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, continue for about 50 metres then go down the steps on the right. You will come to a street, follow it straight ahead until you reach the bridge over the Artière. Cross the bridge then turn right to cross the sports complex car park. You will come to a wall at the start of a small road on the right.

(1) Follow it, with the wall on your left. Ignore a path on the left at the corner of the wall. The tarmac disappears. 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 crossroads of four small roads below the D2089.

(2) Turn left to take the tunnel that passes under this road. Shortly afterwards, ignore Chemin de Champ Blanc on the left and continue straight ahead on the path until you reach the Artenium (gymnasium). Immediately turn left towards the picnic tables and take the path behind the building. At the end, follow the bend to the right and then to the left. Find a path leading off to the left and follow it until you reach the Moulin de la Tranchère site.

(3) Go straight ahead, take the footbridge over the Artière to find an intersection of paths (on the right, a steep path leads to the mill site while awaiting the renovation of a footbridge (2023)). Follow the path opposite, marked Ours among others, which goes around a meadow. Join a path and follow it to the left.

(4) Pass by the Fontaine des Chasseurs, a simple trough (information panel). Further on, pass through a few pasture gates (easy to cross). Ignore any more or less obvious paths on either side of the road (follow the markings). You will arrive at a crossroads near a large water catchment.

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

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

(7) Ignore the street on the right and continue straight ahead on a small road after passing a barrier (designed to prevent vehicle access). You will arrive in front of a water catchment area with an antenna and continue uphill to the left. Turn right, ignoring the shortcut that climbs steeply straight ahead.
Shortly afterwards, take a sharp left turn 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, at the scree.

(7) Follow the street, which has 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 crossroads, turn left onto Rue de Gergovie, keep right onto Rue Blaise Pascal at the fork that follows, then ignore a street on the left. At the T-junction, turn right and then, at the corner of the small chapel, take Rue de la Varenne in the wrong direction. Ignore the street on the right at the oratory.

(10) Immediately afterwards, you can enter the small public garden belonging to the church. Leave the garden through the same gate, walk a few metres to the right and then immediately turn right (Rue des Poilus is a one-way street). At the crossroads at the end of the street, continue straight ahead, turning slightly to the right onto another one-way street (Rue du Mas). You will come to a T-junction with a circular fountain in front of you. Turn left to reach the Brunmurol bus stop for line 26 (E) at the edge of the car park.

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

This stage takes you along part of theArtière river again, passing by the pretty Moulin de la Tranchère mill.
The route then climbs to the summit of Puy de Montrognon, which offers a small viewpoint over the city. A castle once stood here, but now only a ruined tower remains.
This is followed by a slightly more monotonous section on a small road to reach the old wine-growing village of Ceyrat... before visiting the second village of Ceyrat, Boisséjour, and the wooded heights of the commune on the next stage.
The winegrowers' houses are characterised by the wine cellar on the ground floor, with its large arched doorway, and the living quarters above, accessible by a staircase.