The Path of Saint Agatha

de fr

The route (a circular route) passes through the following villages: Thiers, Vollore-Ville, Augerolles, Olmet, Olliergues, Marat, Le Brugeron, La Renaudie, Vollore-Montagne, La Chambonie, and Sainte-Agathe. It passes through the municipalities of Escoutoux, Aubusson, Saint-Pierre-la-Bourlhonne and Celles-sur-Durolle.
The legend of Saint Agathe will inspire walkers along the route, much like other well-known trails (the Way of St James, the Stevenson Trail, etc.)

Details

n°271467
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 60.70 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5 days 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult
  • ⚐
    Back to start: No
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 10,633 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 10,335 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 3,593 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,014 ft

Photos

un peu d'humidité

Stages of the route

This route needs several days, find the details below:

  1. S

    Thiers - Les Quatre Vents

    ↔11.38 mi ↗1,998 ft ↘1,526 ft
    This first stage of the Chemin de Sainte-Agathe gives us the opportunity to take different PR®® trails. We pass through charming little hamlets: Lamouroux, Sardier, Grand Cognet, Laurençon and cross a few streams. Beautiful trees line the route, as well as numerous views of the Chaîne des Puys.From the village of Vollore-Ville, passing close to the castle, we descend towards the plain and reach the Gîte des Quatre Vents via the hamlet of Sauvetat.
    View the route
  2. 2
    Les Quatre Vents - Olliergues

    Les Quatre Vents - Olliergues

    ↔12.49 mi ↗1,906 ft ↘2,005 ft
    For the second stage of the route, we reach the right bank of Lake Aubusson, and after crossing the dam we follow aPR® path that climbs gently to take us to the village of Augerolles. We pass by the Pied de Bœuf site and reach the village of Olmet. We pass the Chamaly cross and descend gently towards the Dore valley to reach Olliergues town hall via a stepped street (Rue des Cors).
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  3. 3

    Olliergues – La Renaudie

    ↔11.84 mi ↗2,933 ft ↘1,230 ft
    Starting from Olliergues town hall, we head uphill along the cobbled path. Most of this third stage follows the white and green-marked ‘Tour de Pays’ trail as far as Le Brugeron. From Le Brugeron, head towards Le Grun de Batailler, passing the Begue mill (waterfall). Cross Le Clef. At La Croix de Sainte-Agathe, take a small road, pass through the hamlet of Rochefolle to reach the village of La Renaudie, where you’ll find the communal lodge.
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  4. 4

    La Renaudie – Sainte-Agathe

    ↔12.96 mi ↗1,673 ft ↘2,661 ft
    This fourth stage of the route is the longest and most challenging. We will often be walking at high altitudes (highest point: 1,153 m). We will follow the River Couzon before descending along good paths through the woodland towards Vollore-Montagne. The walk through the Ayguebonne Forest, near the Grun de Chignore, will take us to Sainte-Agathe.
    View the route
  5. E

    Sainte-Agathe - Thiers

    ↔12.03 mi ↗2,123 ft ↘2,913 ft
    For this last stage, we leave the village of Sainte-Agathe and head towards Thiers, passing by the Château de Vaulx, the hamlet of Luc and the Vallée des Rouets, where we take a footpath overlooking the Durolle before reaching Thiers, the capital of cutlery.
    View the route

Notes

Refreshments:
Stage 1 – At the start in Thiers, then in Vollore-Ville
Stage 2 – Augerolles and Olliergues
Stage 3 – Olliergues and Le Brugeron
Stage 4 – Vollore-Montagne
Stage 5 – In Thiers

Accommodation:

Stage 1

- Lodge of the Four Winds Tel: 04 73 53 16 94
Email: contact@4vents-auvergne.com
- Camping le Goutilier: Tel: 04 73 51 21 76
- Bed and Breakfast: Tel: 06 16 49 24 18

Stage 2
- Hôtel Migeon: Tel: 04 73 95 50 56. Email: migeonchristophe@orange.fr
- Camping des Chelles: Tel: 04 73 95 54 34.
- Guesthouse (Anne-Paule Chalet): Tel: 04 73 95 52 10.
- Chez l’Artiste in Cunlhat (the owners can collect you from Olliergues). Tel: 04 73 72 29 21 or 06 77 66 92 21. Email: fredericmoulin63@orange.fr
- Château de Chantelauze Tel: 06 61 55 18 09 – Fax: 04 73 95 55 12. Email: info@chateaudechantelauze.com
- Ana’chronique lodge in Marat (6 km from Olliergues) Tel: 06 38 40 48 44 or 04 73 95 38 12. Email: accueil@anachronique.fr.
- Hôtel Le Marat in Marat (6 km from Olliergues) Tel: 04 73 95 24 34.

