Country:
District:
In Prades, park in a small car park on the banks of the Allier, either on the left opposite the bridge or on the right, a little further on, towards the beach.
Yellow markings
(S/E) Cross the Allier river on the bridge, facing the superb basalt columns. On the other side, take the path that climbs to the left (on the right side of the road). After a hairpin bend, join a road.
(1) Follow it to the left (viewpoints).
(2) Just before a hairpin bend to the left, leave the road and take a path on the right that descends to Le Pradel.
(3) Continue along the access road to the lodge, alongside the Allier river.
(4) Make a short round trip to the Sainte-Marie-des-Chazes Chapel (open when we visited). Then continue along the small road until you reach the red footbridge.
(5) Cross the Allier river and head to the village of Saint-Julien-des-Chazes. Follow the main street, cross the Ruisseau de Darne stream and arrive at the church (open when we visited). Take the path that branches off to the left of the church and climbs up to a plateau (viewpoints) before continuing uphill. You will come to an intersection with a wide path.
(6) Follow it to the left. At the next intersection, at a cross (normal), turn left, then at the T-junction, turn right and head towards Charraix.
No markings
(7) Leave the yellow markings, which continue to the left of the church, and continue straight ahead along the street that crosses the village: two crosses with balls, a drinking fountain, a stone shoeing block, a wash house, and a circular fountain in the square (note another cross with balls on private land on the hill behind). Keep left at the intersection after passing the town hall. At the wash house and drinking troughs, take a short detour to the right to explore the rest of the village. Back at the wash house, take the street on the right.
(8) At the next intersection, turn left to visit a solitary cross with balls in a rocky outcrop. Retrace your steps to the previous intersection.
(8) Follow the small road on the left. At the junction with the road leading to La Fougerette, keep right and you will come to another junction with a large cross with eight balls (of a different style), called the Croix des Boules de Fougerette.
(9) Follow the road straight ahead (towards Chambelève) then take the first path on the left (at a water catchment) to reach the hamlet of Fougerette. Reach the end of the street (normal cross on the left) and continue straight ahead on a path that descends to a T-junction (on the right, bridge over the Besque). Continue left and join a road. Look for the yellow markings.
Yellow markings
(10) Moulin de Martin signpost. Turn right and cross a bridge over the Besque. At the intersection, after the right-hand bend, turn left onto the path.
(11) At the four-way crossroads, Sogne Crouzet signpost, turn left.
(12) At the T-junction, follow the path on the right which descends towards Prades. You will reach the end of a street.
(13) Follow it, passing old paper mills, and go under the railway line. At the intersection, go back a few steps to the left to the church and the bridge over the Besque. Retrace your steps and continue straight ahead, passing in front of the town hall, crossing the Seuge and turning left to return to the car park (S/E).
Visorando member
Difficult 
Easy 
