One of France's least visited and most geologically spectacular regions, the Auvergne sits at the heart of the Massif Central, shaped by millions of years of volcanic activity that left behind a landscape of dramatic peaks, crater lakes, ancient lava flows, and some of the most unspoilt countryside in western Europe. 

From the famous Puy de Dôme and the high summits of the Cantal to the gorges of the Loire and the abbeys of the Haute-Loire, this is a walking destination of extraordinary variety and character.

Written by Rachel Crolla and Carl McKeating, this guidebook describes 42 day walks ranging from 2 to 16km (1 to 10 miles) and taking 1 to 6 hours, organised across five distinct areas of the Auvergne. It combines clear route descriptions with detailed information on accommodation, public transport, and the region's volcanic history to help walkers of all abilities explore this remarkable corner of France with confidence.

• The 42 walks are graded 1 to 3 and spread across five areas, covering the Cantal, the Chaîne des Puys, the Monts Dore, the Haute-Loire, including the Livradois-Forez regional nature park, and the Montagne Bourbonnaise
• Highlights include volcanic summits Puy de Dôme, Puy Mary, Plomb du Cantal, and Puy de Sancy, alongside crater lakes Pavin and Guéry, magnificent abbeys at Chaise-Dieu and Lavaudieu, and the Volvic spring
• Sketch maps are included for every walk alongside detailed information on accommodation and public transport, with local points of interest featured throughout, including the Livradois-Forez and Auvergne Volcanoes regional nature parks
• Background sections cover the region's volcanic history, plants, wildlife, and food and drink, giving rich context for the landscapes and villages you encounter across all five areas
• Ideal bases include Le Puy-en-Velay and Vichy, with Murat for the Cantal, Orcival for the Monts Dore and Dômes, and Mayet-de-Montagne for the Montagne Bourbonnaise

Forty-two walks through one of France's most geologically fascinating and least-explored walking regions. Discover the Auvergne's volcanoes, crater lakes, and medieval abbeys with confidence.

Walking in the Auvergne – Quick Facts

Region: Auvergne, Massif Central, central France 
Walk format: 42 graded day walks 
Walk distances: 2 to 16km (1 to 10 miles) per walk 
Walk duration: 1 to 6 hours per walk 
Difficulty grades: Grade 1 (easy) to Grade 3 (challenging, steep terrain and considerable ascent) 
Areas covered: Cantal, Chaîne des Puys (Monts Dômes), Monts Dore, Haute-Loire (Livradois-Forez and Velay), Montagne Bourbonnaise 
Main centres: Le Puy-en-Velay, Vichy, Murat (Cantal), Orcival (Monts Dore and Dômes), Mayet-de-Montagne (Bourbonnaise) 
Key highlights: Puy de Dôme, Puy Mary, Plomb du Cantal, Puy de Sancy, crater lakes Pavin and Guéry, Chaise-Dieu abbey, Lavaudieu abbey, Orcival, Montgilbert château, Volvic spring, Gorges of the Loire, Livradois-Forez and Auvergne Volcanoes regional nature parks 
Terrain: Volcanic peaks, crater lakes, river gorges, medieval villages, abbey circuits, forested plateaus 
Best season: May to October; summer is hot and sunny; higher peaks are best in late spring and early autumn 
Maps: Sketch maps included for every walk; IGN 1:25,000 maps recommended for Grade 2 and 3 walks

Author Highlight

“The massive Auvergne region lies deep in the heart of France. A land forged by the furnaces of ancient volcanic eruptions, the Auvergne evolved over millennia to provide a wealth of unique and spectacular walking territory. From the Christmas pudding-shaped domes of the volcanic Châine des Puys (also known as the Monts Dômes) to the high steep ridges of the Cantal supervolcano, the Auvergne has hills to suit every hiker.”

- Rachel Crolla, one of the authors of Walking in the Auvergne

Overview map   
Map key  

Introduction   
History   
Volcanoes   
Plants and wildlife   
Food and drink   
When to go   
Getting there    
Getting around   
Accommodation   
Difficulty   
Equipment   
Maps   
Waymarking   
Hazards and emergencies   
Using this guide

   
1 The Cantal   
Walk 1    Puy de Niermont   
Walk 2    An Ascent of the Puy de Peyre Arse    
Walk 3    Puy Mary with Optional Excursion to Puy de la Tourte   
Walk 4    Traverse of the Brêche de Rolland from Puy Mary to Peyre Arse   
Walk 5    Around Medieval Murat   
Walk 6    The Plomb du Cantal   
Walk 7    A Rombière Ramble   
Walk 8    Puy Griou   
Walk 9    Up the Usclade    
Walk 10    The Elancèze   
Walk 11    Puy Violent and the Shadow Rock   
Walk 12    Roches Taillade and Roc d’Hoziéres   
Walk 13    Circuit of Puy Chavaroche   
Walk 14    St Cirgues de Jordanne – Southern circuit   
Walk 15    St Cirgues de Jordanne – Northern circuit   

