The two knolls and Jules Romains

Access: The route is a circular one starting from the hamlet of Villaret, in the commune of Saint-Julien Chapteuil. From the main road D152 which runs from Saint-Julien-Chapteuil to Queyrières, turn right at the end of a bend and then turn left up into the hamlet of Villaret to find a small car park in front of some rubbish bins.

(S/E) Then take the small road heading south-west towards Bourgeneuf. Pass a junction on the left towards the Ardennes to arrive at a pass.

(1) Leave the road on the right and take a path that goes straight towards Peyre de Bard, a fairly pointed knoll whose silhouette can be recognised from anywhere. When you reach a wood, the path climbs to the left and then, quite quickly, makes a hairpin bend, still to the left. Follow the path, which becomes straight, to reach some cairns and a sign indicating the climb to the top of the knoll.

(2). From there, follow the path that winds downhill along the edge of the woods. At the bottom of the descent, take a grassy path on the left that leads to the hamlet of La Faye a few dozen metres away, where you will reach a small road. As you pass, admire the beautiful houses topped with phonolite (information in the "Things to see" section). Continue along this road until you reach another road, then turn left onto the^GR® (marked in white and red) for a few dozen metres.

(3) Leave the road on the right. Do not take the^GR® which goes straight down, but follow the yellow marked path which turns right and passes between two houses. Follow this path for 200 m then turn left at the first crossroads, following the markings. Continue straight down until you reach the hamlet of La Chapuze, without crossing the river called the Sumène.
Continue straight ahead on the small road that serves the houses to reach a larger road, which you should take on the right.

(4) Cross the Sumène and climb steeply. After a left-hand bend, climb steeply and then leave the road on the right, following the yellow markings. You will soon reach a small road.

(5) Leave it on the right via a smaller road that descends slightly before climbing steeply again. This will take you to the former home of Jules Romains, which is a private residence.

(6) Continue climbing on the small road that leads to a final house. Continue on the path to the left, then at the first crossroads, take the flat path to the left. At the next crossroads, take the path to the right to continue climbing and follow it straight ahead. The path turns into a road at the entrance to the hamlet of Montchanis.

(7) In the hamlet, take the road on the left, which offers views of the old houses, then, after a ruined house, take a path on the right between two buildings. This path quickly joins a small road, which soon turns into a wide path. Cross a beautiful beech forest and reach the top of the meadows (beautiful view) at a crossroads with a path coming from the bottom of the valley (altitude 1060). This path is the Mont Rouge botanical trail that comes from the Moulin de Guérin. Climb left onto the wide path that continues the botanical trail.

(8) At the pass, from where you can climb Mont Rouge by following the botanical trail (see "during the hike"), continue straight ahead on the path that descends, narrows, then joins a wide track that you take to the left. This will take you to the beautiful Chaud du Mas farm, which is completely isolated and therefore equipped with a well and a bread oven.

(9) Stand opposite the farm entrance, with the oven on your left, and take a small path on the left that runs alongside the meadows and then descends fairly quickly to a small road. Follow this road to the right to enter the hamlet of La Chaud. Go up the road to the first crossroads. Turn right and you will soon come to a farm that sells excellent goat's cheese (the herd can always be seen in the surrounding area). Continue along the small road, which turns right before becoming a path after passing the last houses. Follow this path, which climbs uphill to the hamlet of Le Mas.

(10) Cross the hamlet on a small road that joins a larger one (^GR®). Follow the latter to the right for a few metres until you reach a crossroads with a path.

(11) Take this path (^GR®) and descend through a short-cut lawn (in spring, there are beautiful elder orchid blooms). Reach the hamlet of Monedeyres and cross it completely. At the exit of the hamlet, you will reach a larger road.

(12) Do not take the road, but instead take the path opposite, which climbs gently. Follow this path, which passes through the bottom of a valley, crosses a stream and then a wood before reaching the hamlet of Villaret (S/E).

(2) The climb up to Peyre de Bard is not difficult but requires a little physical effort (climbing over scree). The start of the trail is marked by a sign and cairns on the right-hand side of the path. The round trip takes 30 minutes. The view from the summit over the Saint-Julien basin and beyond to the Monts du Devès is unique!

(8) Easy climb to Mont Rouge. Duration: 25 minutes round trip. Enjoy the view, which is very different from that of Peyre de Bard, even though it is opposite, and the phonolite orientation table, as always in the Meygal massif (we are in the heart of the largest phonolite massif in Europe!). The very simple etymology tells us that it is a "stone that rings", which is easy to verify by knocking two slabs together.

Take advantage of the hike to visit the Jules Romains Museum in Saint-Julien-Chapteuil... and if you're in the village, don't miss the beautiful church.