The Olby lime tree and the Glavin bridge

In Olby, park near the sports ground.

Unmarked

(S/E) Head north and, at the first junction, follow Rue du Col de Bey to the left. At the next junction, take the Passage du Fournil (a narrow passage) opposite, then carry on straight ahead, walking past the church on your right. At the end of the building, turn right to reach the foot of the magnificent lime tree known as the ‘Sully lime’. Continue to the right, skirting the other side of the church, then head down onto the street and turn left (all this wandering is to enjoy different views of the beautiful tree).

(1) At the junction, with the lime tree top-left, walk a few metres to the right and turn onto the Chemin des Dames – a path that actually becomes tarmac a little further on. When you reach a street, follow it to the left, then, at the junction of three streets, take Rue du Moulin. Follow it, ignoring the paths on the left. After passing some farm buildings, the tarmac ends.

(2) Continue along the track at a right-hand bend, ignoring the track branching off to the left. When you reach a road, follow it to the left for about a hundred metres, then veer slightly to the right to follow a track. At the crossroads where four tracks meet, turn left and you’ll come out onto a road leading to the village of Coheix.

(3) Follow Rue de l’Ancienne École straight ahead. Keep going straight on along this street, ignoring the side streets. Pass a fountain topped with a cross on your right, then another fountain on your left. You’ll come to a Fork in the road with a fountain and a wash house on the left.

Blue signposting in the opposite direction

(4) Alternative route in the correct direction – see Practical Information. Turn left, passing in front of the fountain. The street immediately becomes a wide track, which narrows once you have passed the water treatment plant.

(5) At a fork in the road, keep to the right. Further on, ignore a path on the left.

(6) About 300 m further on, you’ll notice a path on the right (marked with Blue Crosses) which, after visiting the bridge, can be taken as a shorter alternative leading directly to (10). Continue straight ahead along the track to reach, shortly afterwards, the small Romanesque bridge at Le Glavin, over the Sioule. Cross the bridge and continue along the path. Join a road and follow it to the hamlet of Monteillet.

(7) At the junction, turn right to cross through the hamlet. When the tarmac ends, continue along the path, cross a stream and reach a junction of paths. Turn left, reach a T-junction and follow the path to the right.

(8) About 150 m further on, take a small path on the left. It runs alongside a stream, then takes a wide bend to the right and leads to a junction.

(9) Continue along the path to the right. At the next junction, turn left and you’ll reach another junction 100 m further on.

(10) Carry on straight ahead and, at the junction immediately after, carry on straight ahead again. Ignore a path on the right, pass a large cross, then ignore another path on the right. You’ll come to a street in Coheix.

(11) Follow it to the right, then keep going straight on, ignoring any side streets, and pass a fountain.

Leave the blue signposting in the opposite direction; there are no signposts here

Leave the church on your left, pass another fountain, and come out onto the D558. Follow it to the left for about twenty metres.

(12) Turn left onto Chemin des Garets. At the left-hand bend in the road, carry on straight ahead along the path, then turn immediately right onto a path. You’ll reach a crossroads with four paths.

(13) Turn right. Further on, ignore a path on the left and you’ll come to a road, opposite a stone cross.

(14) Head right for about 20 metres, then turn onto the path on the left. Immediately afterwards, at the crossroads, carry on straight ahead. You’ll reach a junction with a path marked by the^GR®®441.

^GR®® red and white markings

(15) Turn right. About 350 metres further on, the view opens up to the right onto the Étang du Fung, surrounded by marshland. You’ll reach a junction by a small stone cross.

(16) Turn right onto Rue de la Voie Romaine to cross the hamlet of La Gardette. Pass the signpost of the same name, continue towards Olby, veering slightly to the right shortly afterwards to pass between a fountain and an old oven. Then continue straight on along a path, Rue de l’Étang. You’ll come out onto a road, Chemin des Roses.

(17) Follow it to the right, along the valley of the Ruisseau de Ceyssat.

(18) Carry on along the road, ignoring the junction with the^GR®®441Aon the left. Stay on this quiet little road until you reach a crossroads opposite Olby cemetery.

No signposting

(19) Carry on straight ahead along Rue des Combes. Further on, ignore the side streets and return to the car park (S/E).

Hike difficulty: Medium to Fairly Easy. Standard hiking kit.

Alternative route at (4): to follow the blue markings in the correct direction, turn right then left at the next junction and head to (11) at the cemetery car park, where you’ll find a Balirando sign for the “Le sentier du Glavin” walk. At the end of the circular route, back at (4), turn left and follow the route description from the church.

Alternative route at (6) for a walk of around 13 km. The path is a little overgrown but it is not a private track, so don’t hesitate to use it; it widens further up. It joins (10) after about 500 m.

Photo gallery here

Stunning views of the Puy de Dôme and its neighbours in the mountain range.

There are plenty of cows on this dairy plateau where the AOP Bleu d’Auvergne and Fourme d’Ambert cheeses are produced (even though we’re a bit far from Ambert, mind you!).

The so-called Roman Bridge. This small bridge, built of andesite (basalt), connects Coheix to Mazaye by crossing the River Sioule. The bridge is known as the Roman Bridge – or Romanesque Bridge – because it is not the original one; it replaces a bridge that once stood here, which was indeed of Romanesque origin.

As for the Olby lime tree, you can find out more here; it was designated a “Remarkable Tree” in 2021.

For information on the Étang du Fung, click here, along with other anecdotes from Olby’s history.