The lakes of Aydat and La Cassière

After leaving the D2089 towards Lac de la Cassière, ignore the road on the right (dead end) just after the roundabout and turn right onto the next road, Rue Roland Brousse. You will pass the Rando, Resto, Dodo inn. Continue for another 50 metres or so and you can park in a small car park where there is a wooden hut and a tree.

(S/E) Turn back to pass in front of the inn and rejoin the road you came on. Look for the red and white markings of^{the GR®®30}, which you will follow for the entire beginning of the route. Follow the road (D90) to the left, on the hard shoulder, taking care!, towards the D2089. After about 200 metres, turn right onto a small uphill road.

(1) At the intersection, leave the road that makes a sharp right turn and continue on the path to the right. Then ignore all the paths that branch off, often indicated by directional signs, to the right and left, and follow the^GR®® markings, keeping a generally southerly direction. On this section of the route, you can observe a particularly rich flora. What's more, from these heights, you have a clear view of Lac de la Cassière, a private lake reserved for fishing, and the surrounding puys. You pass close to Moulebas and then arrive at Rouillat Bas.

(2) The^GR®® trail you are following then turns right to head west. About 300 metres further on, at the intersection, follow the road to the left for about 100 metres.

(3) On your right, on the left-hand side of a house under construction (August 2017), you will see the path taken by the^{GR®® trail}, which can sometimes be grassy. Follow this path to reach a road and follow it to the left.

(4) At the junction with the D213, continue straight ahead. At the fork, continue to the left and then, at the next two junctions, ignore the streets on the left.

(5) Cross the Veyre River on the Pont de l'Arche bridge before starting to follow the edge of Lake Aydat (the hike follows part of a route designed to go around the lake). Walk along the lake to Poudure.

(6) Continue to follow the^GR®®30, which turns left, heading south, to regain altitude. Pass behind the hamlet of Phialeix, then continue climbing to reach a three-way intersection. This intersection is marked by a signpost bearing the elevation 949m.

(7) Leave the^GR®® and follow the path on the right, marked in yellow, and continue along this path, generally westwards, for about 800 metres, until you reach a junction with a road.

(8) You cannot fail to notice the beautiful Menhir de Fohet, also known as the Pierre Longue, one of the largest megaliths in Auvergne, which marks this crossroads. Long lying on the ground, it was raised in 1991. Continue along the path opposite, still heading west and following the yellow markings.

(9) About 1.5 km further on, when you reach an altitude of 1,000 metres, ignore the path straight ahead (yellow cross) and follow the yellow markings that turn right and descend. At the fork shortly afterwards, continue to the left to reach an intersection at some company buildings.

(10) Turn right. Shortly afterwards, the yellow markings disappear. When you reach the hamlet of Veyréras, continue to the right, descending between the houses. At the bottom of the street, you will come to the D788.

(11) Cross this road and be careful not to take the D90 opposite, but a small road that branches off to the left of it, the Chemin de Bouffévent. Leave the Chemin des Pradeaux on your right and then, at the next fork, also leave the Chemin de Chamcy on your right. Further on, the small road you are following approaches the D5, a fairly busy road.

(12) Just before you reach this road, take the path on the right that continues northwards parallel to the D5. Further on, at the intersection with another path, turn left. You will then have to take the D5 for about 50 metres on the right, so take care!

(13) Cross the D5 and take the first road on the left. Follow the main road through the village of Fontclairant, ignoring the signs pointing to the paths leading to the puys. At the last houses, at a fork, leave the main road to join the D5 and continue along the small road on the left. This soon turns into a path.

(14) At an intersection with another path, you will find a^GR®® sign (this^GR®® is not shown on the map), which you should follow until (17). Continue straight ahead. Further on, as your path turns right, ignore the path that branches off to the left.

(15) About 300 metres further on, cross the D213, taking care, and continue straight ahead. Shortly afterwards, ignore the paths on the left and right and, further on, at a fork, ignore the path on the right. About 400 metres further on, you will come to an X-shaped crossroads.

(16) Continue straight ahead and to the right. Shortly afterwards, you will enter the solidified lava flow of the Puys de la Vache and Lassolas in the Cheire d'Aydat woods. There are many paths in these woods, but you must always follow the main path marked in red and white (^GR®®). When you leave the woods, you will be near a busy road, the D2089.

(17) At the first crossroads, turn right away from this road and head down towards Lac de la Cassière. Ignore a path on the left.

(18) About 200 metres further on, at a fork, continue to the left. When you reach the lake, continue along this path, which heads north. Further on, you will descend to the lake shore.

(19) Take the path that runs along the northern shore of the lake and enter the village. Take the first street on the left, then turn left again to return to the car park (S/E).

Moderate difficulty hike, standard hiking equipment

Discover more hikes in this area with a description or the Visorando app here and more generally in the Puy-de-Dôme here

Lac de la Cassière.
Lac d'Aydat.
Both lakes were created during the eruptions of Puys de la Vache and Lassolas and the resulting obstruction of the River Veyre. Our hike follows the old solidified lava flow called cheire, here the cheire d'Aydat.

The Menhir (lying down) of Fohet or the Pierre-Longue:
Standing 4.75 metres high and weighing nearly 15 tonnes, this monolith, one of the largest in Auvergne, is a typical example of a megalith. Called "la Pierre Longue" (the Long Stone) by the inhabitants of the commune, the Menhir of Fohet was for a long time the starting point for funeral processions, allowing coffins to be laid down while prayers were read. After lying on the ground for several centuries, it was raised in 1991 due to underground seepage that was affecting health.