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The route starts at the foot of the statue of Vercingétorix's horse, Place de Jaude. Tram stop: Jaude.
(S/E) With your back to the base of the statue, on the "À Vercingétorix" side, go straight ahead to take Rue Blatin. Just at the intersection with Rue Michel Hugues, note the superb bestiary supporting the balcony at No. 22. Continue along Rue Blatin, cross the Rue Bonnabaud/Rue Gabriel Péri crossroads, then turn right onto the square with the bust of Varenne and follow Rue Franklin Roosevelt opposite until you reach the crossroads with Rue Jean-Baptiste Torrilhon and Boulevard Berthelot. Cross Rue Jean-Baptiste Torrilhon on the right.
(1) Enter Square Amadéo and you will immediately see the sheep fountain. Leave the square and go straight ahead on Boulevard Berthelot. Turn left onto Rue Blatin and note, on the right-hand side of the street, a beautiful red brick house with, set back slightly, hanging from the balcony of a terrace, an anthropomorphic figure who seems to be related to King Kong (binoculars or zoom lens useful). Turn right onto Rue Morel-Ladeuil, then left onto Rue Rameau. At the intersection with Rue Beaumarchais on the right, notice the beautiful bas-reliefs by G. Gournier illustrating La Fontaine's fables, surrounding the door of the Nestor Perret School Group. Continue along Rue Rameau until you reach the intersection with Rue Bonnabaud.
(2) Turn right. At the intersection with Avenue Julien at no. 22, a dragon sits atop the gable of a beautiful residence, whose door is surmounted by a lion's head framed by fish-like creatures. Turn left onto Rue Eugène Gilbert, then right onto Rue Ramond, home to a dinosaur (street art), left onto Rue du Pont Artésien, then right onto Rue de Ceyrat, home to a kind of dog (street art), and continue to the end of the street, where two superb foxes are hidden above the door at No. 10. Turn left onto Boulevard Pasteur to reach a large crossroads.
(3) Follow Boulevard Charles de Gaulle (tram line) to the left. Notice the winged creatures on the first floor of No. 28. Continue along Boulevard Charles de Gaulle, on the right-hand side of the street. At the crossroads with Rue Lagarlaye, cross the street, walk a few metres to the right and take the stairs on the left which lead up to Place du Grand Pavois. Continue straight ahead on this terrace to take the footbridge, turn left immediately afterwards, then right onto Rue Jean Soulacroup, passing under a building. Notice the bas-relief depicting two horse heads opposite, above the arched doorway of the building to the right of the staircase.
Climb the stairs to Rue Georges Clemenceau, turn right, and note the ornate balcony above the door of No. 22, where two squirrels are listening to music. You will arrive at a T-junction with Boulevard Léon Malfreyt.
For a short detour, walk a few metres to the right to see the lion heads and unusual fish decorating the circular fountain. Retrace your steps and continue straight ahead on Boulevard Léon Malfreyt, paying attention to another ornate balcony on the right-hand side of the street, on the first floor of 589-Bay, featuring sphinxes and birds, then arrive at the Monument Desaix roundabout, a fountain decorated with lion heads and monsters, locally known as "the Pyramid". Go around the roundabout on the right, crossing Avenue Vercingétorix.
(4) Enter Jardin Lecoq, note the lion at the top of the gate, and stay on the path that goes straight ahead. You will immediately notice the rim of an old well decorated with small lion heads emerging from a flowerbed on the right. The path veers to the right and arrives at a crossroads. Notice the fauns mocking the tearful Byblis on the right, and turn left, passing in front of the bust of Henri Lecoq and then to the right of the sequoia tree. Continue in the same direction at the next crossroads and you will come to another intersection. Notice the toads, witnesses to volcanic activity, on the right, and continue straight ahead to reach the lake.
Turn right to walk along it to the end and discover the faun of the fountain. Go around the tip of the pond and immediately turn right to join a path. Follow it to the left, noting the lion-like feet of some of the benches, and you will arrive at a small porch on the left, built with ruins from Blaise Pascal's castle and haunted by two monster heads. Turn left to pass under the porch, take the footbridge and turn left a few metres after. At the intersection, follow the path straight ahead, noting the boxwood on the lawn on your left, trimmed in the shape of a peacock with a tail of flowers.
At the end of the path, do not go towards one of the garden gates on the left, but turn right to enter the rose garden. In the middle of the rose garden, a young triton and his fish sit enthroned in the centre of a small pond. On the lawns, notice the little monsters on the handles of the pots perched on stone pedestals. Continue in the same direction, passing to the left of the playground, come to the wall of the technical services building and turn right, then turn left at the next intersection and continue in this direction to exit the garden through the gate you used to enter.
(4) Back at the Monument Desaix roundabout, turn right, cross Boulevard Lafayette and walk past the Bargoin Museum, noting the lion above its door and another carved into the stone of the doorframe. Continue straight ahead on Rue Ballainvilliers.
At the end of the street, at the intersection with Rue Maréchal Joffre, notice the mosaic stork at the top of the street sign (street art), cross the street, continue straight ahead on the small square, turning left to enter Rue Saint-Esprit. At the intersection with Rue Saint-Genès, continue straight ahead, still on Rue Saint-Esprit, and at the intersection with Boulevard Desaix, continue straight ahead onto Rue d'Assas.
