Cesset walks

An easy hike in the hills overlooking Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule, west of the Allier valley, partly following the GR®300 trail with a few short stretches on minor roads. Easy, well-marked and signposted paths. Beautiful views of Saint Pourçain-sur-Sioule. Unshaded route, best avoided during heatwaves.

A short 8-shaped walk at the foot of Saint-Vincent de Chantelle Abbey.

I suggest a short urban hike to discover Vichy, nicknamed "the Queen of Waters". This circuit takes you through the emblematic streets of Napoleon III's beloved city, lined with beautiful houses of eclectic architecture, as well as the shopping streets of the modern city and the parks along the Allier River. You can quench your thirst at the famous Source des Célestins.

The route takes walkers to the heights of Aigueperse and Chaptuzat, past fountains, wash houses, crosses and castles.

This trail takes you from hamlet to hamlet to discover the small-scale architectural heritage of this part of Auvergne, in the north of the Puy-de-Dôme: traditional houses with stepped gables, wells and drinking troughs, a former abbey in Menat and a medieval bridge over the Sioule.

A pleasant circular starting from Vieux Saint-Sylvestre, heading to Saint-Priest-Bramefant through the Bois Brun forest and back. Very little tarmac and beautiful scenery on a clear day. An easy hike.

A hike dedicated to water. Flowing water, Ruisseau des Andraux, Allier. Water to drink, Saint-Yorre bottling plant, Source des Célestins. Water with healing properties, Hall des Sources and Grand Établissement Thermal de Vichy. And, depending on the weather, perhaps water falling from the sky?This hike can also be done as a round trip, difficulty: difficult (24 km).

Discover the hamlets of the Blot region and the superb lime trees that adorn their squares. The second part of this walk will take you to Château-Rocher, which overlooks the Sioule valley.

Tour of the Sep Joli dam with a view of it. A fairly easy hike between paths and forest. Not too crowded in July, mostly fishermen.

Hike route starting from Molles, a village at the foot of the Bourbonnais mountains, 17km east of Vichy.

A forest walk in the foothills of the Combrailles leading to the "Pierre Branlante" site. Erosion has cleared away a block of granite, leaving it balanced on its side. According to legend, this block oscillates when touched by human hands.

Le Puy Saint-Ambroise overlooks the plateaus of the Sologne Bourbonnaise. At an average altitude of 436 metres, it offers a vast panorama, to the north over the Morvan, to the south-east over the Monts du Lyonnais, and to the south-west over the Chaîne des Puys and the Massif du Sancy.

This hike starts in Nizerolles, a small village at the foot of the Monts de la Madeleine. It takes you across the River Jolan three times and partly follows the Tacot de la Montagne Bourbonnaise platform, the former departmental railway line that linked Vichy and Laprugne until 1949.

One of the favourite walks for locals, along a beautiful stream, through the woods, very close to the spa centre.

The Sioule River shapes the landscape of the Combrailles. Between valleys, wild gorges, forest paths and volcanic peaks offering magnificent views... here, it is the Queuille meander that takes our breath away with its strange tranquillity and perfect curves.

In Enval, the playful Ambène stream rises in the chestnut groves and offers dazzling views of the Château de Tournoël and the Chaîne des Puys in the distance. This site is classified as a natural area of ecological, faunistic and floristic interest. This hike can be done in hot weather as it is very shaded.

A very pleasant walk in the oldest part of the Chaîne des Puys. The hamlet of Beaunit is nestled in the hollow of a volcanic maar that was occupied by a lake several hundred thousand years ago.