Volvic walks

Starting from the "city of stone and water", this route takes you through cool valleys to the moors of the heights, where you will have the Chaîne des Puys and the Monts du Livradois-Forez as your horizon, then takes you back down to the village through an ancient lava flow, a refuge for Auvergne bats.

A long walk through the heart of the Gorges d'Enval leading to the Eaux de Volvic, passing by the Château de Tournoël and Notre-Dame de la Garde.

In Enval, the playful Ambène stream rises in the chestnut groves and offers dazzling views of the Château de Tournoël and the Chaîne des Puys in the distance. This site is classified as a natural area of ecological, faunistic and floristic interest. This hike can be done in hot weather as it is very shaded.

Walk on the Champ Griaud plateau, on beautiful paths that once served pastoral plots now colonised by oak trees and wild vegetation, then through vineyards that have been restored to their former glory, before ending with a visit to the cellar district and the medieval centre of Châteaugay.

Leaving Sayat, discover the wine-growing village of Châteaugay on the way out through the orchards of the Plateau de Lachaud and on the way back through the Plateau de Bade. Along the way, you'll discover the market towns of Malauzat and Blanzat.

Walk on one of the plateaus north of Clermont-Ferrand, where cultivated fields, orchards, vineyards and wild bushy groves alternate. On the way back, discover T. Courtadon's series of sculptures "Ondoyer" on the banks of the Bédat.

One of the favourite walks for locals, along a beautiful stream, through the woods, very close to the spa centre.

A walk to discover the beautiful architecture and thermal park of Châtel-Guyon.

Discover the route of the old railway line from Riom to Châtel-Guyon via the heights of Saint-Don.

Discover a small spa town, with its beautiful architecture, and its natural surroundings.

A very pleasant walk in the oldest part of the Chaîne des Puys. The hamlet of Beaunit is nestled in the hollow of a volcanic maar that was occupied by a lake several hundred thousand years ago.

Short hike to the summit of Grand Sarcoui and the magnificent volcano with its perfect crater, Puy des Goules. A magnificent view of the volcano park from each of the two summits. This hike is not technically difficult and is suitable for families who want to discover the magic of volcanoes. Moderator's note added on 13/09/2021: access to the Sarcoui caves is difficult and the summit is now off-limits (see comments).

Set off from the foot of the volcanoes and descend to the old Hercynian base of the Plateau des Dôme, right on the edge of the Limagne fault, in peaceful countryside alternating between crops, woods and pastures. There are some beautiful views of the puys to the west and Clermont-Ferrand on the Limagne side to the east.

This hike allows you to discover the "perfect" crater of the Puy des Goules and the much more complex crater of the Puy des Gouttes, with the protrusion of the Puy Chopine. Beautiful views of the Chaîne des Puys.The Visorando app is recommended for certain unmarked sections.

Best done on a sunny winter's day, this snowy outing offers magical landscapes. In the woods, the trees, bending under their white blanket, cover the paths with a canopy that creates beautiful light effects. When you emerge at the top of the puys, you are greeted by a magnificent landscape.

A magnificent hike, without any great difficulty, which will take you through the Parc des Volcans north of the Puy de Dôme. You will discover the Sarcoui and its cave, the Puy des Goules, the Puy de Côme, the Cliersou and its caves, the Petit and Grand Knolls, and the grandiose Puy Pariou. At the top of each puy, you can enjoy 360° views of the Chaîne des Puys, the Puy de Dôme, the Limagne plain and Clermont-Ferrand.

An easy hike up Puy Pariou and down into its crater. A very pleasant forest at the start and end of the route, with beautiful views of Puy de Dôme on the way back. (3) It is forbidden to descend into the volcano or go all the way round it.

A classic in the Chaîne des Puys to admire Puy de Dôme and Le Puy de Pariou, amongst others.

The discovery of Thierry Courtadon's sculpture "Contempler" is the pretext for this hike starting from the Fontaine du Berger. The route, along the edge of the Limagne fault, takes you through varied landscapes, cultivated fields, wetlands, pastures, summer meadows, woods and forests, as well as villages and hamlets still rich in traditional buildings.

