Pulvérières walks

Since 1992, this pleasant walk has invited visitors to stroll among Gilles Perez's monumental contemporary lava stone sculptures, which blend in with the landscape and nature. Additional sculptures have been added over the years.

A hike on the Combrailles side of the Chaîne des Puys, an area less frequented by summer crowds, to discover an old pozzolan quarry and its biotope. Along the way, you will encounter the inhabitants of the pastures and the woods.

A circular route on the border between the Combrailles and the Chaîne des Puys, in the countryside around Saint-Ours, passing by the summit of Puy de Louchadière, offering a beautiful viewpoint, and the lovely beech forest covering its slopes. The Visorando app is highly recommended in the Louchadière forest.

La Roche de Sauterre offers a beautiful location for observing the surroundings and the majestic alignment of the Chaîne des Puys. This basalt peak, the result of volcanic activity, contains inclusions of peridotite, a semi-precious stone.

A circular route starting from Saint-Ours, through the hamlets of the Saint-Ours countryside between Combrailles and the Chaîne des Puys, featuring a pleasant section through the forest and a visit to an old pozzolan quarry.

Contrasting landscapes of meadows and forests for this circular tour to discover the Puy de Louchadière, on the edge of the Combrailles.Please note! A GPS device is useful for following this hike in the forest sections. Also, be sure to follow the map rather than the various markings encountered along the route.

A double loop around Saint-Ours-les-Roches to discover the typical hamlets of this region of the Combrailles, at the foot of the Chaîne des Puys.

A very pleasant walk in the oldest part of the Chaîne des Puys. The hamlet of Beaunit is nestled in the hollow of a volcanic maar that was occupied by a lake several hundred thousand years ago.

This route allows you to discover three ancient volcanoes in the Chaîne des Puys.

A short hike allowing you to discover many examples of well-preserved built heritage in the hamlets: fountains, wash houses, crosses, and the Louchadière water catchment, passing through woods and meadows.

From Pontgibaud and the beautiful medieval architecture of Château Dauphin, you will travel through the mysterious landscapes of the Cheire de Pontgibaud, one of the most beautiful lava flows in the Chaîne des Puys.

This route will take you to the ruins of the Chartreuse du Port-Sainte-Marie, founded in 1219, passing by the banks of the Sioule and its meanders.

This circular loop will take you to the summit of Puy des Gouttes, where you can enjoy a beautiful view of the Chaîne des Puys, then into the countryside near Fontètes, a hamlet with a pretty little chapel. On the way back, you will discover a beautiful row of about twenty drinking troughs in a meadow, the Fontaine des Pères.

"Human noise becomes silent, nature makes volcanoes chatter; whispering landscapes, and whispering a thousand voices of silence". Caption of the beautiful sculpture by Thierry Courtadon that you will encounter on your route, alongside with great viewpoints.

A circular route that is half mountain, half countryside, passing by the summit of Puy des Gouttes before descending towards the Combrailles to discover the hamlet of Beauregard. A leisurely return via a sculpture in Courtadon. SHHH!

This route starts at the Vulcania crossroads and begins with a long, fairly flat, open path before crossing the forest to reach these two magnificent volcanoes. The route can be done in either direction.

A short circular forest loop around Puy de Côme, whose summit is unfortunately not accessible. The route passes by the Bacs de Ceyssat site, a pretty series of drinking troughs (les bacs) fed by a fountain, installed via an aqueduct for sheep.

A hike entirely in the forest, in the unique landscape of the Cheire de Côme. You will be left to your own devices in this mysterious forest, on small unmarked paths for part of the route, wherethe Visorando app is almost essential. The Signed Stone is an enigma, perhaps you can try to solve it.

On this comet-shaped route, discover the solidified lava flow of Côme, a remarkable natural area in the Chaîne des Puys. This lava flow from the Puy de Côme, which stretches for almost 10 km, has solidified into extremely chaotic terrain and has been colonised by a beautiful forest of birch and beech trees. To extend this hike, I suggest you then walk around the Puy de Côme, through the beech forest that covers its slopes.

