The Vernassal Stream

de fr

This pleasant route, partly through woodland along the stream or across farmland, offers views of Torsiac Castle in the foreground and then Léotoing Castle.
In the background lies the Alagnon valley.

Details

n°1276905
Creation:
Last update:
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 5.96 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 15 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 554 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 561 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 2,277 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,726 ft
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Photos

Bionsac Castle

Description of the walk

Access to the start: from Lempdes-sur-Alagnon, follow the D653 towards Grenier-Montgon.
Then head towards Vernassal (on the left). Enter the village, where parking is available in the centre.

Signposting: Yellow.

(S/E) On leaving the village, take the track on the right, follow the Vernassa stream and stay on the main path.

(1) At the crossroads near a bridge, take the path on the right towards the fields.

(2) At the next junction, turn right towards the woods (note: the sign is unreliable). You will find the yellow markings a little further on. Turn left at the 666 mark, then right at Champ du Bois and reach a road.

(3) Follow it to the right for 500m and, after the bend, take the path on the left (there is a farm here). Follow this path to the village of Lagarde.

(4) At the entrance to the village, take the road on the right, pass the hamlet of Autrac and join the D19.

(5) Continue along the D19 until you reach the junction with the D653.

(6) Cross the road, head towards Vernassal and pass in front of the castle, then return to your starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 1,768 ft - Parking in the village of Vernassal
  2. 1 : mi 1.51 - alt. 1,975 ft - Crossroads near a bridge
  3. 2 : mi 1.91 - alt. 2,133 ft - Junction towards the small wood
  4. 3 : mi 2.72 - alt. 2,247 ft - Turn right onto the road
  5. 4 : mi 4.08 - alt. 1,991 ft - Village of Lagarde
  6. 5 : mi 4.92 - alt. 1,729 ft - Junction D19
  7. 6 : mi 5.57 - alt. 1,749 ft - Crossing the D653
  8. S/E : mi 5.96 - alt. 1,768 ft - Parking in the village of Vernassal

Worth a visit

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 5 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
5 / 5
Route interest
3.8 / 5
Magbad
Magbad

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 17, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

An easy walk. It is a shame that there is such a long stretch on tarmac, but the walk is still very pleasant, especially at the end of August if you like blackberries
Magnificent view: you can see Leotoing Castle at the top and Torsiac Castle at the bottom, all on the same level. After the hike, our curiosity led us to take the car to see the pretty little village of Leotoing.

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Felix43BVK
Felix43BVK

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 26, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

After setting off along the stream, you reach the higher ground for a lovely view before heading back along tarmac roads with little shade.

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cflachard
cflachard

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 15, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk with stunning 360-degree views across the whole region, but the name is a bit misleading as you don’t actually see the river for very long. There’s a bit of walking along the road towards the end, so this might put off those looking for a 100% nature experience!

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lyli4358
lyli4358

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

A lovely walk offering the chance to explore the Cézallier hills and the Allagnon valley. There are some beautiful views of the castles of Torsiac and Léotoing. One slight downside, though... the last part of the walk is along the road...

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brigitte43
brigitte43

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 23, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A lovely walk with beautiful views of various castles and the basalt columns at Blesle.
It’s a shame the walk ends on a road.
Nearby, the village of Léotoing and its castle are well worth a visit; it’s a lovely little village with a beautiful view of the Allagnon valley.

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