Circular routes from La Bastide-Puylaurent to Notre-Dame des Neiges Abbey

Circular Écureuil and Busard loop. Set off along the paths towards Notre-Dame des Neiges Abbey and the Allier Valley. This hike can also be done in the opposite direction.

Details

4003643
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 10.39 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 30 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 199 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 201 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,162 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,014 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the small car park opposite the Tourist Office.

(S/E) Walk past the town hall and head straight up towards the football pitch, following Rue de la Poste.
Take the stony path through the woods to the left of the changing rooms to the D906 roundabout.

(1) Cross to the left and take the path running alongside the Pradillou stream near the electricity pylon. Then turn right into the pine forest and join a tarmac path.

(2) Turn right, then take the path on the left which winds through the woods for about 800 m.

(3) Take the hairpin bend to the left and continue straight on to the Abbey of Notre-Dame des Neiges.

(4) Turn right following the Busard circular loop, veer left to go behind the cellars and the shop, then turn right onto the path which climbs through the undergrowth and runs alongside the pastures to a wide track. Continue straight on.

(5) At the inverted Y-junction, continue straight on for 1,600 m.

(6) Turn right, walk past the farm and continue along the tarmac path that runs alongside the meadows.

(7) Ignore the path on the left and continue right towards the Bories farm. Go round the farm via the stony path on the right and continue to the Courège house.

(8) Continue left for 600 m, following theGR®70markings, then turn right onto the path which descends for 200 m to the Route de la Bastide.

(9) Turn left, go straight on at the junction just after to reach Rue des Tilleuls (D906).

(10) Follow it to the left, cross the road to reach the Tourist Office car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,023 m - Tourist Office car park. Near the - Allier (rivière)
  2. 1 : km 1.37 - alt. 1,050 m - Roundabout
  3. 2 : km 1.98 - alt. 1,074 m - Tarmac path, left then immediately right
  4. 3 : km 2.87 - alt. 1,098 m - Crossroads, left at the hairpin bend
  5. 4 : km 3.8 - alt. 1,081 m - To the right - Abbaye Notre-Dame des Neiges (Saint-Laurent-les-Bains)
  6. 5 : km 5.14 - alt. 1,156 m - Fork, straight ahead
  7. 6 : km 6.92 - alt. 1,087 m - Notre-Dame des Neiges Abbey, on the right
  8. 7 : km 8.38 - alt. 1,045 m - Crossroads, turn right
  9. 8 : km 9.32 - alt. 1,083 m - La Courège, on the left
  10. 9 : km 10.15 - alt. 1,024 m - Route de la Bastide, on the left
  11. 10 : km 10.24 - alt. 1,014 m - Rue des Tilleuls. Turn left - Rieufrais (cours d'eau) - Affluent de l'Allier
  12. S/E : km 10.39 - alt. 1,023 m - Tourist Office car park

Notes

Sturdy walking shoes, water, walking poles.
Water points at the abbey and La Bastide.

(4) Option to shorten the route by turning left to take the Écureuil circular loop. Immediately rejoin (6) and follow the route description from there.

Worth a visit

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.3 / 5
Based on 6 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.2 / 5
Ease of following the route
4 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
ehu
ehu

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 25, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

I went on this hike to discover the abbey. So it met my expectations. The first part of the trail is in the woods and the second part is more open. A nice, easy walk.

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Dedette90
Dedette90
• Edited:

An easy walk through the woods;
The only points of interest are the chapel and the Abbey of Notre Dame des Neiges.
Essential: follow the route using the GPX track.

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Mitch -07
Mitch -07

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 02, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

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Fishzefish
Fishzefish

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 29, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A superb hike

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JP Nibaudeau
JP Nibaudeau

I did this circular loop exactly a year ago today! It was lovely, of course!
The descriptions are spot on – well done.

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martinelqe
martinelqe

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 22, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The first part of the route is very shady. The return journey from the abbey is quite sunny.

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JP Nibaudeau
JP Nibaudeau

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 18, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A hike that can be extended by taking a circular loop above St Laurent les Bains.
I did it on 28 August.
JP NIBAUDEAU (I’m on the list of people who post comments)

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jesuisenrandonné07
jesuisenrandonné07

Hello,
At the tarmac road, explain that you need to take the path on the left after (x metres), which is very poorly marked. We couldn’t find it at the lane.
At the Abbey, we couldn’t find the Busart circular path. Instead, “go round the back of the cellar and the shop, take the path that climbs to the right up the wall and then immediately left onto the path through the woods....
Otherwise, thank you for this circular route, which allowed us to rediscover this place that we had visited a long time ago whilst following the GR7

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courjus52
courjus52

Hello, I was there a month ago and it was still fine; we’d need to see your route to work out where the problem lies.
Best regards.
Courjus52 (Dominique).

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Netra
Netra ★

Hello, and thank you for your feedback.

To help us improve the description, could you please specify where the errors are? Thank you in advance.

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jesuisenrandonné07
jesuisenrandonné07

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 12, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The description needs to be checked as there are some errors. We managed to complete the route, but by going in a figure of eight rather than a circular route

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Albedo Rando
Albedo Rando

Hello everyone,

The hike described above was to be part of a three-day trip scheduled for Friday 20 to Sunday 22 November 2020.

The health restrictions imposed by the government have forced us to cancel the trip.

The planned hikes have been postponed until a later date.

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