A lovely walk offering the chance to explore the superb Marais de Paloux, a designated Sensitive Natural Area, and leading to the chaotic solidified lava flow of Tournebize, formed from the lava of the Puy de Côme.

This hike allows you to discover the "perfect" crater of the Puy des Goules and the much more complex crater of the Puy des Gouttes, with the protrusion of the Puy Chopine. Beautiful views of the Chaîne des Puys.The Visorando app is recommended for certain unmarked sections.

Set off from the foot of the volcanoes and descend to the old Hercynian base of the Plateau des Dôme, right on the edge of the Limagne fault, in peaceful countryside alternating between crops, woods and pastures. There are some beautiful views of the puys to the west and Clermont-Ferrand on the Limagne side to the east.

Short hike to the summit of Grand Sarcoui and the magnificent volcano with its perfect crater, Puy des Goules. A magnificent view of the volcano park from each of the two summits. This hike is not technically difficult and is suitable for families who want to discover the magic of volcanoes. Moderator's note added on 13/09/2021: access to the Sarcoui caves is difficult and the summit is now off-limits (see comments).

An easy hike up Puy Pariou and down into its crater. A very pleasant forest at the start and end of the route, with beautiful views of Puy de Dôme on the way back. (3) It is forbidden to descend into the volcano or go all the way round it.

A magnificent hike, without any great difficulty, which will take you through the Parc des Volcans north of the Puy de Dôme. You will discover the Sarcoui and its cave, the Puy des Goules, the Puy de Côme, the Cliersou and its caves, the Petit and Grand Knolls, and the grandiose Puy Pariou. At the top of each puy, you can enjoy 360° views of the Chaîne des Puys, the Puy de Dôme, the Limagne plain and Clermont-Ferrand.

Best done on a sunny winter's day, this snowy outing offers magical landscapes. In the woods, the trees, bending under their white blanket, cover the paths with a canopy that creates beautiful light effects. When you emerge at the top of the puys, you are greeted by a magnificent landscape.

A classic in the Chaîne des Puys to admire Puy de Dôme and Le Puy de Pariou, amongst others.

Circular loop starting from the village of Mazaye Basse, passing by the Rey de Saint-Pierre, a basalt promontory overlooking the Sioule valley and offering a beautiful panorama of the Sancy Massif and the Chaîne des Puys, then crossing the Marais de Mazaye, a Sensitive Natural Area, via a path built on stilts.

A beautiful circular route passing through three peaks with stunning panoramic views and lovely sections in the forest, starting from the centre of Fontaine du Berger, a car park that is less busy than Parking des Goules. The Visorando app is recommended as some paths are not marked. Very busy in summer.

The discovery of Thierry Courtadon's sculpture "Contempler" is the pretext for this hike starting from the Fontaine du Berger. The route, along the edge of the Limagne fault, takes you through varied landscapes, cultivated fields, wetlands, pastures, summer meadows, woods and forests, as well as villages and hamlets still rich in traditional buildings.

A circular route passing through a must-see of the Chaîne des Puys, the crater of Puy des Goules, which offers a superb panorama, passing by a few curiosities: an old military barracks, an old pozzolan quarry, and a relay antenna cross!

A walk offering beautiful views of the Puy de Dôme and some of its neighbours, as well as a panorama of the Limagne and the Monts du Forez.Please note! This off-trail route through the mountain pastures is only accessible from early December to late April.

A perfect circle 700 m in diameter and approximately 66 m deep, the Gour de Tazenat is a crater lake or maar whose clear waters are home to a variety of aquatic fauna. A path through the undergrowth allows everyone to walk around it easily.

Route around the Gour de Tazenat, which occupies an ancient volcanic crater. You can even swim in the lake that has formed inside it. Don’t worry, the volcano has been dormant for 40,000 years.