Hiking Auvergne

The sylvatorium is the perfect place to recharge your batteries. You'll take a forest bath on a one-kilometer trail that will stimulate all your senses. Spas are installed: large wooden tubs into which you plunge clothed to immerse yourself in sounds (hearing), smells (smell), chromotherapy (sight) and electromagnetic communication (touch), not forgetting the taste with forest berries. The perfect way to disconnect and reconnect with nature. Educational panels help visitors learn more about the forest and its benefits.

If you wish to discover Abrest and its surroundings, put on your walking shoes and walk along the hiking trail, set up by the association Galatée, between the bridges of Bellerive and Saint Yorre. You will discover the magnificent banks of the Allier and their natural heritage, among other sights. However, be careful, the route is still 22 km long, so it is advisable to be well organized in order not to be too far from your accommodation at nightfall!

We recommend starting from the restaurant Le Domaine du lac, not far from the tourist office. Follow the lake in the direction of the campsite, then leave the path and take the road to the campsite. Pick up a path that follows the lake and arrive in the village of Aydat, next to the church. Then cross the wetlands on the pontoon bridges. Here you can admire the diversity of the flora and fauna. The walk ends in front of the tourist office. The 5.7 km hike is easy and can be completed by the whole family in just under 2 hours.

And if you let yourself be tempted by this walk? From the bottom of the valley to the puy Gros plateau, from streams to clearings and from scree to burons, the climb opens onto the Guéry summer pasture areas. At the top of the puy Gros, the work of the glaciers is obvious, in the perspective of the Mont-Dore valley. The view of the Sancy ridges is unbeatable. Take the time to appreciate it and to breathe this so pure air before going down again. The distance is 8 km, the duration is 3 hours. Departure from the marshes on the D996, yellow markings, maximum altitude : 1 485 m.

The center offers discovery walks in and around Massiac. Multi-day hikes to the Monts du Cantal and Cézallier, or theme hikes such as the "randonnée gourmande". The "Sianne et Voireuze" hike takes in the charming village of Blesle, listed as one of France's most beautiful villages. The little ones aren't forgotten either, with a pony section for ages 7 to 11, and a baby pony section for ages 4 and up.

Discover Mond'Arverne on foot or by bike thanks to dozens of hiking routes. Whatever the duration and difficulty you are looking for, whether you are a short walker or a seasoned hiker, the paths of the territory invite you to put on your sneakers. Stroll with friends or theme hike, with each excursion, discover a new facet of the territory. And to make sure you don't miss anything, download the Randos Arvernes application, a free interactive tool to discover the nooks and crannies of our Arvernes lands in total autonomy!

Starting from the village of Saint-Priest-des-Champs, two trails lead to this beautiful waterfall and its 10-metre height: a short 3 km walk and a 9.5 km hike. Both offer a breath of fresh air in the Combrailles undergrowth. Along the way, you'll come across the Pas de Saint-Martin, a legendary hoof trail said to have been left by the saint's horse as it passed by. In summer, it's hard to resist the temptation to dip your feet in the Auzelle, which forms a pool at the foot of the waterfall. The two paths form a loop.

The GR89 is a hiking trail that refers to the writer and humanist Michel de Montaigne. Sport and literature become one! It is the path he took in 1581 to reach Bordeaux, from Rome. The itinerary takes up two themes that were dear to him: the journey and the meeting. On the Puy-de-Dômoise part, hikers discover the local heritage through quotations and extracts from the author's travel journal. The city of Clermont-Ferrand is crossed by 6 stages of the path, allowing to discover the richness of the territory: the Allier river at Pont-du-Château, the puy d'Anzelle at Cournon, the historical center of Clermont, the crossing of the Chaîne des Puys, etc.

The Belle Époque has left behind precious treasures in the spa town of Crossroad-les-Bains, and we invite you through this promenade to discover some pearls. Over the next two short kilometres, you'll enjoy eleven bourgeois villas with eclectic styles, lanéo medieval lily in Miriam's Neo-Renaissance, Celles, Daisy or Alban-Rollin Street. Proof that once again combining sports pleasure and cultural discoveries is possible.

Tariff: free.

Distance: 2,3 km.

Difficulty: .

