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Depart from the Royat Pépinière stop on line 5.
(S) Head towards the roundabout and take the street on the right that leads to the sports complex car park. Go up to the top of the car park and take the path to the west that runs alongside the sports fields on the right. The path quickly turns into a woodland trail which soon runs alongside the Tiretaine river.
(1) Further on, the path veers southwards while continuing to run alongside the Tiretaine. On the other side of the stream, there is now a small road. Further on, the path joins the road
(2) Follow it to the left. About 200 m further on, take a sharp left turn onto the path that enters the arboretum. At the fork just after, turn right, heading south. About 300 m further on, take a sharp left turn, ignoring the path that branches off opposite. Continue straight on until you reach the yellow directional signs (Forêt de Royat marker).
(3) Follow the signs for Charade direct on the right and ignore the two paths that branch off to the left just after. Further on, pass the tree-top adventure park before arriving at a car park (Charade sign). Join the access road to the car park.
(4) Follow the path to the left, walk along the golf course on your right and ignore a path on the left. Further on, ignore another path on the left and continue for a few metres.
(5) Turn right onto a path. When you reach a T-junction with another path, turn right (PR®® sign) for a round trip to the top of Rocher du Salut. Retrace your steps, leaving the path you took on the way up on your left, and you will come to the path you left earlier.
(6) Take the path on the right and ignore the sign for Royat via Les Rivaux on the right further on. You will arrive at a neighbourhood of houses in Royat.
(7) Go through the barrier and continue left on the road. Ignore all the streets on the right and arrive at the chapel. Continue on the street that descends to the left (Rue de la Chapelle) and arrive at a roundabout.
(8) Continue straight ahead, then shortly afterwards, turn left onto the one-way street. You will come to the D5E, cross it and continue straight ahead, to the right of the Barreiras bus stop, until you reach Rue Nationale. Walk a few metres to the left and turn right onto Rue A. Cohendy, towards the church, then turn right onto Rue Cordemoy.
Then turn onto the alley on the left. Continue along the street, walk a few metres to the left until you reach the Escalier du Temps staircase built into the wall of the church forecourt (lift on the right), then take a sharp right turn. Take the staircase down to the Tiretaine, passing in front of the Grotte Siméoni (information panel), and you will come to the Tiretaine at a bridge.
(9) Without crossing the river, continue straight ahead on the street that goes uphill, ignore a street on the right and arrive at a busy street, opposite the Villa Lysbeth (attractive façade). Turn left. Further on, turn left to cross a small car park and take an alleyway that goes down to the thermal park. At the blue barrier, do not enter the park but head down the street on the right. This leads to a busy street, Boulevard Barrieu, opposite a restaurant.
(10) Turn left (note the Castel Sévigné turreted house on the right and further on, still on the right, at the intersection of Rue Jean Heitz, Villa Stella and the charming old-fashioned post office). Continue straight ahead on the boulevard (note the many beautiful façades of old hotels and family guesthouses) until you reach the superb Pavillon Majestic, where the boulevard makes a sharp left turn. Continue straight ahead for a few metres to reach the entrance to the Parc du Pavillon Majestic, at the Place Landouzy crossroads.
(11) Turn right (Avenue de la Gare) in front of the entrance and walk along the building on your right (note the superb façades lining this street). In the bend in the street to the left, leave the station on your right as you pass to the right of the former Hôtel Terminus. Before going under the railway bridge, climb the stairs on the left and continue along the street (Rue des Roches). You will come to Avenue de la Gare. Follow it to the right to reach the Place Landouzy crossroads, then keep to the right on Boulevard Vaquez. Walk along the top of the Parc Thermal and go down to Place Allard.
(12) Pass a sign for "la Métro en Balade" on the right, then enter the thermal park on the right. Pass to the left of the Buvette Eugénie, then between two beautiful sequoia trees and the old entrance to the thermal establishment, continue straight ahead to reach the casino car park. Turn left and leave the remains of the Roman baths and the beautiful Pavillon Saint-Mart on your right, on the banks of the Tiretaine. Continue on, leave the thermal park and you will arrive at Avenue de Royat.
(13) Follow it to the right, pass under the viaduct, continue straight ahead to leave Royat and enter Chamalières. (Further along the avenue, note the pretty façades on either side of the avenue, in particular a surprising row of small houses with very original façades.) Shortly afterwards, you will arrive at the Chamalières post office on the left-hand side of the avenue.
(14) Walk past the post office on your left, then turn left and continue along a long right-hand bend in the heart of a modern shopping district. At the end of this bend, do not go down the street but take the footbridge that passes over it. On the other side, continue straight ahead into a small park, then turn left to go down a street and find the Place de la Saigne hiking signpost.
(15) Cross the street towards the small Bassin de la Saigne, bordered by a building with a mural depicting a mill, then follow Rue du Languedoc, to the right of this building. Turn onto the first street on the left and join the Tiretaine. Follow the path on the right, pass to the left of the Wallace Fountain and the courtyard of a beautiful old building to reach the end of the path (note the large wash house on the other side of the Tiretaine), then return to the Wallace Fountain and turn left. Immediately after, turn left to pass under the archway of the building and come out onto a street.
Follow it to the right, then turn left onto Rue du Languedoc. You will soon arrive at Place des Sarrazins. Stand as far to the left as possible and look up above the roofs of the houses on the opposite side of the square to see the remains of the old Chamalières castle, known as the Mur des Sarrazins. Continue on to Collégiale Notre-Dame on Place Sully.
(16) Go around the building on the right.
(16) Back at Place Sully, follow Rue Lufbery opposite (to the right of the patisserie). You will arrive at Rue de Royat, opposite Parc Montjoly, which houses the town hall. Go around the crossroads on the right to reach the park entrance. Enter and choose a route (note the beautiful trees, fountains, war memorial and mole art) to climb up to the town hall.
(17) Walk around the park and head back down to exit through the same gate you entered.
Turn right, cross Rue Pasteur, then keep to the right and turn right onto Avenue de Royat (there is no street sign at this crossroads). Continue along this avenue lined with some beautiful houses. You will come to the crossroads with Boulevard Berthelot (on the left) / Duclaux (on the right), which marks the boundary between the municipalities of Chamalières and Clermont-Ferrand. (Note the memorial on the right in tribute to those tortured by the Gestapo. Also note the beautiful residences at this intersection, in particular the Villa Pingeot opposite. The buildings of the Banque de France printing works are on the right).
(18) Continue straight ahead on Rue Blatin to reach Place de Jaude (E) at the end of the street.
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