On the heights of Volvic

In Volvic, on Avenue de la Liberté, park at the far end of the car park running alongside this avenue, near the school and the pretty square with the statues made of local stone (Volvic stone).
This walk is not signposted as such. However, there are numerous signposts along this route. Please follow only those mentioned in this description.

(S/E) Head up to the right along the one-way street, then turn left at the corner by the museum. Walk past the church on your left (a visit is recommended), then pass to the right of the fountain to follow Rue de la Bannière opposite (towards the Music School), passing to the right of the Tourist Office. At the T-junction, turn left towards the Sources de Volvic.

About fifty metres further on, you’ll see a stone gate on your right topped by a cross and bearing the inscription “Montée de Notre-Dame de la Garde”. Take this flight of steps, which marks the start of the Way of the Cross, and follow it to the monumental statue of Notre-Dame de la Garde.

(1) Behind the small chapel, ignore the sign on the left for Tournoël and continue straight on towards the yellow signposts. When you reach these signposts, marked “Notre-Dame de la Garde”, turn right towards Tournoël. At the fork in the road, marked 630m, take the path furthest to the right, still heading towards Tournoël. Further on, you’ll come to a road; look out for an information sign reading “La foi et la pierre aux origines de Volvic” and continue for a few more metres until you reach the yellow signposts at the foot of Tournoël Castle.

(2) Head towards Viallard along the road that bends to the left. At the T-junction, follow the yellow signpost for “Tour du Puy de la Bannière” to the right for a few metres, then turn immediately onto the path leading down to the left. At a bend to the right, wade across a stream and then follow it on your right, keeping higher up.

(3) Cross a bridge and turn left towards Viallard (yellow sign). You will then walk alongside another stream, on your left and below you. At a left-hand bend, wade across this stream. Shortly afterwards, at a right-hand bend, ignore a path on the left and follow the yellow markings. Further on, continue along this well-marked path, ignoring narrower paths on either side, and ignoring a Blue Cross followed by a second one, whilst following fairly discreet yellow markings.

(4) You’ll reach a T-junction, marked by a small blue^PR®® sign, where you should turn right and then cross another stream. You’ll reach another T-junction and continue to the right, ignoring a Yellow Cross. At the next junction, follow the brown mountain bike markings to the left, then pass a sign indicating a view of the Ambène Valley and Montaclier.

(5) At the next crossroads, you’ll see a sign for “Retour Apage en Val” and a blue signpost. Ignore the direction indicated by this sign (which serves only as a landmark here) and continue to the left. Further on, ignore a path to the left, pass under a high-voltage power line, then arrive at a crossroads at the entrance to Facemeunier.

(6) Follow the road and the brown MTB markings, passing a drinking fountain. Cross the village, following the brown MTB markings at every junction: keep left at the first junction, then take the second left. You’ll arrive at a long drinking trough on a grassy square, with a street lamp and a cross opposite.

Temporarily ignore the mountain bike signposting and continue straight on to join the path that runs past the cross. Further on, ignore a path on the left and rejoin the brown mountain bike signposting. About fifty metres further on, at a Fork in the road, ignore this signposting and turn left.

(7) At a right-hand bend, ignore the path that continues straight ahead (which does not appear on the IGN map). Pass under the high-voltage power line again and arrive at a crossroads by a beautiful old cross beneath a pine tree and the Puy de Saint-Priest signpost. Note the red and white markings of^{the GR®®441}.

(8) From here on, follow these^GR®® markings until otherwise indicated. Turn left and ignore the paths branching off on either side until you reach a crossroads near a road (on the right).

(9) Continue to the left, turn right at the next crossroads and keep following this wide path, ignoring any side paths. Enjoy the view of the Chaîne des Puys and pass to the left of a tiny marsh.

(10) Further on, take in a final view of the Limagne and the Livradois, then begin a very gentle descent towards Volvic on the right.