The main asset of this hike is perhaps the variety of its panoramas. You will find the landscapes of Morvan, the Monts du Lyonnais and the Alps, as well as the Puys chain, as well as to remind you that you are here in Auvergne! The trail is quite easy, and even beginners can enjoy it. There is a difference of 200 metres, but there is still nothing abnormal about it: you are in Auvergne! On the road, do not miss the orientation table of the Roc du Vacher and the interpretive trail of the Verrerie plateau; the less pressed can even take a tour at the glass museum of Saint-Nicolas-des-Bays, at the start or arrival of the circuit.

Tariff: free.

Distance: 7 km.

Duration: 2 p. m.

Difficulty: .

You are here in the middle of the bourbonnais bocage, and it's not the fields, the prairies, and even less the inescapable "bouchures" of oaks that will sow doubt! The hiking path we offer is easy to access and has no difficulty; all you need to do is focus on your environment. You will find on your road some interesting monuments such as the church and castle of Vernas, or a christianisé menhir from where you will enjoy a panorama on the valley of the Aumance.

Tariff: free.

Distance: 7,5 km.

Duration: 2 p. m.

Difficulty: .

If it is customary to say that nature is discovering itself by walking, the Seven Oaks walk could not be better illustrated. Set up for six kilometres in a countryside favourable to the botanical discoveries… most of the hiking takes place in the Colbert reserve, which includes 110 of the 10 600 hectares of the forest of Tronçais - forest which, incidentally, is often regarded as the most beautiful of Europe. Step by step, you will discover seven of the forty classified oaks and who knows, maybe you will manage to differentiate them?

Tariff: free.

Length: 6 km.

Duration: 2 h.

Difficulty: .

An hour's walk only to reach Puy du Roc and its superb point of view; for the time being, little effort for comfort! The journey begins at the church Notre-Dame de Châtel-Montagne, a historic monument. If the heart tells you, at the beginning or upon arrival, it is worth a visit. The path that awaits you now is sometimes a bit stiff, but rest assured of a few spaces to take up your breath! Take advantage of this for example to admire the Madonna and the child. A few kilometres away and you will reach the destination. At the top, the panorama is grandiose: Gannatois basin, Bois-Noire, Monts Dore, hilly hills and even Puy de Dome by a clear time… A real invitation to contemplation of Lady Nature, which reigns here in a quiet calm.

Tariff: free.

Duration: 1 h.

Difficulty: .

It is precisely on the Saint-Étienne church that this path begins, and choose, we invite you to discover it at the beginning of June, when the orchids deploy their charm... Each year, also on this occasion, lovers of botany are found around a guided walking: you can admire nine different species of them. This being said, the tour also has enough to fill hikers the rest of the year: it is especially pleasant views of the plain of the Limagne. To reach them however, get some rather steep ascents!

Price: free.

Duration: 1:30.

Problem: average.

Aluna means in Kogi language: "Spirit of nature, moment of respite to think the world". A team of professionals, great connoisseurs of the area, mountain guides, Nordic walking guides, eco-tourism consultants, creators of stays (e.g. botanical with picking for gourmet preparation), is at your service. Small groups (max 8 people) and 100% nature are favored throughout France. Families are not left out, how about hiking with a donkey or living the life of a trapper for a weekend?

At first sight, the coulée of Bourianne can be connected with simple stone drain. However, this billion stones is actually a lava flows from a volcanic eruption, 6.5 million years ago. Time, the glaciations and water sculpted it gradually to share it into rocks with multiple forms. Sometimes cut, sometimes agglomerated, the width of coulée allowed a wide variety of shapes. A hike of 3 km allows you to approach to better enjoy the power of the elements.

Price: free.

Duration: 1:45.

Problem: average (140 ft of water).

This six-kilometer hike starts from Corent's esplanade and follows a blue markup. The trail invites you to discover the village of Corent, famous for its archeological wealth, its vineyards and old alleys, before bypassing the Puy. You will discover through this walk the old lake now almost dry and archeological excavations of the oppidum of Corent. This hike also offers beautiful views of the Puys chain and its volcanic formations. The walk is easy (120 m) but still requires good walking shoes, the sometimes rocky path can also be muddy. Count two hours.

This 2.2 km trail offers you to walk on the volcanic hillock on which the village of Usson was built. Among the most beautiful villages of France, Usson was for nearly 20 years the place of exile of Marguerite de Valois, wife of Henri IV. Today, the castle in which she was held no longer exists, but the village has many other resources. The path first takes you to visit the village itself, before going up to the statue of the Virgin to get a complete panorama of the surrounding mountains. It finally leads you to a façade of basaltic organs carved by the effect of time and rain.