Montaigu-le-Blin walks

A circular route in the commune of Montaigu-le-Blin, voted the most beautiful village in the Allier in 2012. This route allows you to take a leisurely afternoon stroll to discover some of Montaigu’s heritage, including the large wash house, the fortified castle, Presles Castle, the Roman road, the Celtic cross and St Anne’s Church. It has been created by combining several ‘heritage routes’ offered by this small village, where time seems to stand still out of season. On this easy-to-moderate route, which takes just under 3 hours, the effort is sustained and mostly on tarmac, but the breaks to admire the local heritage treasures and the panoramic views allow you to recover. Only the grassy slope between the wash house and the fortified castle is more demanding, but it can be bypassed by climbing up to the fortified castle from the village centre rather than directly from the wash house.

Hike starting from Jaligny secondary school, mostly on farm tracks and paths with around 35% tarmac, passing through the village of Chatelperron where you can see the fortified castle, listed as a Historic Monument: private property, not open to visitors. Beautiful scenery in good weather on the Colombier ridge. Beautiful view of the castle on its rocky outcrop on the descent from La Roche. A small museum of local prehistory and a restaurant are located on the route at Chatelperron station. The return journey is partly along the "Chemin du Tacot", an old railway line.

A family hike that passes through the vineyards of Saint-Pourçain.

Route starting from Isserpent, a small village at the foot of the Bourbonnais mountains, 15 km east of Vichy. An easy hike through the Bourbonnais countryside.

Le Puy Saint-Ambroise overlooks the plateaus of the Sologne Bourbonnaise. At an average altitude of 436 metres, it offers a vast panorama, to the north over the Morvan, to the south-east over the Monts du Lyonnais, and to the south-west over the Chaîne des Puys and the Massif du Sancy.

A short walk around the village of Saint-Léon, including a stop at Puy Saint-Ambroise to admire the exceptional panoramic view.

Long tour of the village of Saint-Léon, ending at the summit of Puy Saint-Ambroise.

Set off to discover the 18 crosses in our parish. Throughout your walk, you’ll discover our historical heritage, starting from Saint-Pierre Church, passing through various hamlets, with a stop at Glennet to explore its castle, mill and pond.

The walk takes you to Bois Coutayon on the border between the municipalities of Vendat and Saint-Pont. In the wild boar park, with a little luck and patience, you may spot wild boars and piglets or deer and fawns!

Starting from Puy Saint-Ambroise, you will see two castles on this 15 km route.

I suggest a short urban hike to discover Vichy, nicknamed "the Queen of Waters". This circuit takes you through the emblematic streets of Napoleon III's beloved city, lined with beautiful houses of eclectic architecture, as well as the shopping streets of the modern city and the parks along the Allier River. You can quench your thirst at the famous Source des Célestins.

This easy walk will take you past some of Neuilly-le-Réal’s key landmarks, as well as a château and a few ponds. You’ll see numerous boundary walls and building walls made of multicoloured bricks, laid in a diamond pattern.

Hike route starting from Molles, a village at the foot of the Bourbonnais mountains, 17km east of Vichy.

A pleasant walk starting from Arfeuilles, with plenty of woodland, crossing the Barbenan, and lovely views of the surrounding area.

This hike starts in Nizerolles, a small village at the foot of the Monts de la Madeleine. It takes you across the River Jolan three times and partly follows the Tacot de la Montagne Bourbonnaise platform, the former departmental railway line that linked Vichy and Laprugne until 1949.

Route from Puy du Roc starting from Chatel-Montagne in the Bourbonnais mountains.

A circular route, mostly on tracks and farm roads, starting from Cognat-L'yonne and passing by Rilhat Castle and Monpensier Golf Course. Beautiful view of the Gannat plain on a clear day, of course.