Le Puy Saint-Romain above Saint-Maurice

Park in the car park on Rue de l’École, east of the town hall and Place du Lavoir.

(S/E) Leave the car park by walking up Rue de l'École towards Place du Lavoir. Turn right onto the uphill Rue du Saint-Romain and follow it towards the edge of the village.

(1) At the crossroads in front of the last house on the left-hand side of the street, turn right onto the path heading south-east. At the corner, you will see a low gate leading to the water collection wells (on the right-hand side of Rue du Saint-Romain).
The uphill path turns left towards Puy Redon at the three-way junction. At the three-way junction, take the left-hand path which continues uphill.

(2) At the crossroads where the Croix Vieille stands, continue straight ahead to the cattle grid designed to prevent animals from crossing whilst keeping the path open.
Leave the main path and take a grassy track on the left.

(3) Shortly afterwards, turn right. When you reach the previous path, turn left and, at the end of it, turn right to reach the summit of Puy Saint-Romain, where there is an orientation table. Enjoy the 360° view.

(4) Return along the same route in reverse until you reach the fork.

(3) Continue straight on along the descending path which skirts the southern flank of Puy Saint-Romain.
Once you reach the western flank of Puy Saint-Romain, at a crossroads just before entering a wooded area, take the left-hand path which winds down the western flank of the hill in a hairpin bend. At a clearing above the main path, take the left-hand path which crosses it and immediately joins a good forest track.

(5) Head to the right and follow the unpaved, vehicle-accessible path downhill. At the Chanserat crossroads, turn left and continue straight on to Saint-Maurice. As you approach the village, the path turns into a tarmac road known as Le Cros. It then becomes Rue de la Guelle.

(6) At the junction with Rue des Granges on the right, take a quick detour to see the wash house fountain on the corner with Rue de la Barrière.
Back at the junction, turn right into Rue de l’Ancien Four and turn left about twenty metres further on into Rue de la Halle. Continue straight ahead across Place du Tiari. Carry on straight ahead to the end of the street and turn right into the narrow lane leading back to Place du Lavoir. Head to the right to see a beautiful wash house fountain in front of the town hall.
Head down Rue de l'École to the left of the town hall and return to the car park (S/E).

The car park is located on Rue de l’École, east of the Town Hall and Place du Lavoir.
Road access: take the D758 to the upper part of the village of Saint-Maurice (south-east of Clermont-Ferrand) as far as the Grande Place. Turn right onto Rue Saint-Romain and, after the wash house on the right, take Rue de l’École to reach the car park.

This hike across varied terrain requires suitable footwear.

This walk does not present any real navigation difficulties as it is marked in blue and follows the “Le Puy Saint Romain” route published by the Livradois-Forez Tourist Office. In addition, it is advisable to follow the directions in the description and on the map, whilst paying close attention to the landscape. The waypoints (with their GPS coordinates and the distance from the starting point) serve as aids for hikers exploring the route for the first time.

Saint-Maurice
Halfway between Clermont-Ferrand and Issoire, the village of Saint-Maurice-ès-Allier, nestled in the hollow of the Puy Saint-Romain, in this jewel of the Val d’Allier, is a wine-growing village that has managed to preserve all its old-world charm.
There is no end to the road... thus escaping urban life, its pollution and its nuisances: the calm and gentleness of nature are part of daily life, a sense of well-being of which the inhabitants never tire!
The commune, comprising the villages of Saint-Maurice, Lissac and Sainte-Marguerite, enjoys excellent exposure and has a Provençal character, mainly due to its old, clustered houses built of limestone.
During this tour, you will therefore be able to discover the riches of this built heritage, as well as a strong identity linked to its springs, with its numerous fountains, its natural sparkling mineral water “Sainte-Marguerite” sold in all Intermarché stores across France, and the remains of a “fortified quarter”.

Its heritage
The wine press, situated at the entrance to the village, reminds visitors of the town’s wine-growing heritage.

The “castle”
A château, built by the Lord of La Molle Montboissier in the 16th century, overlooked the village and ensured the protection of its inhabitants.
It was captured and burned by the Germans in 1943, during the Second World War, and then restored by a private individual in 1970.
It is more of a "fortified house" consisting of a central block flanked by two square towers.

The postern
This is the former entrance gate to the fortification.

The church
Of the Romanesque style, it was built between the 10th and 12th centuries, then remodelled several times.
It features a Romanesque font and statues: Saint Romain (carrying his severed head) and Saint Verny (harvesting a vine).

The watchtower of the fortifications
At the foot of the church steps, it was partially demolished in 1960 and subsequently converted into a dwelling.

The wash house fountain
It consists of two wash houses and a section used for water supply.
On the east side, a carved mascaron may represent a personification of water in the form of a bearded man surrounded by foliage and scrolls.

Winegrower’s house
Typical of Limagne’s wine-growing architecture, it extends over three levels:
- on the ground floor: the wine-making room. The double doors facilitate the passage of loads. Openings in the door panels allow for ventilation. Below, the cellar is vaulted and dug directly into the ground.
- on^{the first} and^second floors: the living quarters, accessed via an external stone staircase leading to the porch. The projection provides shelter from the weather and fermentation gases.
- On the^third floor: the attic or loft.

The site of Sainte-Marguerite
Sparkling mineral water
Bordered by the Allier, Sainte-Marguerite is essentially characterised by its ‘miraculous’ springs. The Romans, great lovers of bathing, were already familiar with these springs and their virtues.
These springs have indeed shaped the area’s spa history. It was known as Sainte-Marguerite-les-Bains, where kidney ailments, liver and stomach diseases were treated...
There are six springs in total, three of which (La Chapelle, Le Héron and Valois) provide table water, whilst the other three (Brissac, Chapin and César) yield medicinal water.
Alongside its rich history, Sainte-Marguerite mineral water is located at one of France’s five carbonated sites.
This well-balanced sparkling mineral water, rich in magnesium and all essential minerals, is bottled without any treatment.
Now operated by the Intermarché Group, it is enjoying a real boom both nationally and even internationally. A reputation beyond doubt for “the water that forgives you everything!”
Source: the town’s official website