Mountain biking

156 - Lac du Bouchet volcanic lake (waymark no. 5)

Aimed at families, this easy route takes you to a beautiful crater lake of volcanic origin.

Distance: 7.4 km
Elevation gain: 152 m
Duration: 45 min
Difficulty: Very easy
Activity: Mountain biking

Photo of 156 - Lac du Bouchet volcanic lake (waymark no. 5)

What it is like

Lac du Bouchet: Lava and water met deep in the Earth's crust and gave birth to a large crater, which is where today's lake comes from. Surrounded by greenery, the lake sits in one of the finest maar craters in the whole of Auvergne. Its water is pure and good for swimming, and it has been awarded the "Pavillon Bleu" (Blue Flag) label, a sign of the site's environmental quality. The walk of less than 3 km around the lake is very pleasant and suits the whole family.

Getting to the start

30 minutes south-west of Le Puy-en-Velay

Parking

Close to the site's visitor building

Hiking in Auvergne

Hard

Puy de Jumes, Puy de la Coquille and Puy des Gouttes

Come and see the Puy des Gouttes and the Puy Chopine, two volcanoes nested one inside the other: a volcanic structure out of the ordinary!

Distance: 15 km
Elevation gain: 487 m
Duration: 4 h

Hard

Lac d'Aubusson (loop no. 5)

The big plus of this waymarked loop is how little road it uses. Leaving the nature centre, you cross "la plaine" (the plain) before reaching Puymillier on a fairly steep but shady track. This small village is famous for being home to "le mûrier du Chevalier", a remarkable mulberry tree whose girth reaches no less than 4.18 m at a height of 1.30 m... It is estimated to be 400 years old! After the village, you take a narrow path with a few "steps" in the rock that call for a minimum of technique if you don't want to get into difficulty. You then reach the village of Aubusson d'Auvergne before heading down to the lake. The loop goes all the way round it on shady, compacted paths before leaving it in front of its beach, which now holds the "Pavillon bleu" (Blue Flag) label.

Distance: 12 km
Elevation gain: 237 m
Duration: 1 h 30 min

Moderate

From Chastreix village to the glacial valley

Discover the varied landscapes of the Artense on this hike! Forests, wetlands, pastures and mid-altitude mountains: let yourself be carried through this wide range of scenery for a day.

Distance: 18 km
Elevation gain: 535 m
Duration: 5 h 30 min