(5) Turn right onto Rue de la Tour d'Auvergne, passing Neptune wielding his trident to slay some sea monsters, and continue straight ahead. Reach Boulevard Desaix, continue in the same direction, with the façade of the Hôtel de Préfecture on your right, whose monumental door is surmounted by two lion heads, then, at the crossroads of several streets, stay in the same direction and turn onto Rue des Petits Gras. Shortly afterwards, at the carriage entrance to the restaurant 'Le bœuf caché', take a look inside the patio to see the head of the ox in question adorning an old fountain.
Continue along the street, passing the frog from the café "The Frog" (painting) on your left, and arrive at an intersection at the Fontaine des Lions, adorned with its three lion heads. Turn right onto Rue des Chaussetiers and, about thirty metres further on, take a short detour into the colourful cul-de-sac of the same name , which is home to a monster's head disguised as a letterbox. Take Rue des Chaussetiers on the right , which leads to the Cathedral of Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption.
The building is decorated with numerous sculptures, mainly of fantastical or hybrid animals, from different periods and at all levels of the façade and other walls. Look up, perhaps with binoculars, but be careful,as Place de la Victoire is treacherous due to its inconspicuous steps (tourists frequently fall here, hence its name). After exploring this side of the cathedral, head right to the monumental Fountain of Urban II, decorated with superb monster heads and hybrid animals.
Continue slightly to the right to pass the tourist office on your right and arrive at Place Royale, a small square dominated by cherubs supporting a vase topped with lion heads (fountain). Immediately turn left onto Rue Massillon, ignoring the street on the left that leads back to Place de la Victoire. Pass in front of the pretty façade of Maison Arthur, with its cats and pigeons (painting), at the next intersection, notice a large mosaic of a goat and birds (street art) on a wall on the right, stay on the left and turn left onto Rue Savaron, where a monkey's head (street art) watches over this crossroads, with several others hidden in this neighbourhood. You will arrive at Place du Terrail.
(6) Make a short return trip to the left, to the street sign, and look up at a sculpture of a raven. Retrace your steps to Place du Terrail and notice the three monkey heads (street art).
(6) Turn left onto Rue Blaise Pascal, then take the first right onto Rue de l'Oratoire. At the T-junction, opposite the kingfisher (street art), walk a few metres to the right to discover a bas-relief of two horses in skirts at the top of what is probably a former stable door of the Hôtel de Chazerat. Retrace your steps, continue straight ahead on Rue du Bon Pasteur, turn right at the end of the street onto Rue Neyron, continue straight ahead at the next two crossroads and you will arrive at Place Delille.
(7) Head left, cross at the pedestrian crossing to reach the foot of the monumental fountain, which features several lion heads and a basin decorated with water jets spouting from fish. Continue across the square, heading north towards the tram line and the Centre Georges Cauthon, and note the ibis on the façade of the old pharmacy with its Egyptian décor at the end of the square on the left.
Turn around and take the first street on the right, Rue Robertus, to reach the rear of the Basilica of Notre-Dame du Port. Notice the winged creatures around a chalice on the capitals. Enter the church courtyard and notice a sheep on another very worn capital, then go inside the building to discover other capitals, some of which are carved with birds, another depicting a centaur. Leave the church and climb the steps opposite to reach Rue du Port. Turn right and notice a mosaic of a hare and a tortoise (street art) at the intersection of Impasse du Port, then, at the intersection with Rue Barrier, a fountain with a shell and a monster's head set back on the right.
At the intersection with Rue Blaise Pascal, turn left for a "prehistoric" detour, then take the first street on the right, Rue des Petites Bohèmes, the domain of street artist Lasko. Retrace your steps, take Rue du Port on the left, and note two rather worn sculptures on either side of aGothic-style carriage entrance at No. 21. Continue to the crossroads with Rue Claussman, at the corner of the Town Hall.
(8) Notice, opposite and on the right, the Fontaine d'Amboise fountain, which is well worth a quick detour to see its numerous sculptures, often grotesque, including a few winged creatures and a submissive dog.
(8) Back at the corner of the Town Hall, follow Rue Philippe Marcombes, which passes in front of the entrance to the building, and note the two twin fountains, decorated with a sea monster and a lion's head. The street ends at the foot of the cathedral. Look up again to see the sculptures on this side of the building, then take a short detour to the left to see a dog and pigeons in the trompe l'oeil on the building behind the cathedral and, on another wall on the right, a mosaic of a frog and an ox (street art).
Return to the front of the cathedral, go down the steps of the forecourt and follow Rue des Gras for about thirty metres, which runs straight in front of the main entrance to the religious building, with the Puy de Dôme in sight (on a clear day).
Turn right onto Rue de l'Ente and note the reptilian door knocker on the right, at No. 6 Rue de la Coifferie. Continue along Rue de l'Ente and, at the end, turn left onto Rue de la Boucherie. You will immediately notice, in a medallion on the wall on the left, the sacrificed animals that illustrate the former speciality of this street. Continue straight ahead until you reach Place Saint-Pierre, go around the market hall on the right until you find Rue Jean Rochon on the right.
(9) Cross Rue du 11 Novembre and continue for a few metres until you reach No. 5 Rue Jean Rochon, where you will see lion heads. Turn back.
(9) Turn left onto Rue du 11 Novembre. At the end of the street, turn left onto Avenue des États-Unis (tram line), passing the Bouchara sign on the right-hand side of the street, whose building is guarded at the top of its façade by two lion heads. Retrace your steps and continue along the tram line. On the left, on the first floor of the building with the Havas sign, you will see winged creatures. Shortly afterwards, you will come to the horse of Vercingétorix (S/E).
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