From the Mont Bar bog to the Potence d'Allègre

Parking is available 800 metres north of Allègre, on a small lay-by on the left-hand side of the Sembadel-Gare road.

(S/E) Cross the Sembadel Gare-Allègre road (D13), head north-east (away from Allègre) and take the path 50 metres to the right, before a farm building, and immediately right again, heading south.

(1) After 890 metres, the path crosses a first road at a place called La Mouteyre. Cross it and continue straight ahead, following the direction indicated by a clearly visible green sign for "Mont Bar volcanic site". Keep heading south, walking alongside a residential area.

500 metres further on, at a larger crossroads, several signs point to the left towards the Tourist Office, the police station, the secondary school, the nursery and the Mont Bar site. Take this left turn, marked in red and white (^GR® 40).

After 300 metres, this street continues along a path with a small sign indicating "Mont Bar", which is straight ahead. Follow this sign, ignoring the path on the left, and gradually climb up into the forest. Head east at first, then south-east.

(2) You will arrive at the northern edge of the 790,000-year-old volcanic crater. Information sign. Ignore the well-marked path on the right and head south-west, taking the path that descends towards the bog, slightly to the right. Continue to follow the^GR® 40. You will see another path on the left, heading south-west, which takes you to the Tour du Mont Bar, a building that was used at the beginning of the 20th century to produce topographical maps.

Go around the bog to the west along a very romantic path through a majestic beech forest. Several information boards provide details about the fauna, flora and human activity in the area. Before leaving the bog behind, note the small wooden footbridge on the left spanning an old drain built in the early 19th century.

(3) Shortly after this footbridge, the trail begins a rapid descent down the southern slope of the volcano and heads south-east.

(4) After a 400-metre descent, you will come to a path that you take to the right. You will still see the red and white markings of the^GR® 40 variant, which heads directly to Allègre without climbing Mont Bar. This path, halfway up the massif, offers beautiful views of the surrounding region and finally of the medieval village of Allègre, dominated by "La Potence", the remains of its castle.

(5) After 1.2km on this path, you will reach a wooden barrier, which you cross. Leave the^GR® and continue on a grassy track to the left, which continues as a small tarmac road near the first houses of the village of Allègre.

(6) At the bottom of the village, at the first crossroads, take the uphill lane opposite, Montée Saint-Martin. After 200 metres, you will reach the main road through the village. Cross it and continue straight ahead along Rue Baptiste Marcet.

(7) You will find yourself in front of the imposing Monsieur gate (remains of the fortifications of yesteryear). Take the steep cobbled lane on the left which leads to the hill (Mont Baury) where you can see "La Potence", the only significant remains today of what was once a magnificent castle.

At the top of this lane, cross a small tarmac road and reach the hill via a final small grassy path. Behind "La Potence" is an orientation table. Go around it to descend into the village via the small road on the right, which will take you to the foot of "La Potence" where a large sign provides information about the architecture of the castle and the history of the Baron d'Alègre family (with a single "L") who began its construction in the 14th century.

After the sign, turn left and join a road that leads back up to the site's car park (signposted). Take this small road on the right and 30 metres further down, turn left one last time to leave the village. Continue for 300 metres on this small road, heading north.

(8) Leave this road, which joins the Allègre-Sembadel Gare road below, and continue left on the grassy track marked in yellow.

After travelling 800 metres along this track, rejoin the road mentioned above and the abandoned road at the start (S/E).

Accessing the Mont Bar crater via the northern slope allows for a more gradual ascent. The southern slope, which you will use to descend, is much steeper.
Good footwear is essential and walking sticks may be useful for the very rugged descent.

For this hike, you may want to allow more time than indicated, as there is much to discover: the peat bog is interesting, the views are beautiful, and the remains of the medieval village may tempt you to explore the town: the Porte de Ravel (to the north), the mansions around the Place du Marchédial, the Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-l'Oratoire (16th-century Pietà), the Église Saint-Martin, the cross on the Place de la Grande Fontaine and its seven-sided base...

The walk can be extended with a tour of Mont Baury, at the foot of La Potence to the west and north-west.
For more information on these two sites, visit the town hall's interesting website: http://www.mairie-allegre.com/

15 km away: La Chaise Dieu and its abbey church.