The Standing Stones

A hike on a volcanic plateau with views of the Chaîne des Puys, a world of stones and pastures; a few isolated villages, cows and a glimpse of the civilisation of the Arverni (Gauls of Auvergne) through standing stones and dolmens.

A magnificent walk in all seasons.

Details

1580109
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 10.81 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 211 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 202 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 965 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 761 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Access A75, exit 5, towards Saint-Amand-Tallende (D213). After 10 km, turn left onto the D788 until you reach Cournols.
At the town hall, park 100 m away on the road on the left, opposite the information signs for Gorges de la Monne and Les Pierres Levées

Signposting: Yellow Les Pierres Levées

(S/E) From the car park, with your back to the information sign, turn right and go down the road, ignore the first path on the right (cross) and take the next one on the right (GR® 30).
At the car park, turn right towards the Dolmen (signpost),

(1) Retrace your steps and turn right onto the path.
After 200m, turn right and at the next intersection, turn right again to rejoin the D788 road.

(2) Turn left for 200m, then turn right, leave the path on your right and rejoin the road.

(3) At the D788, turn right and continue for 300m. Turn onto the first road on the left, then immediately onto the road on the right and join the D794.

(4) Turn left, then take the first road on the right and continue straight ahead, ignoring the roads on the left and right.

(5) After a wooded area, climb up to the right to the top of Puy de Fan. Continue downhill to a T-junction, turn left and continue towards the hamlet of Fohet.

(6) At the entrance to the hamlet of Fohet, ignore the first three paths on the right and take the fourth on the right, Chemin du Puy de Fan.
Continue straight ahead through the hamlet until you reach a T-junction, then turn right onto Route de Chana. At the Y-junction, turn left, go around the church and then climb up Chemin du Grimeau opposite. Then take the path on the right that passes under the farm.

(7) After the farm, continue straight ahead on Chemin des Buggnes du Mas, ignore the first road on the right but take the first on the left and continue straight ahead until you reach the hamlet of Mas.

(8) At the entrance to the hamlet of Mas, continue for 100 m and at the T-junction, take the second street on the right, then the first on the right. Leave the two streets on the right and continue along the winding Impasse Bellevue.
Leave the road on the right and continue on the road that branches off to the left.

(9) At the intersection with a wider road, turn right, continue for 500 metres and turn into the first road on the left. Pass under a power line.

(10) At the road, turn left, head towards Cournols and continue straight ahead towards the town hall. Then turn right towards the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 767 m - Parking: Les Pierres Levées sign
  2. 1 : km 0.86 - alt. 800 m - Covered walkway of the cave
  3. 2 : km 1.77 - alt. 803 m - D788 on the left
  4. 3 : km 2.64 - alt. 849 m - D788 on the right
  5. 4 : km 3.33 - alt. 864 m - D794 on the left
  6. 5 : km 4.93 - alt. 943 m - Right towards Puy de Fan
  7. 6 : km 5.83 - alt. 919 m - Entrance to the hamlet of Fohet
  8. 7 : km 6.91 - alt. 904 m - Farm
  9. 8 : km 8.2 - alt. 898 m - Mas hamlet
  10. 9 : km 8.93 - alt. 864 m - Intersection of paths
  11. 10 : km 10.01 - alt. 789 m - Turn left at the road
  12. S/E : km 10.81 - alt. 767 m - Parking: Les Pierres Levées sign

Worth a visit

On the route
Menhir in Cournols.
Standing stones all along the route.
Puy de Fan to climb.

Near
Lake Aydat.
Gorges de la Monne.

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 33 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.8 / 5
Route interest
4.4 / 5
plviso59
plviso59
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 01, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant walk with lovely views. Nothing more to add to the previous reviews.
A bonus when we did it: beautiful wild orchids along the route.
One tiny downside: not enough narrow paths for our liking, lots of tracks and a bit of road.
But this was mentioned in the description, so no complaints.
We recommend this route

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Did63
Did63

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 23, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk with stunning views of the Monts du Forez and the Sancy
As for the signposting, nothing to complain about – it was perfect.

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titofanje
titofanje

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 06, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

a lovely hike with magnificent views of the Sancy and Puy de Dôme mountains

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photos
photos
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 16, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We went hiking in beautiful sunshine, with temperatures of 13/14°C, ideal for a picnic facing the Sancy, where there is still a little snow on the peaks. When we started the hike, there weren't too many people (12 noon) in the car park, but by 3.30pm it was full. Many thanks for a beautiful hike with unobstructed views and no major difficulties. In some places where tractors pass, the paths are a little muddy, but we were able to get through without getting our shoes too dirty. Yes, the soil in Auvergne is very sticky. We'll be back at this time of year, because in summer the sun beats down on the paths.

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Chiengazweu
Chiengazweu

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 30, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely, gently rolling area with few visitors. Some beautiful views, particularly of the Sancy mountain range.
Lots of very easy trails, a few very muddy paths, walking shoes strongly recommended.
In my opinion, the hunting dog breeding kennels are not dangerous at all. The dogs are behind a fence, bark but are not aggressive and do not try to escape.

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BBR63
BBR63

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 03, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Magnificent hike with unobstructed views

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Marc Moissat
Marc Moissat

because it seemed dangerous to me
That's not it... it's dangerous!

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pierre5205
pierre5205

Yes, there is a hunting dog breeding facility at that location.

I have done this hike several times, and each time the dogs have barked. Some of them approach the fence, but so far none have been aggressive and none have come onto the path.

For them, if someone comes towards them, it's to feed them. All the dogs in the pack bark in this situation, as it's a competition to see who gets to eat first!

We are in the countryside, and talking to them usually calms them down.

E

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D-khadi
D-khadi
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 24, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Please note that after point 7, the hiking trail passes close to a dog breeding facility. About 300 metres from the facility, around fifteen dogs came out of their kennels and barked and howled incessantly just behind the fence surrounding the property. I personally preferred to turn back (the fence didn't seem that high) as it seemed dangerous.

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Fducate
Fducate

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 28, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hike offering beautiful views of the Puys and the Sancy Massif.
Pretty landscapes with pastures and granite boulders.

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Geraldine D
Geraldine D
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 11, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant route without any major difficulties. We did it in reverse to save the standing stones for last. Superb landscapes with unobstructed views of the mountains. The only downside was a few long stretches on the road, but the area is quiet so it didn't bother me too much. Thank you for this route.

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SiobanS
SiobanS

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 28, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

Too much tarmac for our liking, and not much point in doing the 3-hour hike: the dolmen is at the start of the walk, accessible by car with a car park right next to it. Not very wild, lots of modern agricultural facilities.

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J.Robin
J.Robin

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 08, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant hike offering beautiful views.
The route is well marked (in yellow). However, the description provided helps to clear up any doubts when the markings are not very visible.

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francoisblanchet@free.fr
francoisblanchet@free.fr

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 30, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hike offering beautiful views of the Puys and the Massif du Sancy, especially from the summit of Puy de Fan, which is very easy to reach. Interesting fact: ruins of a covered walkway in Cournols (megalith).
This circuit follows sections of the GR 30, which is well known and highly regarded by hikers.
I'm keeping this hike "up my sleeve" to show my friends from other regions a beautiful part of the Parc des Volcans.
François

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Franck633
Franck633

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 31, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Top pleasant walk with beautiful views. Calming and rejuvenating. Perfect

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