Discover the spa district of Châtel-Guyon

In Châtel-Guyon, leave your vehicle in the car park/motorhome area, south-east of the town centre, accessible via Avenue de Russie.

(S/E) Leave the car park and head towards Avenue de Russie. Notice the pretty house on the right and turn left. Shortly afterwards, at a large abandoned building, take a few steps into the courtyard (gate is open) to see some street art, then continue along the avenue, paying attention to the façades of the old hotels and beautiful residences that line it. At the crossroads of four streets, turn right onto Rue d'Angleterre, which is also lined with beautiful mansions, in particular a remarkable row of four houses at the beginning of the street on the left. You will arrive at a terraced square, Place Brosson.

(1) Walk down towards the theatre and take the street on your left, Avenue Baraduc. At the fork in the road, turn left onto Rue du Docteur Levadoux and walk to the pretty building that houses the post office. At the corner of this building, go down a few steps and continue along the street, which curves to the left. You will come to another street; turn right to return to Avenue Baraduc.

(2) Walk back and forth to discover other architectural treasures on this street, then return to this intersection.

(2) Turn right onto Rue du Sardon, then immediately turn right onto Rue du Moulin. At the T-junction, turn left, walk along the car park on your right and, at the end, leave the street and follow a paved path on the right, which enters the Parc Thermal. Ignore the side paths and follow this paved path, passing between the theatre and the Grand Thermes, to reach the bottom of Place Brosson.

(1) Do not go back up, but stay on the left, on the paved path that goes into the park, pass the Grand Hall (Deval, Louise and Marguerite springs) then turn left onto a concrete path that runs alongside the Sardon stream on your left. Observe the sparkling water resurgences that leave orange concretions along the stream. Pass the kiosk and continue to the cave of the former Source Marguerite trading post.

(3) Turn left at the hairpin bend and climb a flight of steps, continuing along the path with a balustrade on your right until you reach an opening in the balustrade. Go through it and turn right onto the tarmac path on the other side, then, immediately afterwards, climb a few steps to reach a dirt path on the left and follow it to the right. Continue straight ahead, ignoring the paths that branch off to the left, and exit the park on Avenue de Russie, opposite the car park (S/E).

Very easy walk, no special equipment required.

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

Photo album here

Beautiful architecture along the streets of the spa town.
A brief history of the town via this link and a more detailed history here
History of the Pavillon des Source via this link

Nicknamed "gargouilloux" (gurglers) for their noisy gushing, the springs of Châtel-Guyon are said to have beneficial properties, according to popular legend. Farmers would bring their animals to the bed of the Sardon (a stream into which some springs still flow today) to heal their wounds.
It was not until 1817, more than a century later, that the first baths were built in Châtel-Guyon by the municipality. Unable to renovate this establishment, it organised the concession of the springs and entrusted their management to two renowned businessmen: the Brosson brothers...
Read the rest of the story here