then ignore another track on the right further on, before returning to the car park (S/E).

Hike of moderate difficulty, leaning towards easy. No difficulties to report, standard hiking equipment required.

Discover more hikes in this area with a description or the Visorando app here and more generally in the Puy-de-Dôme here

Photo albums here and here

Allagnat Castle is private but clearly visible.

Magnificent beech trees between (2) and (3).

A breathtaking view of the Puy de Dôme between (4) and (5).

Montmeyre trough: originally, water was brought to the site via small aqueducts to provide drinking troughs (or basins) for animals grazing in the summer pastures. In 1942, members of the Auvergne resistance network, Les Ardents, were discovered and executed on the site by the Germans. Commemorative stele and information panel.

In the hamlet of Chez Pierre, a spring is tapped and the overflow, which is always very abundant, feeds streams that flow into the Ruisseau de Ceyssat, which the route follows between (10) and (11). In the past, the spring was used, thanks to numerous leats, to power numerous mills.