Stage 3
- Hôtel La vie en rose: Tel: 04 73 72 04 26.
- Là ô Holiday Village, Le Bourg: Tel: 04 73 72 69 16.
- Barthom Ranch (Florence Barthod): Tel: 06 70 00 92 37 or 06 59 08 81 21. Les Gouttes, La Renaudie. flobarthod@hotmail.fr

Stage 4
- Rochemulet Stopover Lodge and Holiday Lodge (Sophie Pelissier): Tel: 06 60 40 00 63 / 09 60 12 72 84. sophiep@orange.fr
- Le Manoir de la Dardie: Tel: 04 73 51 51 25 or 06 67 49 87 55. Email: manoirdeladardie@orange.fr
- Hôtel des Touristes, Le Bourg: Tel: 04 73 53 77 50 or 06 82 15 67 14.

Stage 5
- Hôtel de la Gare, 30 Avenue de la Gare. Tel. – Fax: 04 73 80 01 41. Email: madanitfk@gmail.com
- Hôtel Parc Restaurant Le Clos Saint-Eloi, 49 Avenue Général de Gaulle. Tel: 04 73 53 80 80.
- Maison Conchette, Gîtes de France – Mr and Mrs LYCKE – 35 rue Conchette. Tel: 04 73 94 46 75 and 06 31 52 74 13 – Email: hugolycke@hotmail.com
- Minshuku (Nathalie Cambonie) - 2 Impasse des Tanneries - Tel: 06 25 98 59 35 - Email: contact@minshuku-thiers.com
- Au Jardin des Coeurs, 8 Rue Grenette - Tel: 06 07 58 23 11. Email: sian.vogel@gmail.com

Worth a visit

Places to visit during the second stage:

Olmet, a wayside shrine situated at the junction of the D37 and the D43, bears the inscription: ‘St Agatha protects travellers’.
• Off the route: a private wayside shrine in the hamlet of Sainte-Agathe
•Trees to see: After the hamlet of Commiot: a beautiful avenue of oak trees

Places to see during the third stage:

Le Brugeron: in the Church of Saint John the Baptist, a 19th-century polychrome statue adorns the central nave
•Off the route: a wayside shrine at a place called Le Coin and a custom forming part of the intangible cultural heritage, which involved invoking Saint Agatha to ward off storms
•La Renaudie, a hamlet of Sainte-Agathe, and a wayside shrine topped with a cross
•Tree of interest: just before Fougère, a chestnut tree planted in 1390

Places to see during the 4th stage:

In Vollore-Montagne, a cross at the western entrance to the village and at Sainte-Agathe Church: a statue and a stained-glass window
•In Sainte-Agathe, a 15th-century ‘Sant’Ague’ cross can be seen in the cemetery; Saint-Pierre Church is adorned with: paintings, stained-glass windows, statues, a banner, a reliquary and a bas-relief dedicated to the martyred saint.

You will find all the information you need on the website

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 2 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.5 / 5
Route interest
5 / 5
simrandoviso
simrandoviso

The St Agathe trail is mainly designed for cyclists. I stayed at a fixed accommodation: the Centre des Quatre Vents, which is very good. But I wanted to go on walking hikes starting from different points along the trail. I only found a few walking routes along this path; you have to be a walk-through traveller, which means carrying a rucksack – in other words, being a bit younger than me (I’m over 85).
I found these few walks mainly in guidebooks on the Forez–Livradois region

Thank you for your work in showcasing these walks. Finding walks for a group of walkers has become much easier than in the past, when we used to buy books or work with IGN maps.

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Céciloute29
Céciloute29

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 30, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A magnificent hike undertaken completely independently on my own. A few issues with the signposting, particularly after La Renaudie, where the markings indicate you should turn right when you actually need to carry on straight ahead… thank goodness I had the map! Another minor issue was that the markings pointed to a path that happened to be on the other side of an electric fence, so I had to take a detour. As it’s not a very busy route, I found myself completely alone on this hike, but I still managed to meet some lovely people in the villages!
I highly recommend the Chelles campsite for your stopover in Olliergues! And to round off the trip in style, the Hôtel de la Gare in Thiers – I have absolutely no regrets about choosing it! As well as being a charming place, the owner is exceptionally kind and generous, which will only make this walk even more wonderful
The walk is relatively easy apart from the final stage, which is certainly the shortest but also the most technical!
Enjoy the walk, everyone!

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catoche0473
catoche0473

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 08, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

We (two people) completed this route in five days, setting off on 8 May 2019.
The route is well signposted. We had a bit of trouble finding our accommodation (the Lodge des 4 Vents and the hotel in Olliergues were fully booked). Alternative options: the Goutillier campsite in Aubusson and the L’Artiste guesthouse in Cunlhat.
Magnificent views despite the poor weather.
A fairly challenging hike.

