Majonenc Pond, Coustie Dolmen and Châteauneuf Organs

Park in the car park at Riom station, north of the village, on the D3.

Green markings (not always clearly visible when we passed through)

(S/E) Go around the station to return to the D3. At the roundabout, go around it on the right and follow the D49 (towards Saint-Étienne de Chomeil, cheese dairy on the left).

(1) When the road curves to the right, continue straight ahead (towards the Châteauneuf climbing rock). Immediately ignore a road on the left. About 100 m further on, take the path on the right. At the intersection, at a cross, turn onto the path on the right and join the D49.

(2) Follow it to the left and take the first path on the right to reach La Molier. Pass a few farm buildings.

(3) At the first houses, follow the tree-lined path on the left (Étang de Majonenc hiking route marked in blue). Ignore two paths on the right, then one on the left, and you will come to a fork in the road.

(4) Keep to the right; the path on the left is the return route. Cross a stream and you will come to a path. Follow it to the left, uphill, to reach the Étang de Majonenc. Continue along the path on the right, which runs alongside the lake on your left before veering away from it.

(5) At the four-way intersection, take a detour to the left to enjoy the pond a little longer.

(5) Back at the crossroads, continue left and join a road. Follow it to the right for about 50 metres to reach a road, then follow it to the left for about 200 metres.

(6) Before reaching Journiac, in a bend in the road to the left, follow the path straight ahead. You will arrive at a village street at a crossroads, where you should turn left. Turn onto the second street on the right, then continue straight ahead to leave the village. Shortly afterwards, the street gives way to a path.

(7) At the crossroads, continue straight ahead, and do the same at the next crossroads. Stay on this path until you see a barn on the left (a place called Font Piagui). Continue for another hundred metres until you reach the intersection with a hairpin bend on the left.

(8) Turn onto this path and head towards the barn. Immediately after the building, bear right and follow the path through the woods (go through any gates if they are closed). Ignore the paths leading off to the left and continue to the hamlet of Pons.

(9) At the entrance to the hamlet, follow the grassy path on the right which joins a road. Follow this road to the right for about 100 metres. Turn onto the path on the left. At the T-junction, turn left, cross a stream and, immediately at the fork, follow the path on the left which cuts across a bend in the road. Find the path again and follow it to the left. You will come to a road.

(10) Follow it to the right, cross the hamlet of La Floret and arrive at a T-junction. Follow the road to the right and cross the hamlet of La Coustie.

(11) At the end of the hamlet, take a path on the left, signposted Dolmen. About 200 m further on, you will see the dolmen under a tree in the meadow on the right, about 100 m from the path. To reach it, you have to go under a fence. Then return to the path and continue to the right. You will come to a track.

(12) Follow it to the left. Further on, on the left, you will see the small basalt columns, Orgues de Châteauneuf, then pass a small chapel on the left and continue along the road, leaving the green markings that lead off to the right onto a path.

No markings

You will come to an intersection.

(13) Follow the road to the left, then take the second path on the right.

(14) At the crossroads, turn left and head towards La Grange. Continue along the road. At the crossroads, continue straight ahead along a grassy path. At the fork in the path, keep to the right and you will come to a road.

(15) Follow the path opposite, which leads back to the edge of the Étang de Majonenc. Walk along the left-hand side of the pond and, at the end, continue straight ahead on the path to reach an intersection you passed on the way there.

(4) Take the same route back as on the way there to return to the hamlet of La Molier.

(3) At the road, turn left, then ignore all the streets on the left and leave the hamlet. Continue along this small road, which crosses the hamlet of La Volumard, then joins the D49.

(16) Follow it to the left and return to the intersection you passed on the way there.

(1) Take the reverse route of the outward journey on the D49 to return to Riom station (S/E).

Medium difficulty hike, standard hiking equipment required.

The Visorando app is recommended as the signposting is often inadequate (in 2020).

Alternative: If you don't like tarmac or trails that are a little too overgrown, it is better to start from La Molier (3) for a simple 12.7 km circular route.

Barriers are not always easy to pass and there are stile steps near the Font Piagui barn.

You will need to crawl under a fence to reach the dolmen. Do not attempt to cross if there are herds present.

Discover more hikes in this area with a description or the Visorando app here

Photo album here

Dolmen de la Coustie. It is possible that this "dolmen" is, in fact, simply a pile of rocks, see here

Information on the formation process of basalt columns here and here

The Étang de Majonenc is an artificial lake mentioned as early as 1789 on Cassini's map.