Les Ancizes-Comps walks

This route will take you to the ruins of the Chartreuse du Port-Sainte-Marie, founded in 1219, passing by the banks of the Sioule and its meanders.

Between steep-sided valleys, unspoilt wilderness and wooded slopes, the Sioule has become a lake thanks to the Fades-Besserve dam. It accompanies us throughout the route with beautiful views of the Sioulet valley and the Combrailles.

Since 1992, this pleasant walk has invited visitors to stroll among Gilles Perez's monumental contemporary lava stone sculptures, which blend in with the landscape and nature. Additional sculptures have been added over the years.

The Sioule River shapes the landscape of the Combrailles. Between valleys, wild gorges, forest paths and volcanic peaks offering magnificent views... here, it is the Queuille meander that takes our breath away with its strange tranquillity and perfect curves.

A short round trip to enjoy the beautiful Gour Saillant waterfall.

In a sumptuous setting, dominated on one side by the imposing Château de Chouvigny and on the other by the ghostly Château Rocher, you will discover a route that is well worth a detour for its fishing and tourist attractions. Green markings

La Roche de Sauterre offers a beautiful location for observing the surroundings and the majestic alignment of the Chaîne des Puys. This basalt peak, the result of volcanic activity, contains inclusions of peridotite, a semi-precious stone.

From Pontgibaud and the beautiful medieval architecture of Château Dauphin, you will travel through the mysterious landscapes of the Cheire de Pontgibaud, one of the most beautiful lava flows in the Chaîne des Puys.

Contrasting landscapes of meadows and forests for this circular tour to discover the Puy de Louchadière, on the edge of the Combrailles.Please note! A GPS device is useful for following this hike in the forest sections. Also, be sure to follow the map rather than the various markings encountered along the route.

A double loop around Saint-Ours-les-Roches to discover the typical hamlets of this region of the Combrailles, at the foot of the Chaîne des Puys.

Leaving the village of Pontaumur, you will discover the Sioulet, a tributary of the Sioule and a paradise for trout fishermen. The wild gorges will delight lovers of unspoilt nature.

A hike on the Combrailles side of the Chaîne des Puys, an area less frequented by summer crowds, to discover an old pozzolan quarry and its biotope. Along the way, you will encounter the inhabitants of the pastures and the woods.

A circular route on the border between the Combrailles and the Chaîne des Puys, in the countryside around Saint-Ours, passing by the summit of Puy de Louchadière, offering a beautiful viewpoint, and the lovely beech forest covering its slopes. The Visorando app is highly recommended in the Louchadière forest.

A very pleasant walk in the oldest part of the Chaîne des Puys. The hamlet of Beaunit is nestled in the hollow of a volcanic maar that was occupied by a lake several hundred thousand years ago.

A short hike allowing you to discover many examples of well-preserved built heritage in the hamlets: fountains, wash houses, crosses, and the Louchadière water catchment, passing through woods and meadows.

This route allows you to discover three ancient volcanoes in the Chaîne des Puys.

Discover Châteauneuf-les-Bains, a little-known spa resort in the Puy-de-Dôme, located on the banks of the Sioule.

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.

A short family walk, or an opportunity to enjoy a festival around 25 July.

Circular loop starting from the village of Mazaye Basse, passing by the Rey de Saint-Pierre, a basalt promontory overlooking the Sioule valley and offering a beautiful panorama of the Sancy Massif and the Chaîne des Puys, then crossing the Marais de Mazaye, a Sensitive Natural Area, via a path built on stilts.

A short circular forest loop around Puy de Côme, whose summit is unfortunately not accessible. The route passes by the Bacs de Ceyssat site, a pretty series of drinking troughs (les bacs) fed by a fountain, installed via an aqueduct for sheep.

A hike entirely in the forest, in the unique landscape of the Cheire de Côme. You will be left to your own devices in this mysterious forest, on small unmarked paths for part of the route, wherethe Visorando app is almost essential. The Signed Stone is an enigma, perhaps you can try to solve it.

While further south in Auvergne, water is brought to villages by fountains, here it is provided by numerous public and private wells, which you can enjoy discovering in the hamlets along this circular route in the Blot region, on the heights of the Morge. You will also discover an oratory and a chapel, both dedicated to Saint Agatha.

On this comet-shaped route, discover the solidified lava flow of Côme, a remarkable natural area in the Chaîne des Puys. This lava flow from the Puy de Côme, which stretches for almost 10 km, has solidified into extremely chaotic terrain and has been colonised by a beautiful forest of birch and beech trees. To extend this hike, I suggest you then walk around the Puy de Côme, through the beech forest that covers its slopes.

This circular loop will take you to the summit of Puy des Gouttes, where you can enjoy a beautiful view of the Chaîne des Puys, then into the countryside near Fontètes, a hamlet with a pretty little chapel. On the way back, you will discover a beautiful row of about twenty drinking troughs in a meadow, the Fontaine des Pères.

"Human noise becomes silent, nature makes volcanoes chatter; whispering landscapes, and whispering a thousand voices of silence". Caption of the beautiful sculpture by Thierry Courtadon that you will encounter on your route, alongside with great viewpoints.

A circular route that is half mountain, half countryside, passing by the summit of Puy des Gouttes before descending towards the Combrailles to discover the hamlet of Beauregard. A leisurely return via a sculpture in Courtadon. SHHH!

This route starts at the Vulcania crossroads and begins with a long, fairly flat, open path before crossing the forest to reach these two magnificent volcanoes. The route can be done in either direction.

This hike allows you to discover the "perfect" crater of the Puy des Goules and the much more complex crater of the Puy des Gouttes, with the protrusion of the Puy Chopine. Beautiful views of the Chaîne des Puys.The Visorando app is recommended for certain unmarked sections.

Set off from the foot of the volcanoes and descend to the old Hercynian base of the Plateau des Dôme, right on the edge of the Limagne fault, in peaceful countryside alternating between crops, woods and pastures. There are some beautiful views of the puys to the west and Clermont-Ferrand on the Limagne side to the east.

An easy hike up Puy Pariou and down into its crater. A very pleasant forest at the start and end of the route, with beautiful views of Puy de Dôme on the way back. (3) It is forbidden to descend into the volcano or go all the way round it.

Short hike to the summit of Grand Sarcoui and the magnificent volcano with its perfect crater, Puy des Goules. A magnificent view of the volcano park from each of the two summits. This hike is not technically difficult and is suitable for families who want to discover the magic of volcanoes. Moderator's note added on 13/09/2021: access to the Sarcoui caves is difficult and the summit is now off-limits (see comments).

A magnificent hike, without any great difficulty, which will take you through the Parc des Volcans north of the Puy de Dôme. You will discover the Sarcoui and its cave, the Puy des Goules, the Puy de Côme, the Cliersou and its caves, the Petit and Grand Knolls, and the grandiose Puy Pariou. At the top of each puy, you can enjoy 360° views of the Chaîne des Puys, the Puy de Dôme, the Limagne plain and Clermont-Ferrand.

Best done on a sunny winter's day, this snowy outing offers magical landscapes. In the woods, the trees, bending under their white blanket, cover the paths with a canopy that creates beautiful light effects. When you emerge at the top of the puys, you are greeted by a magnificent landscape.

A classic in the Chaîne des Puys to admire Puy de Dôme and Le Puy de Pariou, amongst others.