(11) You’ll reach the 674m marker. Leave the^GR®®441and follow the yellow signposting for the “Tour du Puy de la Bannière” to the right. The path descends steeply to join a road. Cross the road to reach several signs: the blue sign for the “Réserve Naturelle Régionale des Cheires et Grottes de Volvic” as well as pink, blue and green directional signs for local routes.

(12) Ignore the directions indicated by these signs, as well as the yellow markings, and head straight on along the path to the right of the wooden bin. At the Fork in the road, veer right and at the next junction, by a green sign, turn right again. Continue until you come within sight of a meadow crossed by a small canal.

Just before you reach this meadow, take a short detour to the left along a barely marked path to a cave and its very cool surroundings. Then head down into the meadow and follow the small canal to the left, without crossing it. When you can see the road, turn left, moving away from the canal, to reach a wide path at a post marked with a yellow sign.

(13) Follow the path to the left, then continue in the same direction, passing to the left of a rock lying on the path. At a junction with a blue sign, go through the gate on the right to continue along a narrower path. At a Fork in the road, take the path on the right and, shortly afterwards, pass to the left of a ruined low wall.

Continue in this direction, ignoring the path to the left. Further on, pass to the left of a small wooden gate and continue along the path, which turns left. Shortly afterwards, go through a small gate to join a track, where you’ll find pink and blue signposts.

(14) Take this wide path to the left, following the red and white markings of^{the GR®®441}once again. Follow these markings until otherwise indicated. Further on, ignore a path to the left (which does not appear on the IGN map) where you’ll see signposts. You’ll arrive at a road, opposite the car park of the Goulet Bottling Plant, by a wooden barrier and information boards about local walks.

(15) Follow the road straight ahead, then take a road on the left towards the Grotte de la Pierre de Volvic. Walk past the entrance to the cave^, then ignore the street on the left and^, at the same time^, leave the^GR®® markings^behind. Further on, ignore Rue de l’Éclatier on the right, near a beautiful chestnut tree in a garden on the left. After passing Place de la Grande Fontaine, you’ll reach a T-junction in the village of Volvic.

(16) Turn left, then take the first right at the Square du 19 Mars. At the Fork in the road shortly afterwards, take the left-hand road and walk past a fountain featuring a small lion’s head. At the next junction, continue straight on along Rue de Bessat. At the following junction, take the street to the right of house number 11.

When this street curves to the left, carry on straight ahead along the paved path to pass below the church on your left and above a small park on your right. Go down the steps that extend from this path to return to your car in the car park on Avenue de la Liberté (S/E).

Between (12) and (14), pay close attention to the description in this guide, as it is easy to lose your way a little on the solidified lava flow, as the route taken here is not signposted.

A few photos here

Volvic is the “town of stone and water”. In the 13th century, the quarrying of andesite – known as Volvic stone – led to the development of this village on the Limagne hillside. The water was harnessed several centuries later: it was not until 1922 that the decision was taken to tap the Source du Goulet.

Between (S) and (1) In the village, the Church of Saint-Priest is a Cluniac site. Its chancel, in pure 12th-century Auvergne Romanesque style, has been listed as a historic monument since 1903.

Shortly before (16) On the Place de la Grande Fontaine, a beautiful cross overlooks the Saint-Priest Fountain, the town’s main spring. Another fountain is adorned with a bas-relief depicting swans.

Between (12) and (14), the Cheires and Grottes de Volvic Regional Nature Reserve is situated on the Cheires de Bruvaleix and covers 61.30 ha. It was established to ensure the protection of the most important hibernation site for bats in Auvergne. A ‘cheire’ is an ancient solidified lava flow that has formed a very rugged landscape. The caves dotted across it were carved out for the quarrying of Volvic stone.

(14) On the right, the Maison de l’Artisanat de Volvic sells beautiful glazed lava pieces.

Between (15) and (16) lies the Grotte de la Pierre de Volvic.