In the Livradois hills in Auzelles

In Auzelles, park in the car park near the Church of Saint-Blaise. Note the Auzelles hiking sign near the local hiking sign La Croix Pradier, which follows this description exactly (updated itinerary).

Yellow markings

(S/E) Opposite the Auzelles signpost, go down the street in front of the church towards Fayet. Turn right onto the street, take the road on the right and cross the Miodet, which turns right onto Rue de Gaillard. Turn onto the first path on the right (signposted on the electrical cabinet) and head towards the hamlet of La Croix de Pradier.

(1) Follow the small road on the left and, just before the "Give Way" sign, turn right onto a path that runs alongside the D996 below. Further on, join this road and follow it carefully to the right for about a hundred metres before turning onto the first path on the right. You will arrive at a road at the Le Grand Chambois signpost.

(2) Continue on the path opposite, towards Fayet. Shortly afterwards, cross the D996 carefully and follow the path opposite. At a logging area, continue straight ahead, slightly to the left, then ignore a grassy path on the left and another further on. Ford a small stream and you will immediately come to a road.

(3) Follow it to the left, ignore a path on the left and take the second one about 100 metres further on. At a right-hand bend, ignore the grassy path that goes straight ahead and join a road, Chemin de Grun de Plat.

(4) Follow it to the right, then turn onto the first path on the left. Along this path, you will have a view of the Chaîne des Puys (on a clear day). You will come to a road. Follow it to the left and continue to a crossroads at the entrance to the hamlet of Le Mahut, with an iron cross.

(5) Turn left onto Chemin des Puys. At the next fork in the road, turn right onto Chemin de la Pruhlière. Further on, leave the road and take a path on the left that leads directly to La Pruhlière.

(6) Cross a road, continue straight ahead, passing to the left of a fountain cross, then a magnificent lime tree, and continue straight ahead on the street. There are some very pretty houses in this hamlet. At the end of the street, turn right onto a grassy path, which may be quite wet. Ford a stream and arrive at a T-junction with a path. Follow it to the left, join Le Besset and continue straight ahead on the road. You will arrive at a wider road.

(7) Follow it to the right. At a rubbish bin, leave the road and take a path on the right, ignoring a path on the right shortly afterwards. The path descends to Le Miolet.

(8) It runs alongside it for a few dozen metres (there are two good places to stop for a break by the stream), then climbs back up. On the right, you will see a kind of white slag heap, which is a remnant of an old lead mine. Join a road at Chabanettes.

(9) Follow it to the right, join the D996 and follow it to the left, carefully, for about a hundred metres. A few metres after the entrance to a house with a sign saying Moulin des Côtes de Chabanettes, take a path on the right, overlooking the Miodet, which it eventually joins at a footbridge at the bottom of Auzelles.

(10) Take the footbridge, go straight ahead and join a road. Follow it to the right, then turn left at the hairpin bend Impasse du Boulanger. Then turn right at the hairpin bend to reach the church and the car park (S/E).

Hike of moderate difficulty, rather easy, standard hiking equipment required.
In the Bois de la Frissonnette, which, like all woods in this region, is exploited, the paths can be more or less ravaged.

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

Photo album here
Saint-Blaise Church, unfortunately closed. Note the beautiful door.
The pretty hamlet of La Pruhlière, where you are not greeted by snarling dogs, which makes a pleasant change! Beautiful houses and a very beautiful lime tree.
Pleasant banks of the Miodet stream.
Between (8) and (9), on the right, the "white mountain", a slag heap from a former lead mine, now a Natura 2000 site under the name Cavité d'Auzelles.