Lavaudieu walks

Lavaudieu, listed as one of the "Most Beautiful Villages in France", will be the starting point for your hike. During the first part of the hike, you can admire beautiful views of the Cézallier, the Massif du Sancy and the Puy de Dôme. During the second part, you will follow the Allier gorges on a balcony trail. During the last part, you can discover a magnificent chapel and pastoral meadows.

Lavaudieu is one of the most beautiful villages in France. This walk invites you to leave the village and stroll through the surrounding hills, passing through villages such as Buze, whose houses are built of red arkose.

Along the Vallée de Dieu (Valley of God), the former name given to the Senouire valley, this walk combines the pleasure of walking with the discovery of the Haute Loire's heritage. It takes us from the village of Lavaudieu, one of the most beautiful villages in France, to the impressive towers of the medieval castle of Domeyrat.

In good weather, this route offers superb panoramic views of the Auvergne mountains at Fiossat. From the coudert (communal land) at Le Pin, you will have a magnificent view of the Château de Domeyrat. A visit to Vals-le-Chastel is a must: castle, church and seigneurial chapel. At Frugières station, you can visit the Resistance Museum and, on the way back, don't miss the church in Frugières.

The route follows a variety of paths and landscapes, offering superb panoramic views of the Auvergne mountains, including the Puy de Dôme and the Allier valley. The trails lead to pastures, woods and streams.

A short walk around the church of Vieille-Brioude, in an open-air eco-museum dedicated to vines and wine, in the form of a succession of small priests' gardens.

This route allows you to discover the Senouire valley between Domeyrat and Esbelin, a small "limagne" (flat area) framed by wooded slopes. The Senouire accompanies you with its murmurs all along the route, where you can sometimes hear it without seeing it. The majestic 12th-century feudal castle with its imposing ruins dominating the village is sure to impress, and the old Romanesque bridge completes the medieval feel of the village.

During this leisurely stroll, you’ll discover the banks of the Allier, the Limagne de Brioude plain and the village of Cohade.

Starting from the Lavaux Pond (the pond is a former clay quarry), the route crosses pastures and fields and then reaches the woods on the heights of Saint-Préjet-Armandon.This route passes through villages with houses built from basalt stones from a distant volcanic period. Take the time to wander through the villages and notice the old workshops of blacksmiths and carpenters, and the communal ovens. Listen carefully and you may hear the sound of a hammer on an anvil or a carpenter's saw... These villages, once bustling with activity, are now quiet.

A discovery walk in Brioude, a small town in Auvergne boasting one of the most beautiful Romanesque churches in the region, the Basilica of Saint-Julien.

This route passes through the villages on the eastern side of the Paulhaguet basin called Le Chaliergue. It corresponds to the lower volcanic plateau of Paulhaguet, at around 600 m, drained by the Senouire. The name was once written Callianicum and refers to stones, a stony area; it is also known as the Paulhaguet plateau. The panorama opens up from Jaroussier and Scombalou.

This route passes through fir forests and a few pastures, reminders of a bygone era of pastoral farming.The Grattepaille honey farm is breathing new life into this beautiful region.

The commune of Saint-Didier-sur-Doulon covers a large area of around 35 hectares and comprises around 30 villages and hamlets. During this route, you will discover some of them, all bearing witness to a rural past where agriculture was the main activity. You will discover a chapel, an old school and some splendid views.

This route starts at the lowest point in the commune of Saint-Didier and leads to almost the highest point. You will discover a castle, a remarkable sequoia tree, the ruins of a mill and splendid views.

Following this route, you will pass successively through forest, fields and pastures. You will discover the volcanic activity of the village of Moissac Bas, its pond and its forming peat bog.

Discover Saint-Didier-sur-Doulon by following the course of the Doulon river, which once powered numerous mills. Pass through the undergrowth and villages where you will find chapels and wash houses.

You will discover two landscapes. The walk starts in Chassagnes, crosses part of Chaliergues (the Paulhaguet basin), an area dedicated to agriculture, then climbs gradually through the woods, passing through hamlets that are mostly restored and inhabited.

This circular path offers a continuous and exceptional panorama of the Allier valley. The path is made up of rounded stones, where you can sometimes see the tracks of the iron wheels of carts. Although today the landscape is a heath where bushes, broom and prickly pears grow, before the phylloxera attack it was an important vineyard. As you pass through the village of Chazieux and the old town of Saint-Ilpize, you will notice numerous wine cellars. Today, the vineyard is being revived. Vines are planted in the village of Auzat on the left bank and the old grape varieties are preserved in the vine conservatory located before the village of Chazieux.

Starting from Allevier, the route climbs through fields and villages, then enters the woods. Throughout the route, you will have a splendid view of the Sancy, Cézallier, Cantal and Margeride mountains.

Take a stroll through the southern part of the commune near the village of Le Boucharel, where woodland, fields and meadows alternate. Relive the past through rustic ruins, old farming equipment and modern-day agriculture set in unspoilt countryside. In summer, this route is shaded.

The route passes through coniferous woods and magnificent beech forests, offering welcome shade if you walk it in summer. Recent logging has opened up the view to the right bank of the Doulon valley, revealing superb panoramic views.

A walk through woodland, vineyards, farmland and orchards in the plains and mountains of Livradois.

At the start of the route, the Senouire accompanies you to Sainte-Marguerite. After Barbason, the Ribeyrette greets you as it flows into the Senouire. Sainte-Marguerite welcomes you with its history and tranquillity. A superb panorama awaits you at Le Rif. Walk around the hamlet and see the rounded corners of some of the houses. Continue the route towards La Vizade and rejoin the Senouire at Barbanson.

The trails on this route will take you on a journey of discovery through the villages on the outskirts of the market town of Laval-sur-Doulon. Most are permanently inhabited. The two mills at Diat and Le Vialard have ceased operations, but their ‘engine’, the River Doulon, still flows. The trails are often shaded, so you can hike here in summer.