Cascade de Montfermy

The Cascade de Montfermy falls into a meander of the Sioule, below the village, in the heart of the Combrailles. You get there on foot from the edge of the village: park in the car park on the left before the bridge, then follow the waymarked loop of about 2.6 km (allow a little under an hour) that passes the falls and the Romanesque church.

This waterfall has a history you would not expect. It didn't fall from the sky: it was the Benedictine monks of the priory of Montfermy who cut a breach in the meander to make the water fall and turn their flour and oil mill, below. The mill, nicknamed the Moulin Rouge because of its tiles, turned until around 1914.

The path follows the Sioule in the shade, crosses a wooden footbridge and reaches the bridge that passes just above the falls. It gets rough in places, with big stones: wear proper shoes. And in bad weather or in the depths of winter, put the loop off until later.

The area around the falls is laid out for relaxing and picnics. Take care at the water's edge: after a rise in water level, the current gets stronger and the rocks get slippery.