Tour of Puy de Mercœur and Beaune le Chaud from Laschamps

In Laschamps, park south of the village in the hiker's car park on the edge of the D52, Route de Beaune le Chaud. Yellow directional signs on the Laschamps marker, sign "La métro en balade".

Red and white^GR®® markings, among many others

(S/E) Head to the back of the car park, leave the reservoir on your left and follow the red and white^GR®® trail straight ahead. Ignore all side trails.

(1) At the foot of Puy de Mercœur, at the crossroads of several paths, including two private ones, with a wooden hut and the unnamed 1097 m marker, continue straight ahead, still on the^GR®®. Shortly afterwards, at a fork, ignore the path on the right and further on, walk along a large meadow on the right-hand side until you reach a more open space. Note the unnamed marker at 1048 m.

Yellow markings, directional signs, discs and lines

(2) Leave the^GR®® markings and follow the signs to Beaune le Chaud on the left, going around the Puy de Mercœur on the right. The path climbs towards the pass between the Puys de Mercœur and Lassolas.

(3) Once at the pass, continue straight ahead on the path which descends, eventually leaving the forest and arriving at a crossroads with four paths (directional signs).

(4) Continue straight ahead towards Beaune le Chaud. Ignore any side paths.

(5) At the intersection with the Les Palles Hautes signpost, continue straight ahead towards Beaune le Chaud. At the intersection shortly after, turn right, still heading towards Beaune le Chaud, and you will arrive on a tarmac road at the edge of the village of Beaune le Chaud.

(6) Follow the road to the right, pass a fountain on your left and you will see the signpost for Beaune le Chaud. Continue straight ahead towards Neufont. At the round fountain, turn right onto Rue de la Cote. Note the wash house on the right (Rue du Four), pass a drinking fountain on the left and stay on the left. You will arrive at an intersection with directional signs.

(7) Make a sharp left turn towards the church (direction indicated as Puy de Dôme). Keep to the right, passing a small fountain below the church on your right, and continue straight ahead on the small road, which quickly turns into a gently sloping path. Further on, go straight ahead at a crossroads (the right-hand path is not shown on the IGN map), then shortly afterwards you will come to a T-junction with a wide path, at the Neufont signpost.

(8) Turn left towards Brula and arrive at a path intersection at the corner of a field, at the Brula marker.

(9) Continue straight ahead towards Laschamps, pass under a power line and arrive on tarmac shortly after the first houses in the village of Laschamps, then on a road (D52).

(10) Follow it to the right and immediately take a path on the right, Chemin du Coudert, which soon becomes tarmac. At the corner of a house, turn left (not signposted) to climb up a grassy path and join a road. Cross it to reach the car park (S/E).

Moderate difficulty hike. Standard hiking equipment.

Discover more hikes in this area with a description or the Visorando app here and more generally in Puy-de-Dôme here

Photo album here and here

Traditional dwellings in Laschamps and Beaune le Chaud, with many fountains in the latter village. Cross through forests, sometimes deciduous, beech, birch, sometimes fir. Beautiful views once you leave the forest.