Discovering the villages

From the village of Saint-Rémy, this long route lets you get the measure of the intimate character of the Thiers area through the great variety of its landscapes: oak and beech forests, recent conifer plantations, fields and pastures in the west opening the view to the far distance, home cutlers' workshops in the villages: a whole story unfolds along this circuit.

Start: At the exit of the car park, turn right onto the allée du stade. At the top of the hill, at the junction, climb left to the place called Le Calvaire (cross and viewpoint indicator, viewpoint: Roc du Guet, Pierre Pamole, Pierre-sur-Haute, Grün de Chignore, Monts du Livradois, Monts du Cantal in the distance, Chaîne des Puys, Massif du Sancy, Clermont-Ferrand, and in the foreground the village of St-Rémy). Take the path on the right behind the crosses (birch wood). At the tarmac road, follow it to the right. At the crossroads (Mission cross known as the "croix Rouge" or red cross), carry straight on. At the fork, stay on the path climbing to the right.

1 - At the crossing with a tarmac road, climb the path opposite. Stay on the path as it curves right then left. At the crossroads, at the wrought-iron cross, carry straight on. At the next junction, take the tarmac road on the left. Go through the hamlet of Barnerias (two fountains, ignore the paths going off to the right and left). 200 m after the village, in the bend, at the fork, take the path that climbs on the left. At the next crossroads (oak wood), turn left. Continue opposite on the path that goes back down. At the next crossroads, turn onto the track suitable for vehicles on the right.

2 - At the crossroads at the bottom of the descent, turn right (viewpoint: Limagne plain, Clermont-Ferrand, the Puy de Dôme, the Sancy, the Cantal massif, the volcanic hills of the Comté). At the next fork, leave the path that goes down and take the one furthest to the right, ignoring the small path that goes off to the right. Cross the road to enter the village of Chabrol (in the village: buildings with white granite lintels and jambs), and go down through the village. At the house with the four-sided roof, go down to the right of it. 200 m after the hamlet, at the crossroads, turn left (viewpoint: Monts du Livradois). Pass the isolated house of Le Cheix. 200 m after Le Cheix, at the fork, leave the main path and go down the path on the right.

3 - At the crossroads, leave the path going off to the right and keep going straight on along the main track (viewpoint: Massif du Sancy, Clermont-Ferrand, Chaîne des Puys). At the entrance to the village of Morel follow the road to the right (viewpoint: Monts du Forez, Chaîne des Puys, Massif du Sancy, Livradois massif). At the crossroads, take the road on the left towards the hamlet of Prudent, carry straight on (ignore the road on the right). At the next crossroads, climb left to enter Morel again (traditional granite houses). On leaving the hamlet of Morel, carry on straight along the road (viewpoint: Pierre Pamole, Grün de Chignore, Roc Blanc, Rocher du Calvaire above the village of St-Rémy).

4 - On reaching the D325, cross it and take the path lined with oaks. At the next crossroads, turn right then 50 m further on, at the fork, continue on the path to the right. At the junction, take the road on the left. At the crossroads, carry straight on. At the second crossroads, at the cross, turn right towards Thiers on the D201 (go over the motorway). After the bridge, turn left. 50 m further on, ignore the path that climbs on the right and take the path that runs alongside the motorway, staying on this path (leave the one going off to the right). Go under the motorway through a tunnel on the left. At the end of the path, turn right onto a very steep path then at the road take it to the left. Take a grassy path on the right. At the road, turn right, then left to rejoin