Tour of Puy d'Orliac

Departure from Veix church. Coming from the D180, turn left at the corner of the church and park in the car park just after the small village hall, on the right-hand side of the street (the church is on the left-hand side).

Yellow markings (^PR® 13) + Mountain bike signposting 24 + Trail signposting 4

(S/E) From the car park, go back along the access road and walk past the church on your right. At the crossroads (stone cross on the left), turn right downhill. At the end of the street (stone cross opposite), follow the D180 to the right towards Treignac. Walk past the Veix town hall on your left, then its car park.

(1) At the end of the car park, turn sharply left and continue downhill on a tarmac road. Cross a stream and ignore a turning on the left and then a turning on the right. Gradually climb up a good stony path between ferns, woods and meadows.

(2) You will come to a small road; follow it to the left. Ignore a turn-off to the left, veer to the right and continue along the road, which climbs gently through wooded countryside.

(3) At the start of a descent, leave the road and take the path on the left that enters the forest. Climb gently.

(4) At the crossroads, continue straight ahead on a slight downhill slope under a fir tree plantation. At a three-way junction, turn right downhill and walk along a fenced wood on your right. Ignore a turning on the left. Further on, you will come to a road; follow it to the left. After about 20 metres, turn right towards Le Fromontiel and walk along a pond on your left.

(5) When you reach a large house on the right-hand side, leave the small road and take the path that branches off to the left between two stone buildings. Ignore the paths leading to the meadows on the left and right and follow the path in the middle between two hedges. Climb between woods and meadows, pass a sort of pass (paragliding area on the left) and descend via a wide gravel path.

(6) At the crossroads, turn sharply left and descend a steeply sloping minor road. After about 500m, at the start of a left-hand bend, leave the road and take the path on the right. Cross a stream and climb up through a beautiful beech forest.

(7) Take a sharp right turn onto the main path and ignore a path on the left. Walk along a meadow on your left, then continue uphill through the forest, ignoring the vague paths on either side. At the houses, rejoin the tarmac road, turn left and immediately ignore a downhill lane on the left.

Yellow markings (^PR® 13) + Red and Yellow + Mountain bike signposting 24 + Trail signposting 4

(8) At the fork, go left. Follow a small road downhill for about 800m, ignoring all roads or paths on either side.

(9) At a point where there is a clear view on the left, leave the road and turn right onto the path that leads into the woods. Climb slightly then continue on flat ground along a meadow on the right-hand side. Continue downhill through the woods on a sunken path. You will come to the first crossroads you took at the start of the walk (church opposite) and turn right to return to the car park (S/E).

Hiking boots recommended.

There are no water sources or shops along the route.

Alternative starting point:
You can park in the car park of Veix Town Hall, along the D180, and start the hike at the point (1). This leaves more of a descent for the end of the hike, but the church setting is prettier...

Although the route is marked with triple signage or arrows, a detailed map is always useful (at least the one accompanying this description).

Hike completed by the author on 9 November 2018.

- Saint-Pardoux and Saint-Salvy Church (12th-13th century) (S/E), Romanesque in style and relatively simple in design.
- Pleasant forest path with beautiful views of the meadows.
- Beautiful stone houses in Fromonteil (5) and Lasmay (8).