Upper town of Saint-Flour via the Montée des Chèvres

Arriving via the A75, then the D909, continue until you cross the Ander, then, just after the bridge and leaving the Sainte-Christine Church on your right, turn right onto Rue des Cordeliers and leave your vehicle in the small car park.

(S/E) Walk past the church and turn right towards the Pont Vieux bridge over the Ander river for a view of the upper town, then retrace your steps along Rue du Pont Vieux to the crossroads. Turn right, then take the street on the left (signposted "accès ville haute"). Pass Edouard Onslow's house, continue for a few metres and take the steps on the right that lead up to the upper town, known as Chemin des Chèvres. Ignore the descent on the right and, further on, Rue du Mazut on the left, and continue uphill (note the pretty Corbeau et Renard garden gate). At the crossroads of four streets, turn right and you will arrive in the upper town at Saint-Pierre Cathedral.

(1) The cathedral is well worth a visit (with its recumbent statue and beautiful contemporary furnishings). On leaving the cathedral, turn left onto Place d'Armes and then follow Rue de la Frauze. Pass Rue Traversière on your right. Join Rue de la Rollandie and continue straight ahead (note the beautiful door at no. 25). At the next intersection (view of the rooftops below), follow Rue des Lacs slightly to the right to arrive at Place de la Halle (beautiful shop front selling regional products). Keep left to continue along Rue des Lacs (the Crèmerie des Lacs is a good place to stop) until you reach Cours Spy des Thermes.

(2) Follow this street to the right, then turn right onto Rue des Agials, pass in front of the theatre (note the painted windows), continue straight ahead to reach Place des Halles, keep left to reach the Collegiate Church of Notre-Dame, Place de la Halle aux Bleds (pretty wall fountain).

(3) Then turn right onto Rue du Mazel, then left onto Rue Marchande (pretty house with a footbridge over the street) and continue straight ahead until you reach Place d'Armes, opposite the cathedral. Turn left, leaving Rue du Breuil on your left, then turn left onto Rue Sorel. Pass Saint-Vincent Church (feel free to enter the courtyard), continue straight ahead, still on Rue Sorel (Louis Mallet memorial stele). When you reach Rue du Muret, turn left to reach the crossroads with Rue du Collège (feel free to enter the courtyard of Collège Notre-Dame, note the old^GR®® trail markers for the Pays de Saint-Flour on the surrounding wall).

(4) Follow Rue du Collège to the right, then take the first street on the right and you will arrive at Rue du Muret. Follow it to the right and, at the intersection with Rue de Belloy, follow it to the left. Continue straight ahead until you reach Place d'Armes (note the birds, a beautiful house with a turret and the beautiful façade of the Alfred Douët Museum) and the top of Montée des Chèvres.

(1) Take the same route back down to the car park at Église Sainte-Christine (S/E).

Easy hike, no special equipment required.

To learn more about Saint-Flour, see also Denis26's hike on Visorando Ramparts trail and old town of Saint-Flour

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

Photo album here

Auvergne cheeses at very reasonable prices at the Crèmerie des Lacs (Rue des Lacs). On the shelves, you will also find Saint-Flour blond lentils, not yet as famous as their green neighbours from Le Puy but delicious nonetheless.
Market in the upper town on Saturday mornings.

(S/E) At the bottom of the Montée des Chèvres, the house of Édouard Onslow, an Auvergne painter, not to be confused with his father Edward Onslow.

(1) Saint-Pierre Cathedral, one of the four cathedrals of Auvergne, built in the Gothic style from black lava stone from Liozargues.

(3) Notre-Dame Collegiate Church: construction of the church began in 1323 and was completed in the 15th century. During the Revolution, the church was deconsecrated and converted into market halls, then used by the municipality as a storage facility. Source

Stèle Louis Mallet

Alfred Douët Museum, Museum of Art and History

Information about the town can be found by following this link