Lavaudieu walks

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.

A loop on the first hills of Livradois, to the knoll of La Grive and then to the Montfaucon rock, which overlooks the mining basin and offers a beautiful view of Nonette, Ysson, Montcelet, the Sancy massif and the Cézallier.

This route allows you to admire the village of Léotoing and the ruins of its castle, and to discover the Alagnon valley, the Cézaliers mountains and the castle of Torsiac.

A beautiful long loop, rich in scenery and built heritage, on the heights of the Allier.

Boudes, its vineyards and the Vallée des Saints, known as the Colorado of Lembron.

Starting from Le Vernet, this walk offers beautiful panoramic views of the Devès at the summit of La Durande.

Randonnée au départ de Pouzeix, avec quelques bonnes montées et descentes, principalement à découvert. Point central à voir : l'Église Sainte-Claire de Saint-Hérent avec, depuis son promontoire, une vue sur les gorges du Ruisseau de Courbière.

This beautiful hike offers, in turn, a bird's eye view of the Château de Lavoûte-sur-Loire along the banks of the Loire, a distant view of the Château de Polignac and, finally, the discovery of two shepherd's huts in the heart of a vineyard that has almost disappeared.

This easy hike takes you along theGR® 65 (the famous Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle trail) to discover the chapel and keep of Rochegude, which dominate the Allier valley. Then a beautiful descent through a forest will take you to Pratclaux for a return to the village of Saint-Privat.

A walk to discover the village of Saint-Didier-d'Allier from above. A beautiful descent from Chier to Saint-Didier overlooking the Allier valley, the Rouchoux Gorges and the castle of Saint-Didier.The return to Saint-Privat d'Allier is partly along the road, but it is narrow and very beautiful.

Starting from Saint-Privat-d'Allier, a large mountain village at an altitude of 870 metres, follow this route to discover the imposing Treuil cave, with the added bonus of beautiful views of the Allier Gorges.

From the summit of Puy d'Ysson, there is a 360° panoramic view of the agricultural plains of Lembron. A lovely walk through fields, villages and forests.

Discover the landscapes of the Limagne and the hills of southern Puy-de-Dôme on a route focused on the vernacular heritage linked to water. A circular passing through around fifteen small buildings that bear witness to the daily activities of our ancestors (fountains, hemp tubs, wash houses, etc.).

The Bourianne lava flow is the result of an interesting geological phenomenon. Halfway through this hike, walkers will discover an imposing scree slope of basalt columns at their feet and, in the distance, the Forez Massif.

The hiking trail climbs up to the village of Les Roches, a prehistoric site currently undergoing restoration, then leads to Pardines via the plateau before descending through a beautiful acacia forest. Here you can see the outcrop of ancient lacustrine sediments, known as Lahres.

Starting from Saint-Flour, this tour of the northern part of the Planèze de Saint-Flour allows you to appreciate the diversity of the landscapes of this high basalt plateau in just three days of walking. The stages in Paulhac and Valuéjols offer accommodation in stopover lodges. The route follows part of a variant of the GR® de Pays de Saint-Flour and part of the GR®4.

This is the first of three stages of the Saint-Flour Planèze tour. It is the longest stage, passing through several small villages typical of the Planèze with their bread ovens, which provide welcome shelter for a short break in rainy weather. The very quiet paths and small roads run alongside meadows grazed by numerous herds of cattle in season.

A superb walk between the old volcanoes of the Comté region to the crystalline base cut by the Saint-Yvoine horst, with exceptional panoramic views.

A short hike to discover this village in the Devès region, a Cluniac site.

Starting from Le Puy-en-Velay, this route takes you to the summit of the volcanic Mont Denise. From the top, there is a breathtaking view of the Polignac fortress, the town of Le Puy and, in the background, the Mézenc massif.

This loop between Aiguilhe and the village of Polignac, classified as one of the "Most Beautiful Villages in France", combines sustained climbs, flat sections and fast descents. As you climb, it offers beautiful views of the town of Le Puy-en-Velay and the Polignac Fortress perched on its volcanic hill. Return via the path along the Borne.

Twenty to thirty thousand walkers set out from Puy-en-Velay every year to do the pilgrimage along the Way of St. James. Discover the Way of St. James by doing the first stage by foot. You can return to Puy-en-Velay in the evening in a special coach.

A beautiful trail with, halfway through the hike, the discovery of the Montpeloux volcanic crater and its many informative panels (geology, history of the volcano, fauna, flora, etc.), an undeniable bonus for curious children!

As you follow this route, discover Le Puy-en-Velay (the starting point of the Way of St James) and its monuments: the cathedral, Rocher Corneille and the Statue of Notre-Dame de France, the Saint-Michel d'Aiguilhe Chapel, the cloister, the town hall, the theatre, the Crozatier Museum and the Henri-Vinay Garden.