2 The Châine des Puys (Monts Dômes)   
Walk 16    Puy de Dôme   
Walk 17    Puys Lassolas and de la Vache   
Walk 18    Around Orcival   
Walk 19    Puy des Gouttes   
Walk 20    The Crater of Puy Pariou   
Walk 21    The Water of Volvic   

3 The Monts Dore   
Walk 22    The Grand Horseshoe: Puy de Sancy from Mont-Dore   
Walk 23    Up the Chaudefour Valley to Puys Sancy and Ferrand   
Walk 24    Around Lake Pavin   
Walk 25    Connecting the Cascades of Puy d’Angle   
Walk 26    The Tuilière and Sanadoire rocks   
Walk 27    A Tour of the Curiosities of St Nectaire   
Walk 28    Lake Guéry and the Banne d’Ordanche  

4 The Haute-Loire: Livradois Forez and Velay   
Walk 29    Around Chaise-Dieu and the Senouire   
Walk 30    The Gorges of the Loire   
Walk 31    A Circuit of Allègre   
Walk 32    Mont Bar from Allègre   
Walk 33    Domeyrat and the Senouire   
Walk 34    Vieille Brioude and the Ceroux   
Walk 35    Lavaudieu Abbey and the Senouire  

  
5 The Montagne Bourbonnaise   
Walk 36    The Ruins of Montgilbert   
Walk 37    Milling around the Mills   
Walk 38    Around Châtel Montagne and the Puy de Roc   
Walk 39    Rocher St Vincent   
Walk 40    The Cascade de la Pisserote   
Walk 41    The Plateau de la Verrerie and its Tourbière    
Walk 42    Pierre Châtel from St Nicolas des Biefs   

Appendix A    Route summary table   
Appendix B    Glossary of French walking terms   
Appendix C    Further reading   
Appendix D    Useful contacts   
 

Seasons

All the routes can be enjoyed from May to October. The summer months are usually hot and sunny, but the winters see snowbound villages and skiing on the higher Auvergne peaks

Centres

cities: Puy-en-Velay and Vichy; villages: Orcival for the Monts Dore and Dômes, Murat for the Cantal, Mayet-de-Montagne for the Bourbonnaise

Difficulty

Grade 1: Short easy walks with few navigational problems and little ascent; Grade 2: Walks that will not be taxing for a fit and experienced hiker. They may be longer, have moderate height gain or require good navigation skills; Grade 3: Challenging walks for experienced hikers. Steep terrain may be encountered with considerable ascents or longer mountain days

Must See

Fascinating volcanoes: Puy de Dôme, de la Vache and Pariou; high summits: Plomb du Cantal, Puy Mary and Puy de Sancy; magnificent abbeys and churches: Chaise Dieu, Lavaudieu and Orcival; chateaux: Montgilbert and Lavoûte-sur-Loire; attractive bases: Le Puy-en-Velay and Vichy; lakes Guery and Pavin, the Grand Cascade and Volvic spring

For all but the Grade 1 walks in this guide a map is recommended. Detailed topographical maps are available for all the areas covered. A Series Bleu IGN map at 1:25,000 incorporates the entire Cantal section, two cover the Châine des Puys and Massif du Sancy. The Montagne Bourbonnaise walks are mainly covered by the Mayet-de-Montagne map and the Haute-Loire by the Allegre/La Chaise Dieu maps. The full names of the IGN 1:25,000 sheets, if you are ordering online or by phone, are shown below.

1  The Cantal    2435OT Monts du Cantal
2  The Châine des Puys (Monts Dômes    2531ET Châine des Puys
3  The Monts Dore    2432ET Massif du Sancy
4  The Haute-Loire: Forez and Velay    2734O Allègre/La Chaise Dieu2735E Le Puy en Velay2634E Paulhaguet2634O Brioude
5  The Montagne Bourbonnaise    2730O Mayet de Montagne2729O Lapalisse2730E St Just/Monts de la Madeleine
 

Each map is widely sold in the area which it covers but unlike in Britain it can be infuriating getting them elsewhere: you may, for example, encounter problems getting hold of a map of the Cantal from shops in the Monts Dore, despite being so nearby. Indeed, the authors spent an entire afternoon and failed to find a single shop selling maps of the Monts Dore in the major town of Vichy. Supermarkets, hypermarkets and bookshops are usually a good bet for stocking maps of the wider region, but there are no guarantees. Tourist information offices and newsagents usually sell IGN maps of their near area. The IGN maps are available prior to departure in the UK from Amazon, Stamfords, the Map Shop and other good reatilers on and offline.

A word of caution about the IGN maps of this region. Partially due to the lack of a rights of way system which we have in Britain, but also clearly as a result of some lazy mapping, some of the tracks and paths appearing on the 1:25,000 maps in the Auvergne do not exist on the ground. They have probably fallen into disuse, but in some instances we have found ‘disuse’ to equate to decades of absence. Similarly, many other good and long-established paths on the ground are not marked at all on the maps. Added to this, the distinction between paved roads and tracks is often not made. We have tried to clear up this issue and others in our route descriptions.
 

November 2019

Route updates included in 2020 reprint

September 2019

Route updates and corrections

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