Tiretaine (ruisseau) - Affluent de l'Artière walks

It is very rare not to encounter walkers on this beautiful granite promontory overlooking Royat and Chamalières. The Royadères and Chamaliérois enjoy walking here in all seasons. This circular route takes you along a forest discovery trail, the beautiful Chemin des Crêtes and part of the Roman road that linked Lyon to Saintes. In the last part of the hike, the beautiful forest paths were transformed into wide tracks at the end of 2022 and tree debris litters the banks. Some of the landmarks mentioned in the description are therefore missing.

A grand tour of the Puy de Dôme allows you to admire this local landmark from multiple angles. The ascents of the Grand Knoll and Cliersou, peaks overlooked by most hikers, offer beautiful views of the Chaîne des Puys.

In the Clermont-Ferrand area, climb the small puys of Montaudoux and Gravenoire, visit Bargouin Park and Royat Thermal Park. This is an easy hike if you skip the climb to the summit of Montaudoux.

A circular route at the foot of the Puy de Dôme with, in the first part, a walk along forest paths, then a route through the villages of Orcines to discover beautiful wash houses, still in use, made of Volvic stone.

Set off to explore Chamalières and Royat on a route that climbs to the heights of Chamalières, offering beautiful views of the Clermont-Ferrand conurbation.

Discover the Tiretaine river and its hydraulic basin at the very beginning of its course. After walking along a cool path beside the river, you will discover the small streams that feed it and no fewer than five wash houses. The return route takes you along a balcony overlooking the valley.

Hike along the slopes of the Montaudoux and Gravenoire puys to reach the viewpoint of the Rocher du Salut. On the way back, you can visit the town and the Royat spa district.

Close to Clermont-Ferrand, walk through meadows and woodland on beautiful paths, such as the Chemin des Crêtes and an ancient Roman road. You can also discover basalt columns and pretty fountains. At the end of the hike, the beautiful forest trails were transformed into wide tracks at the end of 2022. Some of the landmarks mentioned in the description are therefore missing.

From Clermont city centre to Montjuzet Park, located on the small hill of the same name, preserved from urbanisation, offering beautiful views of the Clermont metropolitan area and the surrounding mountains in a Mediterranean atmosphere.

Starting from Font de l'Arbre, on the D942, right at the foot of Puy de Dôme, take a short hike to discover the essentials of Auvergne: traditional houses, fountains, wash houses, drinking troughs, streams, springs, basalt columns, Roman milestones, and even a sheepfold... not to mention the cheeses on sale at the Village Auvergnat.

A circular route on the edge of the city, almost entirely in the woods, taking the beautiful Roman road, still paved, which linked Lyon to Saintes. Views of the Puy de Dôme in the first part of the hike, then of the city of Clermont-Ferrand.

An urban walk in Clermont-Ferrand to discover two beautiful murals from 2022 around Montjuzet Park.

This seventh and final stage, which is partly urban, allows you to continue exploring Royat, which you started at the end of the previous stage, first in the wooded hills of the town, passing by the Rocher du Salut promontory, then through the streets and park of the spa district, with its beautiful seaside architecture. Finally, the return route to Clermont allows you to discover the centre of Chamalières.

This sixth stage takes you gently closer to the city of Clermont-Ferrand, passing through the hamlet of Villars, which has preserved its beautiful old buildings, before following the stunning Chemin des Crêtes, overlooking the Tiretaine valley, to reach the old village of Royat.

In the Clermont-Ferrand metropolitan area, the Transport à la Demande (TAD) service, in addition to regular bus and tram lines, allows you to travel quite far around the city. This seven-stage itinerary takes advantage of this. Each stage begins and ends at a bus or TAD stop. In between, the routes allow you to discover the villages of the metropolitan area's green belt and the foot of the Puy de Dôme: the built heritage of their old wine-growing or mountain villages, their spa resorts, their natural environments and a few geological curiosities. The first stages follow the course of the Artière, and the last ones follow the course of the Tiretaine, two pretty little rivers, tributaries of the Allier, which originate at the foot of the puys.See "Practical information" for a 4-stage variant with accommodation.

From village to village, at the foot of the Puy de Dôme, this hike is punctuated by the sound of water flowing from numerous fountains, passing by the basalt columns of Puy de Montrodeix.

A walk to discover all the facets of the city of Royat: the spa district with its superb buildings, the old medieval town overlooking the Tiretaine valley, Bargoin Park, which, although officially part of Chamalières, is well integrated into the centre of Royat, just like the Spa Park.

After visiting the new Place des Carmes, take a stroll through the tree-lined cemetery of the same name, then through the streets to discover some beautiful examples of street art.

A short climb at the start to reach the Chemin des Crêtes and its Mediterranean atmosphere, a volcanic detour to the small rock formations, a walk at the foot of the local giant and an end to the walk in the company of the Tiretaine.