The Jolan route

de fr

This hike starts in Nizerolles, a small village at the foot of the Monts de la Madeleine. It takes you across the River Jolan three times and partly follows the Tacot de la Montagne Bourbonnaise platform, the former departmental railway line that linked Vichy and Laprugne until 1949.

Details

n°491010
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 8.62 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 55 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 162 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 170 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 545 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 450 m
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Photos

Old railway line
The Jolan Valley

Description of the walk

Start from the car park at the foot of the church in Nizerolles.

(S/E) Go down the D121 and cross the Jolan.

(1) Go up the path on the left and follow it to a small road.

(2) At the small tarmac road, turn left and follow it for about 500 metres.

(3) At the fork, take the wide track on the left. This track has replaced the Tacot de la Montagne Bourbonnaise railway line. Follow it straight ahead to the hamlet of Buisson.

(4) At the hamlet, take the small tarmac road on the left for about 500 metres.

(5) At a bend in the road on the left, take the sunken lane on the right. This is actually a continuation of the road you have just taken. Cross the Ruisseau des Mits stream and you will reach a road.

(6) Turn left. Very quickly, the tarmac gives way to a stony path. Cross the previous stream again and you will reach a road.

(7) Turn right and follow this road to the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 479 m - Car park at the foot of the church in Nizerolles
  2. 1 : km 0.5 - alt. 452 m - Path climbing to the left
  3. 2 : km 1.25 - alt. 504 m - Turn left at the road
  4. 3 : km 1.88 - alt. 515 m - Turn left at the fork
  5. 4 : km 4.74 - alt. 532 m - Tarmac road on the left
  6. 5 : km 5.48 - alt. 521 m - Sunken path on the right
  7. 6 : km 6.31 - alt. 531 m - Turn left at the road
  8. 7 : km 7.29 - alt. 518 m - Road on the right
  9. S/E : km 8.62 - alt. 479 m - Car park at Nizerolles church

Worth a visit

During the hike, you will walk along the platform of the old railway line that connected Vichy and Laprugne until 1949. There are numerous illustrated information panels along the route.
Nearby: don't miss the 11th-century Romanesque church in Châtel-Montagne.

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 14 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.9 / 5
Route interest
3.9 / 5
User 14152704

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 04, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Very nice tour

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Mariec30
Mariec30

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 15, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Nice walk in the countryside, but without any particularly beautiful views and too much tarmac for my liking. Dog-friendly walk.

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Falsa
Falsa

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 08, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk with no difficulty whatsoever

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lalias
lalias

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 29, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A good hike to get back into shape after the holidays.
Follow the clear signposts from Nizerolles church

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les trois sœurs +
les trois sœurs +

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

perfect, very pleasant and very easy

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laucx72
laucx72
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 27, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The route can be enhanced by:
- north of Nizerolles (about 1 km away, crossing the hamlet of Le Lion, then heading towards Régnier), access on the right to a small path leading to an orientation table (marked in purple on the map at an altitude of 545 m): beautiful view of the skyline of the Massif Central peaks and, on the other side, in the distance, the remarkable church of Chatel-Montagne.
- to the south-east, from the hamlet of Le Buisson, you can reach the commune of Le Mayet-de-Montagne by following the Tacot Bourbonnais route: there is a pleasant square behind the church with benches for lunch in the shade (+ toilets at the town hall next door) (eating options nearby: restaurant, patisserie).
Note that we did the walk starting and ending on foot from the 'Le Tulipier du pin' lodge in the hamlet of 'Le pin' in the commune of Nizerolles: a very good place that offers both accommodation and meals (traditional home cooking) and a very warm welcome from a couple of artists, a painter and a sculptor.
It should be noted that the route along the Tacot path is dotted with beautifully made signs recounting the history of this regional train that left a lasting impression.
Note that the spelling of the hamlet of Les Mits varies: you will also find "Les Myts" (with a "y").
A lovely walk with beautiful panoramic views in some parts.
It should be noted that Nizerolles is also the crossing point of the Route de Saint Martin: there is a "via santi Martini" sign next to the church in Nizerolles. According to our information, this is a path that leads from Poitiers (Ligugé to be precise) to Hungary.

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Gesc
Gesc

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 16, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

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Mr Ecureuil
Mr Ecureuil

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 05, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

A beautiful walk, interesting for its historic route along the old railway line. However, it is essential to bring something to drink for this hike at this time of year. We really liked the oak-lined paths along the pastures. In terms of photo opportunities, I think it must be more interesting in spring...

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bddp
bddp

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 08, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant short hike with nothing particularly noteworthy except for the section along the old Tacot railway line and its interesting explanations. Contrary to other reviews, it is best avoided in very hot weather as there are not many shaded areas. There are a few sections along minor roads, but traffic is very light. There are some great opportunities for picking blackberries if you are a fan and have brought containers with you.

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samantha92
samantha92

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 01, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A very pleasant walk, mostly in the shade.
Very easy.

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delmasm
delmasm

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 03, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

pleasant, easy, well-shaded walk

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azertybole
azertybole

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 12, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average

I agree with the previous comments.

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major03
major03

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 08, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average

A pleasant and easy route through nature, unfortunately without many viewpoints, which is a shame... The history of the old tram line is well explained on various information boards along the route.

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Marcheur solitaire
Marcheur solitaire

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 19, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A short, easy hike with very little elevation gain, very gentle ascents and descents, a little too much tarmac, but peaceful – we only encountered one car.
The route takes 2 hours and 10 minutes at a leisurely walking pace. These little paths and the landscape are very pleasant.
The information boards about the little old car from the Bourbonnais mountains are worth reading.
A tree was blocking one of the paths, so I will report this to the Nizerolles town hall.

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