Tour of Puy de la Vigeral

In Nadaillat, park in the car park near the cemetery, located at the bottom and to the south of the village.

(S/E) Head back towards the village, skirting the cemetery slightly, then immediately take Rue de l’Église, which climbs to the left. Pass below the old cemetery and then to the right of the church. At the fork, by the cross, continue left to reach a junction by the fountain. Turn left and look for yellow signposts on your left, then carry on straight towards La Cassière. Continue along this road, ignoring the streets to the right and left, until you reach the start of a long left-hand bend.

(1) Then take the path branching off to the right and continue slightly uphill.

(2) About 1.4 km further on, you’ll see a spring on the left; ignore a path branching off to the left. The path begins to descend. Further on, pass close to a reservoir, then enter Chalamont.

(3) Take the first road on the right, which takes you under the D2089. On the other side, take the first road on the left, at a stone cross, to reach the village of Fontfreyde. Shortly afterwards, you’ll come to a large gravel square on the left. Cross it, then, on the road lined with parking spaces, continue to the left. At the junction shortly afterwards, go straight on (dead end sign) and, at a house with a small rounded garage, look out for a path that branches off to the right, running alongside this property.

(4) Take this path to reach a small road and follow it to the right. Continue along this road, ignoring three paths on the right, until, about a hundred metres from the end of the road, you can see the retaining wall of the D2089 blocking the road. Then take a path on the right. Shortly afterwards, this turns left and joins another path marked in red and white by the^GR®®30. From here on, follow these markings unless otherwise indicated. Turn left to reach a small road running parallel to the D2089 at a yellow marker.

(5) Follow it to the left, towards La Cassière, then, at the fork, keep left (yellow^“GR®®” signs) to pass under the D2089. On the other side, you’ll come to a road; follow it to the left. Just after that, you’ll find an information sign about La Cassière in a small car park on the left. At the fork just after that, turn left, walk past the inn, and ignore another road on the right before coming out onto a main road. Follow it to the left for about a hundred metres, along the fairly wide left-hand verge, then cross at the pedestrian crossing and take the small road leading uphill opposite, at a yellow signpost marked “La Cassière”, following the direction of Les Condamines. Shortly afterwards, ignore the paths to the right and left (house under construction) and, further on, ignore two more paths to the right. You’ll reach a junction with a path coming from the left at the “Les Condamines” signpost.

(6) Continue straight on, towards Ponteix. Further on, at the “Freyderas” signpost, ignore two paths on the left and continue straight on, towards Ponteix.

(7) At the "Moulebas" signpost, ignore the path on the left and turn right, towards Rouillat Bas. Further on, ignore a path on the right, then a second one at a yellow "Épine" signpost. About fifty metres further on, you’ll reach a crossroads at another yellow "Épine" signpost.

(8) Leave the red and white^GR®® markings and turn left towards "Rouillat Haut". Shortly afterwards, you’ll pass an iron cross, then, further on, ignore a path on the left at a fountain. You’ll reach the first houses of Rouillat Haut, the "village of glazed lava". Note the first signpost: "Chemin de la Cassière". Ignore a private road on the left and continue along the street. At a fork, take the right-hand path, Chemin de l'Oie (glazed lava). Ignore Rue du Four on the right, pass a fountain, then arrive at the junction with Route du Puy de Dôme.

(9) Continue straight ahead along Chemin de la Serre (glazed lava). Ignore Rue du Coudet on the left and pass a fountain. Shortly afterwards, at a yellow signpost marked “Rouillat Haut”, take the path on the right towards “Yvée”. Further on, pass a fountain, then come to another path at the “Yvée” signpost. Continue left, towards Nadaillat. Ignore the paths on the right, then arrive at a crossroads at the “Pré Montrand” signpost.

(10) Continue straight ahead and, shortly afterwards, pass a farm building. At the fork, ignore the path on the right. Further on, you’ll reach a junction with another path.

(11) Turn left and continue to a junction of several paths, at a yellow signpost marked “Tertre de Fontarbre”. Take the path on the right, towards Nadaillat. On this stretch, you’ll notice several tiny shepherds’ huts built into the low walls marking the boundaries of the plots. You’ll come to another path at the “La Trulière” signpost.

(12) Follow it to the right, towards Nadaillat. Further on, you’ll notice you’re following blue markings. The path takes a wide bend to the left. Pass a wooden cross and then, at the fork in the path, keep right, following the blue markings. You’ll come out onto the D96 at the cemetery (S/E).

Moderate difficulty hike, standard hiking equipment

Discover more hikes in this area to follow, with a description or via the Visorando app here

The Puy de Vigeral, a hill situated at an altitude of 1,040 metres on the Plateau des Dômes, is the origin of the Montagne de la Serre. It was in fact a 10km-long lava flow from this ancient volcano which, spreading eastwards across the Plaine de la Limagne, later protected the underlying limestone from erosion, creating the mountain through reverse relief.

The lakes of La Cassière and Aydat, which can be seen from the western part of the route, are of natural origin, formed by the lava flow from the Puys de la Vache and Lassolas which dammed the River Veyre. Lake La Cassière is known for the significant fluctuations in its water level, which remain, to this day, unexplained.

In the village of Rouillat Haut, the street signs are made of glazed lava. They are beautifully decorated and, scattered throughout the village, other signs illustrate La Fontaine’s Fables. Along this walk, you will discover “The Crow and the Fox”, “The Man and the Flea”, and “The Wolf and the Stork”. But do feel free to temporarily leave the route described here to explore the rest of the village. If you’re worried about getting lost, pick a landmark on the route—point (9), for example—to which you can return after exploring the surrounding streets.