Nature walk between meadows, forest, streams and ancient mills, a site rich in history. Pass through amazing places that are linked to druidic rituals and gatherings.
Calculated time: 2h05[?] 
Distance : 5.27km
Vertical gain : 211m
Vertical drop : 211m
Highest point : 701m
Lowest point : 510m 
Difficulty : Easy
Back to starting point : Yes
Walking
Area : Massif central 
Location : Fayet-le-Château
(63160)
Starting point : N 45.677936° / E 3.410589° (D/A) Start at the small car park in front of the village hall of Fayet-le-Château.
Head to the right, past the war memorial and follow the D337 towards Montmorin (sign).
Take the first road on the right uphill after the curve and along meadows. Continue along the plateau, then cross into the woods passing by the small path to the right at a yellow marking post. Continue to arrive at an intersection in a clearing.
(1) Turn right after taking the time to read a small sign that tells you about the history of the site. Continue between the fenced meadows, enter the wood and continue straight: huge and amazing stacked boulders are visible.
Start the descent which becomes steeper and can become slippery due to the presence of rocks on the ground. At the intersection, turn left, following the direction of the green arrow on the rock.
Leave the path going straight down, and another smaller path that goes to the right on the side. The path descends slightly to a small stream, often dry in hot summer: after this turn right at the intersection.
New slippery descent: sometimes steep and rich in slippery rocks flush with the surface. Arrived in
at the bottom of the descent, turn right to go up the Ricochet valley to the pond of the
Gravel pit.
Head up immediately to the left on the path marked by red paint stains on each side and follow it eastbound on the mound. It overlooks the stream on the left. Continue until you arrive at large slabs of rock strewn across the ground and reach the small stone bridge over the stream.
(2) Cross the bridge and continue uphill. Turn right at the intersection, along the stream that will have to be crossed several times before leaving the wood and continue to the area called "La Gravière". Turn right and pass over the dike of "l'Etang de la Gravière". At the end, take the often muddy little path uphill opposite that turns left. Continue uphill overlooking the pond on the left near a small stream.
(3) Do not cross it but leave the main road to turn right on a narrow path up near the woods which ends in a narrow passage between two fences, culminating in the small village of "Cheix".
(4) Turn left and go down the paved road to an intersection. Turn right, go past a farm and traditional manure pile, cross through Fayet-le-Château, and reach the town hall.(D/A)
Waypoints :
D/A : km 0 - alt. 655m - Town hall of Fayet-le-Chateau
1 : km 1.11 - alt. 673m - Sign indicating the history of the site
2 : km 3.06 - alt. 547m - Small stone bridge and stone circle
3 : km 4.09 - alt. 616m - Take the trail to the right before the stream
4 : km 4.54 - alt. 672m - Turn left and go down the paved road
D/A : km 5.27 - alt. 655m - Town hall of Fayet-le-Chateau
Note: The paths or trails described between point (2) and point (4) are not shown on the IGN map.
Visorando and this author cannot be held responsible in the case of accidents or problems occuring on this walk.
The name of Fayet-le-Château comes from the Latin "Fagus" meaning beech, deciduous trees which abounded in the surrounding forests.
In the early twentieth century, the village named simply “Fayet”, but an eponymous town already existed in the department: Fayet Ronaye. This is why, to differentiate it has been added to.
“The Castle" was preferred to “The Ponds": however, there are also many ponds in the town.
Curious history buffs can stroll along this walk discovering many remnants of water mills, millstones are still visible between points 3 and 4.
See also the cup in stone (researchers believe they were linked to rituals, but the evidence is weak) and the stone circle (megalithic monuments consisting of dozens of stones stuck in the ground, or “menhirs”, and arranged in a circle. Some researchers believe that this is a place of cultural gathering, while others prefer the idea of an observation of the stars or the moon. They date from the Bronze Age: 2500 BC to 1000 BC)
At about 3 km, Castle Mauzun, a large medieval fortress with its imposing ruins, can be visited in the summer.
The GPS track and description are the property of the author.
