Hamlets of the Plateau des Dômes

In Aurières, arriving via the D561, park at the side of this road at the entrance to the village, more or less opposite the cemetery, on a grassy area that serves as a car park.

(S/E) Head towards the centre of the village, where you can see the church tower, immediately crossing a bridge over the Gigeole, which is barely noticeable, then passing by a fountain. Ignore two streets on the left, then at the next intersection, do not head towards the church (on the left) but continue straight ahead (ignoring the green cross sign) in the direction of Nébouzat (road sign).

You will arrive at a sort of square with a fountain. Continue along the road to the right. Ignore a street on the left, then, at a farm shed on the right-hand side of the road, turn onto the path on the left.

(1) At the T-junction, turn right onto a path that offers a clear view of the plateau. Continue straight ahead until you reach a T-junction with a red barrier on the left, turn right and join a road.

(2) Follow it to the left for about 200 metres, then take the first path on the left. It leads to a wider path, marked in red and white (^GR®®30).

(3) Turn right and join a road at the "918m" marker. Immediately take the path on the left, towards "Olmont". You will come to a wider path; follow it to the left and you will soon see the "856m" marker. Continue straight ahead towards "Olmont" and immediately cross the Gorce.

(4) Shortly after, at a bend in the path to the left, continue straight ahead along the path marked with a green PR® sign. Further up, join a stony path and follow it to the right (green markings). Ignore a path on the right, then another on the left, and you will arrive at the "Olmont" signpost.

Follow the green markings to the left and the direction of "Neuville" (ignore the markings for the circular route, which branches off to the right). Follow the green markings as you cross the hamlet of Olmont: at the first intersection, turn left, then, at a small iron cross, ignore the Rue de la Batteuse on the right.

(5) As the road curves to the right, follow it, leaving the green markings which continue straight ahead. Ignore the road on the right which leads back to Olmont, then continue to Vareilles. At the first intersection, go down to the right to pass in front of the fountain topped with a cross, then go up to the left.

(6) At the next intersection, turn left onto Rue de Pouzeix. Ignore Rue de la Charreyre on the right and the most obvious path straight ahead, and follow a slightly grassy dirt path between the two. Continue along this path, which becomes increasingly grassy, until you reach a road, and follow it to the right.

(7) At the crossroads, with a road on the right, take the path on the left. Immediately after, ignore the path that goes straight ahead and go down the path (no vehicles) on the right. Then ignore a small path on the right and, at the fork, turn left.

At the T-junction, go left (ignore the blue and red mountain bike markings on the right). Cross the Sioule and reach the hamlet of Voissieux.

(8) At the first intersection, turn left, then right and left again for a round trip to the castle entrance. Return to the centre of the hamlet and, at the crossroads (old wash house on the left), continue straight on along the road (do not follow the red and white^GR®® markings).

Turn onto the first path on the left, following the brown mountain bike signs. You will come to a road with a small iron cross. Follow it to the left, then take the gravel path (brown mountain bike signs) that branches off to the left to reach Juégheat. Ignore Rue des Hirondelles on the right.

(9) You will come to a street opposite the blacksmith's forge (swing), which is part of a beautiful ensemble of small heritage sites: a fountain and, further up on the right, an oven and a wash house. Turn left at the intersection and go up Rue des Sources on the right to a beautiful fountain-wash house and an ornate iron cross. Retrace your steps.

(9) Continue straight ahead, passing the "Rue de Chantegrelet" sign and following the red and white^GR®® markings. Further on, leave the road and the red and white markings and follow a path on the right.

(10) At a fork, keep left, following the brown mountain bike and green^PR®® markings, which you will follow until otherwise indicated (green signs or simple lines). Cross a road and continue straight ahead, cross the Sioule river again (yellow sign), then ignore a path on the right and continue between pastures, sometimes in the undergrowth.

(11) Turn onto the first path on the left, ignore a path on the right and come out onto a small road at a stream, the Sioulet. Follow the road to the left. You will arrive at an old farm where the road ends. Continue on the path that climbs to the right to return to the plateau.

(12) Turn onto the first path on the right, leaving the mountain bike trail but continuing to follow the green trail markers. At the entrance to Neuville, ignore a street on the left and arrive at a crossroads with a picnic table, an oven, a fountain and a large cross on the right.

Go straight ahead between the oven and the cross to take a street marked in green, but you will also find the brown mountain bike trail markers. Ignore a path on the right and then, at the fork in the road, keep to the right.

(13) At the next intersection, leave the green and mountain bike markings and turn onto the path on the left. Further on, the path descends to join the Gorce at the Moulin de Neuville. Ignore the path on the left, cross the stream and climb up the other side. Back on the plateau, pass in front of a small iron cross.

(14) Ignore a path on the left, rejoin the green and brown mountain bike markings, then reach the first houses of Aurières. Ignore a path on the right, then, temporarily off the marked trail, follow the first street on the right. When you reach a fountain, take the street on the right (between the fountain and a cross), then keep left until you reach the town hall, with the wash house opposite and the church on the right.

Go straight ahead between the wash house and the church, then follow the green and brown mountain bike markings and turn right. Continue straight ahead, following the same route as on the way out, to return to the car park (S/E).

Hike of moderate difficulty, leaning towards easy. Paths and small roads. Standard hiking equipment.

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

Traditional rural architecture, fountains, wash houses, ovens, particularly in Juégheat.

Voissieux Castle.

Views of the Chaîne de Puys and the Monts Dore.

Vallons de la Gorce and de la Sioule, two beautiful Auvergne streams.

Tranquillity guaranteed.