Charbonnières-les-Varennes walks

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.

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.

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

A hike in a protected environment to discover the Volvic springs and Volvic stone, formed from molten lava. And why not take a little detour to Tournoël Castle?

A walk to discover the beautiful architecture and thermal park of Châtel-Guyon.

La Roche de Sauterre offers a beautiful location for observing the surroundings and the majestic alignment of the Chaîne des Puys. This basalt peak, the result of volcanic activity, contains inclusions of peridotite, a semi-precious stone.

Starting from the "city of stone and water", this route takes you through cool valleys to the moors of the heights, where you will have the Chaîne des Puys and the Monts du Livradois-Forez as your horizon, then takes you back down to the village through an ancient lava flow, a refuge for Auvergne bats.

Discover a small spa town, with its beautiful architecture, and its natural surroundings.

Discover the route of the old railway line from Riom to Châtel-Guyon via the heights of Saint-Don.

A perfect circle 700 m in diameter and approximately 66 m deep, the Gour de Tazenat is a crater lake or maar whose clear waters are home to a variety of aquatic fauna. A path through the undergrowth allows everyone to walk around it easily.

A hike on the Combrailles side of the Chaîne des Puys, an area less frequented by summer crowds, to discover an old pozzolan quarry and its biotope. Along the way, you will encounter the inhabitants of the pastures and the woods.

A circular route on the border between the Combrailles and the Chaîne des Puys, in the countryside around Saint-Ours, passing by the summit of Puy de Louchadière, offering a beautiful viewpoint, and the lovely beech forest covering its slopes. The Visorando app is highly recommended in the Louchadière forest.

This route allows you to discover three ancient volcanoes in the Chaîne des Puys.

Walk on the Champ Griaud plateau, on beautiful paths that once served pastoral plots now colonised by oak trees and wild vegetation, then through vineyards that have been restored to their former glory, before ending with a visit to the cellar district and the medieval centre of Châteaugay.

Beautiful landscapes to discover between Volvic, Marsat and Châteaugay... Along the way, you can explore the vineyards and old cellars of Châteaugay.

From Charbonnières-les-Vieilles, the hilly path runs alongside the Morge river, offering remarkable examples of local heritage (wells, crosses, wash houses, mills) and arrives at the magnificent Gour de Tazenat (crater lake) with splendid views of the Chaîne des Puys.

Walk on one of the plateaus north of Clermont-Ferrand, where cultivated fields, orchards, vineyards and wild bushy groves alternate. On the way back, discover T. Courtadon's series of sculptures "Ondoyer" on the banks of the Bédat.

Leaving Sayat, discover the wine-growing village of Châteaugay on the way out through the orchards of the Plateau de Lachaud and on the way back through the Plateau de Bade. Along the way, you'll discover the market towns of Malauzat and Blanzat.

Contrasting landscapes of meadows and forests for this circular tour to discover the Puy de Louchadière, on the edge of the Combrailles.Please note! A GPS device is useful for following this hike in the forest sections. Also, be sure to follow the map rather than the various markings encountered along the route.

A double loop around Saint-Ours-les-Roches to discover the typical hamlets of this region of the Combrailles, at the foot of the Chaîne des Puys.

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.

This circular loop will take you to the summit of Puy des Gouttes, where you can enjoy a beautiful view of the Chaîne des Puys, then into the countryside near Fontètes, a hamlet with a pretty little chapel. On the way back, you will discover a beautiful row of about twenty drinking troughs in a meadow, the Fontaine des Pères.

A circular route that is half mountain, half countryside, passing by the summit of Puy des Gouttes before descending towards the Combrailles to discover the hamlet of Beauregard. A leisurely return via a sculpture in Courtadon. SHHH!

"Human noise becomes silent, nature makes volcanoes chatter; whispering landscapes, and whispering a thousand voices of silence". Caption of the beautiful sculpture by Thierry Courtadon that you will encounter on your route, alongside with great viewpoints.

This route starts at the Vulcania crossroads and begins with a long, fairly flat, open path before crossing the forest to reach these two magnificent volcanoes. The route can be done in either direction.

A short hike allowing you to discover many examples of well-preserved built heritage in the hamlets: fountains, wash houses, crosses, and the Louchadière water catchment, passing through woods and meadows.