Beaumont - Ceyrat via Puy de Montrognon

Departure from the Les Roches bus stop, line 4, Avenue du Mont Dore in Beaumont.

(S) Follow the Avenue westwards and turn left onto Chemin des Chaumets, go for about fifty metres then go down the steps on the right. You’ll come to a road; follow it straight on until the bridge over the Artière. Cross the bridge then turn right to cross the sports complex car park. You’ll come to a wall, at the start of a small road branching off to the right.

(1) Follow this road, keeping the wall on your left. Ignore a path on the left at the corner of the wall. The tarmac ends. At the buildings, at the Fork in the road, take the left-hand path. Then ignore a path on the left and continue to a junction of four small roads below the D2089.

(2) Turn left to take the tunnel that passes under this road. Shortly afterwards, ignore the Chemin de Champ Blanc on the left and continue straight on along the path until you reach the Artenium (gym). Turn immediately left towards the picnic tables and take the path that runs behind the building. At the end, follow the bend to the right and then the one to the left. Look for a path branching off to the left and follow it until you reach the Moulin de la Tranchère site.

(3) Go straight on, take the footbridge over the Artière to reach a junction of paths (on the right, a steep path leads to the mill site pending the renovation of a footbridge (2023)). Follow the path leading straight ahead, marked ‘Ours’ amongst others, which goes round a meadow. Join a track and follow it to the left.

(4) Pass close to the fountain known as the Fontaine des Chasseurs, a simple trough (information panel). Further on, pass through a few pasture gates (easy to get through). Ignore all the more or less obvious paths on either side of the track (follow the markings). You’ll reach a junction of tracks at a large water catchment.

(5) Turn right (bear markings are clearly visible and make it easy to find your way at the numerous junctions with more or less marked paths).

(6) At the junction of three paths, turn right. The path descends and joins the end of a street in Fontimbert, a district of Ceyrat (scree on the left).

(7) Ignore the road on the right and continue straight on, along a small road, after passing a barrier (designed to prevent vehicle access). You’ll come to a water intake fitted with an antenna; continue uphill to the left. Turn right, ignoring the shortcut which climbs steeply straight ahead.
Shortly afterwards, take a sharp left-hand bend to climb up to the tower, the remains of a feudal castle. Steep climb. “Viewpoint”.

(8) Retrace your steps to the end of the street, near the scree.

(7) Follow the road as it winds through several wide bends, ignoring all side streets, until you reach the roundabout leading to the D2089 (a slightly monotonous stretch).

(9) Cross to the other side of the roundabout and take the bridge over the D2089. At the next junction, turn left onto Rue de Gergovie, keep right onto Rue Blaise Pascal at the next Fork in the road, then ignore a street on the left. At the T-junction, turn right, then, at the corner of the small chapel, take Rue de la Varenne against the flow of traffic. Ignore the road on the right at the oratory.

(10) Just after this, you can enter the small public garden by the church. Leave the garden through the same gate, walk a few metres to the right, then immediately turn right (against the flow of traffic onto Rue des Poilus). At the junction at the end of the street, continue straight ahead, veering slightly to the right onto another street against the flow of traffic (Rue du Mas). You will come to a T-junction, opposite a circular fountain. Turn left to reach, at the edge of the car park, the Brunmurol bus stop on route 26 (E).

Difficulty: Easy to moderate due to the steep climb to the summit of Montrognon (optional), no other difficulties, standard hiking equipment recommended but can be done in simple sportswear.
I recommend the Visorando app.

Outward journey: Jaude, line A (La Pardieu Gare) => Maison de la Culture then line 4 (Beaumont Pont de Boisséjour) => Les Roches.
Return: Brunmurol, line 26 (Royat Place Allard) => Royat Place Allard then line B (Stade M. Michelin) => Jaude.

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

This stage takes you alongthe Artière river once again for part of its course, passing by the pretty Moulin de la Tranchère.
The route then climbs to the summit of Puy de Montrognon, which offers a small viewpoint over the city. A castle once stood here, of which only a ruined tower remains.
This is followed by a slightly more monotonous stretch along a small road, leading to the old wine-growing village of Ceyrat... whilst we look forward to visiting Ceyrat’s second village, Boisséjour, and the wooded hills of the commune, during the next stage.
The winegrowers’ houses are characterised by the wine-making cellar on the ground floor, with its large arched doorway, and the living quarters above, accessed via a staircase.