Montagne de la Serre walks

This route is linked to a quiz walk that allows you to discover the town's iconic sites and learn about its history and heritage in a fun way. Find the "Au fil de nos histoires" poster on the church square and scan the QR code to start the game (free, no registration or app download required). You can choose the "adult" trail or the "adult + child" trail (with additional questions for children aged 6 to 11). The description below refers only to the "adult" route.

A third, very "geological" stage, allowing you to discover an impressive rock chaos, evidence of the Limagne Fault that borders the Plateau des Dômes, and the small gorges of the Artière. The itinerary also allows you to continue your discovery of Ceyrat with a visit to its second ancient village, Boisséjour.

This fourth stage marks the beginning of a wilder route that leads to the foot of the puys, through mountain pastures and woods. It also allows you to discover a pretty village, Beaune le Chaud, which has a beautiful traditional architectural heritage.

A fairly short second stage between Beaumont and Ceyrat, passing by the pretty Moulin de la Tranchère, a renovated mill on the banks of the Artière, then by the summit of Puy de Montrognon, crowned by a tower that is the remains of a medieval castle.

This seventh and final stage, which is partly urban, allows you to continue exploring Royat, which you started at the end of the previous stage, first in the wooded hills of the town, passing by the Rocher du Salut promontory, then through the streets and park of the spa district, with its beautiful seaside architecture. Finally, the return route to Clermont allows you to discover the centre of Chamalières.

An urban itinerary to discover the beautiful late 19th and early 20th century buildings in the eastern districts of Clermont-Ferrand city centre.

Exploratory walk through the neighbourhoods north of Clermont's central plateau, discovering recent street art (2022).

This first stage is mainly urban, with a few green interludes at Parc Bargoin in Chamalières, on the slopes of Puy de Montaudoux, in the chestnut grove of Beaumont and in the small parks along the Artière.

On 19 September 1648, Blaise Pascal stood before his Torricelli tube in the Jardin des Minimes – now Place de Jaude – in Clairmont (Clermont). His brother-in-law, Florin Périer, had set off earlier with his own Torricelli tube for the summit of the Puy de Dôme. Over the course of the day, 17 experiments were carried out to measure the level of mercury in the tubes, which had been placed at different altitudes; these experiments would go on to confirm the hypothesis of the ‘weight of the mass of air’, which would later become known as atmospheric pressure. At both locations, once filled to the brim, the tube was turned upside down so that its open base was in contact with the mercury contained in a vessel. Due to its weight, the liquid inside the tube sank under the force of gravity. In Clermont, the mercury remained at a height of 71.2 cm. At the summit of the Puy de Dôme, it dropped to 62.70 cm. This difference of a few centimetres is the result of a height difference of 1,078 metres, which I invite you to appreciate for what it is.

On 19 September 1648, Blaise Pascal stood before his Torricelli tube in the Jardin des Minimes – now Place de Jaude – in Clairmont (Clermont). His brother-in-law, Florin Périer, had set off earlier with his own Torricelli tube for the summit of the Puy de Dôme. Over the course of the day, 17 experiments were carried out to measure the mercury level in the tubes, which had been placed at different altitudes; these experiments would go on to confirm the hypothesis of the “weight of the air”, which would later become known as atmospheric pressure. At both locations, once filled to the brim, the tube was turned upside down so that its open base was in contact with the mercury contained in a vessel. Due to its weight, the liquid inside the tube dropped under the effect of gravity. In Clermont, the mercury remains at a height of 71.2 cm. At the summit of the Puy de Dôme, it drops to 62.70 cm. This difference of a few centimetres is the result of a height difference of 1,078 metres, which I invite you to appreciate for what it is.