Le Gour de Tazenat

A perfect circle 700 m in diameter and approximately 66 m deep, the Gour de Tazenat is a crater lake or maar whose clear waters are home to a variety of aquatic fauna.
A path through the undergrowth allows everyone to walk around it easily.

Details

n°24049188

Creation:
16 Jul 2022

Last update:
03 Aug 2022

Last review:
01 Sep 2025

Activity: Walking
Distance: 6.45 km
Average duration: 2h 10
Difficulty: Easy
Back to start: Yes
Ascent: + 108 m
Descent: - 114 m
Highest point: 738 m
Lowest point: 630 m

Country: France
Areas: Massif central, Chaîne des Puys
District: Charbonnières-les-Vieilles (63410)
Start/End: N 45.980601° / E 2.985408°
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Photos

Description of the walk

North-west of Riom, between Manzat and Charbonnières-les-Vieilles, on the D19. Gour de Tazenat car park.

(S/E) From the car park, take the path that climbs towards the gour. Turn right and walk along the lake to the beach. Climb to the right at the edge of the woods to the D17 road, leaving the shortcut on the left.

(1) Turn right, then left to cross the village of Les Forges and continue to a four-way crossroads after a pond.

(2) Turn left onto a path and climb up to a T-junction.

(3) Turn left and continue to the D17 (view of the Morge valley and the Combrailles). Follow it to the left until the bend.

(4) Leave the D17 and continue straight ahead along the tarmac path. Pass a first four-way crossroads and continue along this path until you reach another crossroads.

(5) Take the path on the left (view of Gour de Tazenat, Chaîne des Puys, Combrailles). After the car park, turn left (no entry) to go down to the lake. Turn right after the bar to return to the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

S/E : km 0 - alt. 637 m - Gour de Tazenat car park
1 : km 1.2 - alt. 699 m - D17
2 : km 1.75 - alt. 680 m - Crossroads
3 : km 2.84 - alt. 736 m - T-junction
4 : km 3.73 - alt. 716 m - Turn on the D17
5 : km 4.95 - alt. 705 m - Crossroads
S/E : km 6.45 - alt. 637 m - Gour de Tazenat car park

Notes

For your safety, always carry a bottle of water, a hat, warm and rainproof clothing, and wear suitable walking shoes.
Some sites are fragile, so stay on the marked trails. Avoid picking wild flowers and disturbing wildlife. Pick up your rubbish.

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5

Based on 11 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.9 / 5

Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5

Route interest
4.5 / 5

thierry et myriam

01 Sep 2025 at 11:20 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 01, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Easy hike through beautiful landscapes, magnificent view of the gorge. Very pleasant and refreshing forest trails. Less interesting sections through fields along the road

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Sergio40

04 Aug 2025 at 09:18 7200

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 04, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant short circuit crossing forests followed by paths through fields, which are perhaps a little less interesting. The view of the Gour de Tazenat is magnificent and you can also admire the Auvergne mountains. However, I found that the hike itself was not very busy in the second half of July, as most holidaymakers were at the swimming spot.

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RichardetMariePierre

30 Jun 2025 at 13:05 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 08, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Great hike with beautiful views of the Gour. A refreshing walk through the forest at the start. We'll definitely do it again if we're back in the area. Perhaps best avoided in the height of summer when it's busy. 5/5 thanks for posting this hike on the website.

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Christi19

21 Oct 2024 at 14:39 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 18, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

An easy hike through beautiful scenery, with a magnificent view of the gorge. A little crowded on a nice day, it's certainly very busy in summer.
Thank you for this suggestion.

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moulipat

31 Jul 2024 at 17:13 7200

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 31, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Nice hike with a beautiful (2) view of the lake at the end of the route. Please note that you can also walk around the lake near the shore before arriving, but I don't recommend it except for experienced parish-specific to Brittany hikers because the trail is very difficult and sometimes non-existent. It was a big mistake for us, but otherwise you can access the beach and return to the starting point.

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JMSoulier

01 Jan 2024 at 15:00 3600

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 24, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant and easy hike, ideal just before a meal on 24 December.

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daucher

02 Oct 2023 at 11:10 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 02, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Nothing else to report.

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Loïc Frémont

12 Sep 2023 at 19:07 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 05, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful and enjoyable hike, with a large part of the route through the undergrowth. Beautiful views of the lake and numerous information panels on geology and botany.
A very easy hike, even for older people.

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cordi rocco

29 Jul 2023 at 16:20 7200 • Edited: 29 Jul 2023 at 17:35 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 29, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Starting from the car park at Gour de Tazenat, we followed the path that leads to the lake, following the marked trail along the entire route. When we reached the viewpoint, we stopped for lunch and admired the scenery. For the return trip, we followed the path that goes around the lake, ending up at the refreshment bar.
A very beautiful, easy walk that anyone can enjoy.

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Patie86

16 May 2023 at 18:40 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 16, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful hike with varied scenery, almost always with a view of the lake, which is an incredible colour!
Lots of geological and botanical information, which was much appreciated.

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LN83

12 Sep 2022 at 15:19 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 23, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Thank you for this very peaceful and enjoyable route.
Given the season, we were able to pick a few blackberries here and there...