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Other walks in the area

Walking Thiers - Les Quatre Vents

Association / Club / Walk leader
↔11.38 mi ↗+1,998 ft ↘-1,526 ft ◔7h 00 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Thiers (Puy-de-Dôme)
This first stage of the Chemin de Sainte-Agathe gives us the opportunity to take different PR®® trails. We pass through charming little hamlets: Lamouroux, Sardier, Grand Cognet, Laurençon and cross a few streams. Beautiful trees line the route, as well as numerous views of the Chaîne des Puys.From the village of Vollore-Ville, passing close to the castle, we descend towards the plain and reach the Gîte des Quatre Vents via the hamlet of Sauvetat.

Walking The fortress of the cutlers

Visorando Member
↔3.47 mi ↗+715 ft ↘-689 ft ◔2h 15 ▲Easy
⚑Departure from Thiers (Puy-de-Dôme)
Thiers is a city of challenges. In this grandiose and isolated location in the heart of Auvergne, the inhabitants of Thiers have had to contend with a turbulent river, the Durolle, and the steep slopes of its gorges. Over time, thanks to numerous developments, this partially tamed river has ensured the industrial prosperity of the town, which is known as the cutlery capital of France.

Walking The Valley of the Waterwheels in Thiers

Visorando Member
La Vallée des Rouets à Thiers
↔1.40 mi ↗+400 ft ↘-417 ft ◔1h 00 ▲Easy
⚑Departure from Thiers (Puy-de-Dôme)
A trail themed around cutlery. As you follow the Durolle, you’ll step back in time as you discover the waterwheels, a type of mill powered by the river’s flow. They reveal the valley’s rich industrial past. The arrival of electrification in the 20th century eventually brought an end to these waterwheels.

Walking Les Quatre Vents - Olliergues

Association / Club / Walk leader
Les Quatre Vents - Olliergues
↔12.49 mi ↗+1,906 ft ↘-2,005 ft ◔7h 25 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Courpière (Puy-de-Dôme)
For the second stage of the route, we reach the right bank of Lake Aubusson, and after crossing the dam we follow aPR® path that climbs gently to take us to the village of Augerolles. We pass by the Pied de Bœuf site and reach the village of Olmet. We pass the Chamaly cross and descend gently towards the Dore valley to reach Olliergues town hall via a stepped street (Rue des Cors).

Walking The Vernières oak tree via the Chemin de la Pierre aux deux Yeux

Visorando Member
↔7.80 mi ↗+1,220 ft ↘-1,234 ft ◔4h 40 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Chabreloche (Puy-de-Dôme)
Hidden in the heart of the Bois Noirs, the Pierre aux Deux Yeux (Two-Eyed Stone) watches over the unwary hiker. If you escape it, the majestic old oak tree will grant you some of its serenity. Then take a break at the foot of the Roc du Guet rock formation, a place conducive to meditation.

Walking Le Puy de Montoncel

Visorando Member
Le Puy de Montoncel
↔7.50 mi ↗+1,516 ft ↘-1,493 ft ◔4h 45 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Palladuc (Puy-de-Dôme)
For much of this route, it is clear why we are walking through the Bois Noirs, as the light sometimes struggles to penetrate the foliage. In other places, however, tree felling has opened up the view, and the number of logs stacked along the paths is impressive.

Walking The Puy de Montoncel from La Lizolle

Visorando Member
Le Puy de Montoncel depuis la Lizolle
↔4.45 mi ↗+1,385 ft ↘-1,401 ft ◔3h 15 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Palladuc (Puy-de-Dôme)
The Giant of the Bois Noirs, whose summit is often shrouded in clouds or mist, can be approached from Lavoine or Saint-Priest-la-Prugne. For this walk, we chose to approach it via Palladuc. It is a fairly strenuous walk, but one that guarantees peace and quiet, wide open spaces and sweeping views over this part of the beautiful Auvergne region.

Walking In the footsteps of the Hospitallers in Courtesserre

Visorando Member
Sur les traces des Hospitaliers à Courtesserre
↔6.17 mi ↗+371 ft ↘-374 ft ◔3h 10 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Courpière (Puy-de-Dôme)
Today, the only remains still visible of the presence of the Knights Hospitaller of Saint John of Jerusalem, who were here from the Middle Ages until the French Revolution of 1789, are scattered: a deconsecrated church, a stone coat of arms serving as a base for a wayside cross, a round tower fitted with a gun port in a former fortified house, a chapel converted into a dwelling, and a few carved stones on the edge of a communal plot. Nothing suggested that the former parish of Courtesserre, which was merged with that of Courpière during the Revolution, would be home to a ‘chief’ commandery in a sparsely populated region described as infertile, far from any town, major transport route or path leading to a place of pilgrimage.

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