A picnic on the Prés Marty

In Albepierre, park in one of the few parking spaces in the village centre, near the town hall.

(S/E) Walk past the town hall and down the street lined with flower-filled houses.

(1) At the crossroads, you will see several signposts. Take the first street on the right, following the yellow markings and the signs for "les cascades" (waterfalls). At the next intersection, turn left and continue straight ahead on the grassy path to join another path. Turn right and you will come to the D39. Follow this road to the left for about a hundred metres, then, as the road begins to turn right, take the path on the right that goes straight up through a beautiful moorland. Notice two beautiful stone crosses a few metres to your left. Further up, you will rejoin the D39.

(2) Cross over and continue along the path opposite, towards "les cascades" (the waterfalls). The path is also marked in red and white for the^GR®®4. Further on, ignore the path on the left (return to Albepierre through the forest). Pass in front of a beautiful old house in the hamlet of Les Prés Longs.

(3) About 400 metres further on, turn left for a short detour to the Cascade des Prés Longs waterfall. Return to the path.

(3) Continue to the left to cross a stream, the Lagnon, which you will cross several times during this hike. Continue to the right, with the stream on your right, to reach the Cascade des Vergnes waterfall, just to the right of the path.

(4) Continue along the path towards the west. Shortly after the waterfall, you will see a royal boundary stone and an information panel on your left. Join the D39.

(5) Leave the yellow markings for the "les cascades" trail for now, but continue to follow the red and white markings for^{the GR®®4}. Follow the road to the right for about 50 metres to cross the Lagnon, then turn left onto the path. Ignore the two paths on the left and continue to an old farmhouse undergoing renovation (Raveyrol, with beautiful slate-roofed outbuildings).

(6) Turn left towards the "Cascade du Lagnon" waterfall. Shortly afterwards^, you will find the^GR®® markings^again. At the fork, keep left. Continue along this path towards the south-west, then south.

(7) You will see the Cascade du Lagnon waterfall on your left. Continue along the path. Shortly afterwards, cross the Lagnon river via a beautiful wooden bridge, then rejoin the D39. Follow the road to the right to the Col de Prat de Bouc, about 400 metres further on.

(8) Before the lodge, turn right onto the path marked^GR®®4towards "Plomb du Cantal" and continue for about 300 metres.

(9) Just after crossing a stream, leave the^GR®® on the left through a gate and continue climbing on the right along the wide path, passing a few gates. Further up, you will reach the ski lift station on your left. Go through a gate to reach the Prés Marty.

(10) After your picnic on these peaceful summer pastures, descend to the Col de Prat de Bouc via the same path you took on the way up.

(8) Cross the road and go through a gate to find directional signs. Continue to the left, in the direction of "le volcan Est" (the eastern volcano) and "les crêtes, Albepierre" (the ridges, Albepierre). The trail is also marked (red and white) by a variant of^{the GR®®4}. The path runs alongside the road, heading north-east.

(11) At an intersection, a sign indicates "Buron de la Souleyre" on the right. Follow this direction for a round trip to this beautiful restored buron. You can go inside this small stone and slate building, characteristic of the Cantal region, dedicated to the production and storage of cheese in the summer pastures. Then go back down the path.

(11) Continue to the right. Further on, join a wide path and follow it to the right.

(12) Shortly afterwards, ignore a path coming from the left and follow the yellow "les cascades" markings to Albepierre. At the next fork, keep left.

(13) Leave the path and descend to the left, following the yellow markings. After about 100 metres, ignore a path on the right. Further down, continue to the right to continue the descent into the Lagnon valley.

(14) You will come to a gravel path. Take it on the left and then, immediately afterwards, turn left towards "Oratoire du Pont des Tuiles". Cross the Lagnon and, further on, ignore the path on the left.

(15) About 600 metres further on, you will see a small oratory just to the right of the path, at a junction with a path that branches off to the right towards Pont des Tuiles. Continue straight ahead on the small road. Pass close to the Lodge des Trois Pierres and then to the left of a small hill topped with a cross.

(16) Just behind this hill, turn right to descend to the foot of the Prapsou Waterfall. Then climb back up the same path you took on the way there, onto the road.

(16) Continue to the right. At the fountain, turn left, then left again at the next intersection. Ignore a street on the left and then on the right and return to the crossroads at the start of our circular route.

(1) Continue straight ahead to return to the town hall and the car park (S/E).

Hike of moderate difficulty, fairly difficult due to its length and elevation gain, standard hiking equipment required.

Dogs, even on a leash, are not allowed on the mountain pastures.

Discover more hikes in this area with a description or the Visorando app here

(11) The Buron de la Souleyre. Built in 1724, it ceased operation in 1920 and was restored in 2003 by the Association de Sauvegarde des Burons du Cantal (Association for the Preservation of the Burons of Cantal). The first stone burons appeared in the 16th century. They are located near grazing areas and water sources. They could accommodate herds of 50 to 80 cows with their calves during the summer grazing period, from May to October. The cowherd was in charge of making Salers or Cantal cheese, assisted by the farmhand. The shepherd watched over the herd and gathered it for milking. The buron consisted of four separate areas: the main room, which served as living quarters and a cheese dairy, with a cellar at the back. Two other rooms nearby housed the animals: the bédélat, which was used to separate the calves to protect them from predators, and the pigsty.

(15) Oratory of the Pont des Tuiles. The oratory has a rural character, as it allowed peasants living in a sometimes remote area to come and pray devoutly to a patron saint without having to go to church. Nevertheless, the oratory is also a place of thanksgiving and offering, with the hope of receiving protection from the saint to whom it is dedicated. Here, herds were once blessed before being taken to summer pastures.