A circular route passing through a must-see of the Chaîne des Puys, the crater of Puy des Goules, which offers a superb panorama, passing by a few curiosities: an old military barracks, an old pozzolan quarry, and a relay antenna cross!

A walk offering beautiful views of the Puy de Dôme and some of its neighbours, as well as a panorama of the Limagne and the Monts du Forez.Please note! This off-trail route through the mountain pastures is only accessible from early December to late April.

This circular loop will take you to the summit of Puy des Gouttes, where you can enjoy a beautiful view of the Chaîne des Puys, then into the countryside near Fontètes, a hamlet with a pretty little chapel. On the way back, you will discover a beautiful row of about twenty drinking troughs in a meadow, the Fontaine des Pères.

A beautiful circular route passing through three peaks with stunning panoramic views and lovely sections in the forest, starting from the centre of Fontaine du Berger, a car park that is less busy than Parking des Goules. The Visorando app is recommended as some paths are not marked. Very busy in summer.

A circular route that is half mountain, half countryside, passing by the summit of Puy des Gouttes before descending towards the Combrailles to discover the hamlet of Beauregard. A leisurely return via a sculpture in Courtadon. SHHH!

"Human noise becomes silent, nature makes volcanoes chatter; whispering landscapes, and whispering a thousand voices of silence". Caption of the beautiful sculpture by Thierry Courtadon that you will encounter on your route, alongside with great viewpoints.

This route starts at the Vulcania crossroads and begins with a long, fairly flat, open path before crossing the forest to reach these two magnificent volcanoes. The route can be done in either direction.

A hike on the Combrailles side of the Chaîne des Puys, an area less frequented by summer crowds, to discover an old pozzolan quarry and its biotope. Along the way, you will encounter the inhabitants of the pastures and the woods.

A circular route mostly through a beautiful beech forest, allowing you to explore the lovely site of the Puy de Tressous sculptures, as well as the old quarry sites. Allow a good hour to visit the ‘artist’s forest’ in addition to the time indicated for the route.

A circular route on the border between the Combrailles and the Chaîne des Puys, in the countryside around Saint-Ours, passing by the summit of Puy de Louchadière, offering a beautiful viewpoint, and the lovely beech forest covering its slopes. The Visorando app is highly recommended in the Louchadière forest.

This route allows you to discover three ancient volcanoes in the Chaîne des Puys.

La Roche de Sauterre offers a beautiful location for observing the surroundings and the majestic alignment of the Chaîne des Puys. This basalt peak, the result of volcanic activity, contains inclusions of peridotite, a semi-precious stone.

An urban walk in Clermont-Ferrand to discover two beautiful murals from 2022 around Montjuzet Park.

Starting from the village of Orcines, this circular route first passes by the Pariou solidified lava flow before climbing up to the plateau for a view of the Croix de Ternant site. The return trip is via the Chemins des Gouris, once used by shepherds to travel from the farms of Fontaine du Berger to the summer pastures at the foot of the Dôme.

Between Orcines and Durtol, there is a circular path in the shade of the forest that covers the solidified lava flow of Puy Pariou, on trails that wind through rugged, wild terrain. However, this land was once used for farming, with small plots enclosed by stone walls for crops and chestnut trees, of which some beautiful specimens remain, as well as for grazing sheep.

This sixth stage takes you gently closer to the city of Clermont-Ferrand, passing through the hamlet of Villars, which has preserved its beautiful old buildings, before following the stunning Chemin des Crêtes, overlooking the Tiretaine valley, to reach the old village of Royat.

From village to village, at the foot of the Puy de Dôme, this hike is punctuated by the sound of water flowing from numerous fountains, passing by the basalt columns of Puy de Montrodeix.

A short circular forest loop around Puy de Côme, whose summit is unfortunately not accessible. The route passes by the Bacs de Ceyssat site, a pretty series of drinking troughs (les bacs) fed by a fountain, installed via an aqueduct for sheep.

