Tiretaine (ruisseau) - Affluent de l'Artière walks

It is very rare not to encounter other walkers on this beautiful granite promontory overlooking Royat and Chamalières. The residents of Royat and Chamalières enjoy walking here in all seasons. This loop follows 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

During this walk, you will follow the small, rushing Tiretaine River, which originates near Font de l'Arbre, not far from Puy de Dôme, and disappears into the underground tunnels of Clermont-Ferrand.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.