Plateau de la Bade from Sayat

In Sayat, park in the town hall car park.

No signposts

(S/E) Head towards the war memorial located in the car park opposite the town hall, take Rue des Gruauds on the left and immediately turn right into the first street (Rue de la Mairie). At the next intersection, at a large mission cross, turn left into Rue des Roches (a few old wine cellars). Ignore the street on the right at the bend and continue to a wider road. Follow it to the right and turn right onto the first street, Rue de Chanateyre. Turn onto the first street on the left, then the first street on the right, which will take you to the D762.

(1) Cross carefully and follow the path opposite. Further on, follow the bend to the right of the path, ignoring the path going straight ahead (Le Grand Vert signposting). You will arrive at a site with an antenna. Go around it on the right and continue along the path until you reach a T-junction.

Blue markings

(2) Turn left and, at the fork in the road just after, keep to the right. Note the blue markings to follow on this section. Stay on this path, ignoring all side paths, until you reach a four-way crossroads with yellow directional arrows.

(3) Follow the signs to Les Mauvaises on the right. Ignore a path on the right and continue to a crossroads at the entrance to the hamlet of Les Mauvaises, where you will see a signpost of the same name and^GR®® markings^.

Blue signpost + red and white^GR®® signpost

(4) Turn right towards Plateau de la Bade, to the left of the small car park, ignoring the path that branches off to the right. Stay on this path, ignoring the numerous side paths, and you will come to a junction at the Plateau de la Bade signpost.

(5) Turn left and walk to a viewpoint near a bench.

(5) Back at the Plateau de la Bade signpost, descend to the left towards Blanzat. At the T-junction, turn left.

(6) Be careful, about 200 m further on, at a post with several markings, do not continue straight ahead on the path but turn onto a path descending to the right. When you reach the tarmac, continue along this street in Blanzat and, at the intersection, continue straight ahead on Rue Vigne de Madame.

Blue markings

(7) Please note that about 50 metres further on, leave the^GR®® markings and follow Passage Saint-Esprit on the left. At the end, go straight ahead into the small car park, then, opposite a small square with a circular fountain and the Place Ballofy sign, take the street on the right and you will immediately come to a crossroads with the main street of the village. Continue straight ahead, leaving the church on your left, and, at the same level, turn right onto Rue de la Libération, then keep to the right to follow the direction of the cemetery.

(8) At the next intersection, continue straight ahead on Rue Reilhat, still heading towards the cemetery. Leave the cemetery on your right and continue along the street that runs alongside a stream. At the end of the housing estate, you will come to a path and then immediately to an intersection of paths.

(9) Turn right, ignore a path on the right, pass the electrical transformer and follow the path on the right. About 80 metres further on, pay attention.

No markings

Leave the path and the blue markings to follow a trail leading off to the left. You will come to the D762.

Le Grand Vert markings

(10) Cross carefully and follow Rue de Saint-André opposite, keeping to the Le Grand Vert markings on this section. Stay on this residential street, turn left at the T-junction and you will soon reach a road. Follow it to the left and ignore the first path on the right.

(11) Turn onto the second path on the right. Further on, ignore a path on the right, reach a crossroads with four paths and turn right.

(12) At the T-junction with a wide path, follow it to the right. At the next T-junction, turn right again and reach the first houses of Sayat at a bridge over the Bédat.

(13) Do not take the bridge, but follow the path on the right that runs alongside the stream. Cross a street and continue straight on Rue des Vergers. You will come to a street.

(14) Follow it to the right, then take the next left. Follow it, leaving the church and two streets on your right. At the fork in the road, keep right, leaving the town hall on your right. When you reach a large lawn sloping down to the left, turn onto the grass towards a footbridge, cross the Bédat and note the sculptures by T. Coutadon.

(15) Just across the stream, turn right onto the grass, go under the bridge and continue on the path that goes around the Le Grand Vert oil mill and back up to the street.

No markings

Turn left onto the bridge, then take the first street on the right, veer left to pass in front of the town hall, then reach the car park (S/E).

Easy hike, standard hiking equipment required.

Discover more hikes in this area with a description or the Visorando app here

Photo album here

Thierry Courtadon is the region's iconic Volvic stone sculptor.

On your way back, take a short detour to the church to see a pretty fountain against its north wall.

Oil mill belonging to the Le Grand Vert association, information here

Views of the Chaîne de Puys, Limagne and Monts du Forez.