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Park at the bottom of the hamlet of Onzillon (small square), at the signpost on the left indicating Vazeilles and Le Mazel.
You will often follow marked trails, which are mentioned throughout the text.
(S/E) Follow the red and white markings of the GR®3 and this road towards Vazeilles, which turns into a track. It will take you to Le Mazel with some paved sections and others in the form of tracks. After crossing a bridge, climb up to the hamlet of Vazeilles.
(1) At the entrance to the hamlet, leave the GR®3 trail climbing to the left and follow the road that crosses Vazeilles and climbs, overlooking the Loire. The track descends, passes Sauron farm and arrives at Mazel. Cross the hamlet, pass a fountain and follow the beautiful path lined with hedges and meadows. You will arrive at a three-way junction with a mountain bike sign indicating that you should not take the right-hand branch.
(2) Leave the main path and take the left fork (follow the mountain bike signs) along a trail and join a track coming from the right. If the path is overgrown, as a hiker pointed out to me, continue straight ahead for about 100 metres and you will come to a track that climbs up to the left.
(3) At the track-path junction, continue along the track until you reach a three-way junction where you will find yellow markings on both branches.
(4) Take the right-hand branch, which begins a descent and leads to a shaded promontory offering views of the Loire. Shortly afterwards, leave the contour path with the markings and descend towards the Loire near a stone hut (Source de Bonnefont).
(5) From the hut, follow the markings upstream along the Loire, then leave the riverbank to climb up to Mas de Bonnefont. Pass the farmhouse and begin the ascent, following the markings. Continue for about 150 metres until you find a well-marked path on the right. Be careful to find this path and do not go more than 150 m past the farmhouse.
(6) Leave the marked paved slanting street and take this path on the right, which climbs gently into the forest before emerging in the middle of the broom. The path becomes steep and stony; it begins a rapid but steep climb and rejoins the forest. Continue climbing fairly steeply to reach a contour path.
(7) At this point, you will join the GR®3, which you take on the right. This will take you to the hamlet of La Pénide, which overlooks the Loire. Cross the hamlet and take the access road that descends. The road climbs again at a right-hand bend.
(8) Leave the GR® and the road and take a beautiful path on the left through the meadows. The path leads to a road near the hamlet of Les Salles. Continue along the road, which veers slightly to the right, to cross the hamlet. Shortly after meeting a road that climbs up from the left, take a path on the right after a farm.
(9) Take this path (yellow markings), which descends into a small valley before climbing back up and rejoining a road.
(10) Do not take the road on the right, as indicated by the markings, but cross it and climb the short grassy slope opposite, which immediately turns to the right. Continue along this grassy path, which eventually joins the road – and the markings – shortly before a junction with a track on the left. Take this flat track, still following the yellow markings, which leads to a fork at the edge of a wood.
Note from a hiker in summer 2025: the path may be overgrown, in which case follow the markings on the road.
(11) Leave the left fork that goes into a meadow and descend into the woods with the right fork, joining a small road. Follow this road to the left and leave it shortly afterwards on the right, following the markings. You will come to a crossroads between the path and the road.
(12) Leave the markings, turn left to cross the road and take a path that descends and quickly becomes quite rough. You will reach a crossroads at the entrance to the hamlet of Onzillon. Do not enter the hamlet, but descend along the road on the right, which passes a house on the right before reaching a path entrance on the left.
(13) Follow this path downhill and join another path marked in yellow. Once you have crossed the small stream, you will find yourself at a fork in the road with two yellow-marked paths. Leave the path opposite, which goes back up to Onzillon, and follow the path on the right, which descends alongside meadows. It leads to a wide track above the abandoned village of La Varenne.
(14) Take this track, which climbs to the left and offers final views of the Loire before reaching Onzillon (S/E).
Visorando member
Easy 
Very difficult 