This circular walk passes by two must-see sites in the area: the Creux de l'Oulette and its waterfall, and the volcano of Montpeloux, a former basalt quarry converted into an open-air geological museum. At the end of the itinerary, you'll find a beautiful path along the Ance River.

Discover the Chibottes Valley, a site classified as a landscape of outstanding beauty since 8 March 2016. These small dry stone huts, built from stones cleared from the plots of land, were used as shelters by shepherds and farmers who cultivated orchards and terraced vineyards (known as "chambées"). This trail forms a loop, partly following the Way of St James on the way back.

This route is the first stage of a complete journey along the Chemin de Stevenson between Le-Puy-en-Velay and Alès. Please note that the signposting to follow the Chemin de Stevenson has been modified since 2016. On this first stage, following road repairs on the Le Puy bypass, this description follows this modified itinerary.

A 13-stage journey along the famous route described by Robert Louis Stevenson in his 1878 travel notes. This tour follows the complete route from le Puy-en-Velay to Alès.

Between gorges and plateaus, this circuit offers varied landscapes and paths with superb views of the Alleuze site.

This walk on the plateau allows you to walk on paving stones from the old Montpeyroux quarry, visit this magnificent wine-growing village and discover the banks of the Allier in the undergrowth.

This hike starts in Coubon, a village that marks the southern boundary of the Puy-en-Velay basin and opens onto the Loire Gorges.The route makes a wide loop around the Serre de la Fare, a site that was the subject of fierce debate between environmentalists and developers over a dam project that was abandoned in 1991.The hike takes place in wild surroundings with remarkable views of the Loire and the Devès plateau.

Between Issoire and Clermont-Ferrand, the broad, agricultural Limagne plateau boasts a number of beautiful villages with a rich built heritage: forts and ramparts, towers and keeps, fine winegrowers' houses, fountains and wash-houses.

A very beautiful walk, with views in all directions over the peaks of the Haute-Loire. An easy hike, although there is a slightly uneven descent at the end of the route, requiring good footwear.

An ideal place for a walk, Lac du Bouchet is reminiscent of a Canadian lake. A real gem in its forest setting, this circular lake of volcanic origin occupies the site of an ancient crater. The suggested route allows you to walk around it. It is a very easy walk that can be enjoyed by the whole family.

An easy hike around the Prabouré ski resort.

Short circuit to visit the Beaume waterfall. Wear good shoes for the descent to the waterfall. Avoid pushchairs. In summer, you can swim.

This route is the third stage of a complete journey on the Chemin de Stevenson between Le Puy-en-Velay and Alès. This is undoubtedly the easiest stage of the tour. The route follows the GR®70 (follow the well-known GR® markings). Please note the route may have been slightly modified from what is shown on the map, in particular to avoid a few short stretches of busy road.

North of Saint-Nectaire, the Plateau de Sailles offers beautiful views of Murol and the Couze Chambon valley. You will discover an ancient troglodyte settlement and some of the megaliths that dot the area around the village, known for its beautiful Romanesque church and cheese.

This walk begins in Saint-Saturnin, a village between the Monne Gorges and the Veyre Valley. The village is home to one of the most important Romanesque churches in Auvergne and a royal castle. The walk continues to Notre-Dame de Randol Abbey, passing through green, rolling countryside.

This hike allows you to discover the Montepo site, which has been developed by the Arkose Association. You will discover stromatolites, a geological curiosity of the tertiary limestone rocks of the Limagne plain. The view before you highlights the Limagne Fault and the associated volcanic activity (informative panels are provided). In May and June, many species of orchids bloom on these dry grasslands. Finally, the balcony trail along the cornices of the old terraces cultivated in the last century offers beautiful views of the medieval village of Saint-Saturnin and its castle.

This somewhat rugged circuit follows a narrow path along the Gorges du Bès and offers wonderful landscapes with the ruins of Arzenc d'Apcher Castle on the opposite bank (Lozère). The path then climbs slightly onto the plateau and the view widens beyond the gorges. Throughout the valley, a climbing site offers numerous equipped routes. Passing through the villages of Morsanges and Chazals, you can admire old bread ovens.

A hike on a volcanic plateau with views of the Chaîne des Puys, a world of stones and pastures; a few isolated villages, cows and a glimpse of the civilisation of the Arverni (Gauls of Auvergne) through standing stones and dolmens. A magnificent walk in all seasons.

This is an easy hike that we did with children aged 7 and 10. Maximum duration: 2 hours.

This excursion takes you from Arlempdes, listed as one of the Most Beautiful Villages in France since 1999, to Saint-Arcons-de-Barges... for a particularly pleasant stroll.

This walk offers a beautiful view of the hilltop village of Arlempdes (pronounced "Arlende"). Listed as one of "The Most Beautiful Villages in France", it occupies a stunning site on a rocky spur overlooking the wild gorges of the Loire.