In 1630, the Edict of Troyes imposed the union of Clermont and Montferrand, with the transfer of tax administration to Clermont. Montferrand, a former royal town, never recovered from this political decision. Far from the city centre of Clermont-Ferrand, the now neighbourhood of Montferrand, with its exceptional architectural heritage, is well worth a visit, especially as it is easily accessible by tram.

A hike entirely in the forest, in the unique landscape of the Cheire de Côme. You will be left to your own devices in this mysterious forest, on small unmarked paths for part of the route, wherethe Visorando app is almost essential. The Signed Stone is an enigma, perhaps you can try to solve it.

From Clermont city centre to Montjuzet Park, located on the small hill of the same name, preserved from urbanisation, offering beautiful views of the Clermont metropolitan area and the surrounding mountains in a Mediterranean atmosphere.

After visiting the new Place des Carmes, take a stroll through the tree-lined cemetery of the same name, then through the streets to discover some beautiful examples of street art.

On this comet-shaped route, discover the solidified lava flow of Côme, a remarkable natural area in the Chaîne des Puys. This lava flow from the Puy de Côme, which stretches for almost 10 km, has solidified into extremely chaotic terrain and has been colonised by a beautiful forest of birch and beech trees. To extend this hike, I suggest you then walk around the Puy de Côme, through the beech forest that covers its slopes.

One of three short walks (Saint-Genès, Saint-Pierre, Le Port) offered by Clermont Auvergne Tourisme to discover Clermont's historic center.

One of three short walks (Saint-Genès, Saint-Pierre, Le Port) offered by Clermont Auvergne Tourisme to discover Clermont's historic center.

One of three short walks (Saint-Genès, Saint-Pierre, Le Port) offered by Clermont Auvergne Tourisme to discover Clermont's historic center.

A city route taking in second-hand clothing shops of various standards, as well as a few dressmakers' workshops, fair trade shops, a luxury accessories shop, an antique and regional jewellery workshop, and second-hand bookshops. It's also a good excuse to explore some of the neighbourhoods on the central plateau of Clermont-Ferrand and take a gourmet break in one of the city's iconic cafés.

In the Clermont-Ferrand metropolitan area, the Transport à la Demande (TAD) service, in addition to regular bus and tram lines, allows you to travel quite far around the city. This seven-stage itinerary takes advantage of this. Each stage begins and ends at a bus or TAD stop. In between, the routes allow you to discover the villages of the metropolitan area's green belt and the foot of the Puy de Dôme: the built heritage of their old wine-growing or mountain villages, their spa resorts, their natural environments and a few geological curiosities. The first stages follow the course of the Artière, and the last ones follow the course of the Tiretaine, two pretty little rivers, tributaries of the Allier, which originate at the foot of the puys.See "Practical information" for a 4-stage variant with accommodation.

This first stage is mainly urban, with a few green interludes at Parc Bargoin in Chamalières, on the slopes of Puy de Montaudoux, in the chestnut grove of Beaumont and in the small parks along the Artière.

Real and fantastical animals, fauna, legendary creatures, mythological delusions and other hybrid monsters swarm the streets of the city. With a bestiary as its guiding thread, this urban hike will introduce you to many other beautiful things in the centre of Clermont-Ferrand.

Exploratory walk through the neighbourhoods north of Clermont's central plateau, discovering recent street art (2022).

Walk around Clermont's central plateau to discover the street art works of the Such'Art 2022-2023 trail. It is also an interesting route for a quick tour of Clermont's historic centre.

An urban walk for Sundays, when shops and restaurants are closed, to discover some beautiful paintings on shop shutters. The itinerary also allows you to discover several murals in the historic centre of Clermont.

An urban hike dotted with pockets of greenery. From south to north, the altitude increases, as does the temperature, passing from the Jardin Lecoq in the centre of Clermont to the Parc de Monjuzet, a small hill rising to 480 m with a Mediterranean garden, then past the beautiful fresco by the End To End collective celebrating the Amazon rainforest, before climbing steeply to reach the ancient Gallic oppidum on the Côtes de Clermont site, at an altitude of nearly 600 m.

A walk offering magnificent views of the Chaîne des Puys. This hike is also suitable for mountain bikes.