Couze Pavin (rivière) à finaliser walks

A wander among the underbrush along the Couze Pavin, from bank to bank, flowing in cascades.

A Grand Tour of the beautiful and mysterious Lac Pavin, passing by the Puy de Montchal and the Creux de Soucy chasm.

An interesting hike due to its diversity: peat bogs, volcanic lakes, chasms and, depending on the season, a few orchids between (6) and (7).

Starting from the Le Clos hotel in Besse-et-Saint-Anastaise, this loop takes you around Lac Pavin using the discovery trail and theGR®30.

The hiking trail climbs up to the village of Les Roches, a prehistoric site currently undergoing restoration, then leads to Pardines via the plateau before descending through a beautiful acacia forest. Here you can see the outcrop of ancient lacustrine sediments, known as Lahres.

Hike in the Auvergne Volcanoes Park, starting from Besse (located an hour's drive south of Clermont-Ferrand). The discovery trail starting from the Hôtel le Clos combines wooded areas and open countryside, passing by Lake Pavin and Lake Montcineyre (swimming is prohibited in both). The trail is very well marked throughout (markings and signs).

On the snowshoe routes at the Pertuyzat resort, a very pleasant hike around Lake Pavin. You may be asked to pay €2.50 per person for the right to use the routes, for signposting and maintenance.

A superb hike around the Puy de Sancy, with many views of the surrounding area.

Access to Puy de Sancy on the way there via the east and north ridges of the Super Besse resort and return via theGR®4. Please note that two vehicles are required for this hike: one at the top of the resort and another at the Lac des Hermines car park.

Hike on both sides of the Couze Pavin valley between the feudal villages of Saint-Floret and Saurier. Each has remarkable medieval bridges and highly historic sites such as the Château de Saint-Floret, the Église du Chastel and the Maison du Louvetier de Saurier.

The route first follows the Couze Pavin, whose white water flows down from the crater lake of the same name, then climbs the plateau towards Chazeras, offering beautiful views of the magnificent village of Saint-Floret, then Tourzel, before descending to Saint-Cirgues-sur-Couze and its château.

A very beautiful route that takes you along the ridges of Sancy and through the medieval villages of Besse and Murol, betweenGR®4andGR®30. This route can be done in stages, staying in hotels or lodges. The addresses where we stopped will be indicated in the stage descriptions.

Starting from the historic town of Issoire, this hike follows the Couze Pavin, whose white water flows down from Lake Pavin, then the troglodytic village of Les Roches, which was still inhabited in the first half ofthe 20th century and has been beautifully restored, ending with a gentle slope towards Issoire, in a hilly landscape shaped by the Boulade stream.

If you only have one day to spend in Besse and its surroundings, this long hike will take you to the medieval village of Besse, the Couze Pavin, the Fontaine Goyon, the Puy de Montchal and Lac Pavin, a countryside dotted with farms where you can buy Saint-Nectaire cheese, and finally the Chiloza waterfalls.

Stage 4 of the 5-day route. This stage takes you from Mont Dore to Super Besse via the summit of Sancy. A very steep climb from Mont Dore, ending with a descent to the resort of Super Besse. See Practical information regarding certain restrictions.

First stage of a 5-day route. This stage takes you through the mountain pastures to the medieval town of Murol. A very pretty route ending near Lake Chambon.

While the Abbey Church of Saint-Austremoine is the undisputed jewel of Issoire, there are a few other pleasant surprises in store for you in the town, including small canals and beautiful architecture on the Place de la République.

A short hike rich in discoveries: the beautiful pagan calvary of Lomprat, the troglodytic site of Jonas, Pic Saint-Pierre topped by its chapel and offering a beautiful panorama of the Couze Pavin valley, not to mention the villages you pass through with their old houses, fountains and wash houses.

What a pleasure it is to leave "home" on foot, taking a path through the woods along a beautiful stream to discover one of the most beautiful medieval villages in Auvergne!