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Mountains of the Auvergne

Fine walking in rugged mountains

The Auvergne - in the very heart of France - is one of its most unspoiled, traditional regions, a unique landscape of rounded, ancient volcanoes (puys) coated in heather rising above old stone hamlets, vivid green pastures, and dense woodland. This is thrilling, rugged walking country, violent (but ancient) volcanic activity having created an array of spectacular formations here, with solidified lava flows filling valleys and damming streams and rivers to form lakes and waterfalls. You feel a real sense of discovery and achievement as you progress from village to village. The walk leads through the volcanic park, home to marmots, chamois, mouflon and wild boar, and takes in the highest peak of the range, the Plomb du Cantal, with fine walks along superb broad ridges. The hospitality is warm and sincere, and the traditional cuisine makes good use of the exceptional local cheeses, made from the milk of the chestnut-coloured Salers cows which graze in the mountain pastures.

Nights: 7
Grade: 3
Terrain: narrow paths and tracks across pastureland and along broad ridges. Some sections may cause problems for those who suffer from vertigo, but these can be avoided by taking the poor weather alternatives, detailed in our notes
Hotels: four 2-star hotels; two inns
Meals: dinner & breakfast each day, plus 5 picnics
Climate: as this is a mountain region, the weather tends to be more unsettled than in other parts. Nevertheless, it is a reasonably warm area, with average temperatures rising from 13°C in May to 20°C in July and August. The average temperature in June and September is 17°C.

Fantastic walking

The Fromagerie near Salers

Stay in old stone villages

Green landscapes

Views that stretch for miles

Salers

Starting point: Hotel des Chazes (2*), Les Chazes. A friendly hotel in the shadow of the Plomb du Cantal.

Day 1: enjoy a warm-up circular route across the flanks of the conical Puy Griou, ascending to the summit for 360-degree views in good weather. To extend the walk you can continue to the Cabre Pass, the ridge of which offers more startling views. Whether you choose this option or not, you return to the Hotel les Chazes through woodland. (8km, 3hrs)

Accommodation: Hotel des Chazes, as above.

Day 2: the day starts with the ascent to the panoramic summit of the Plomb du Cantal (1,855 metres). As you ascend, you pass ruined burons, stone shelters once used in the summer months by herdsmen, who made cheese by hand from their cows' milk and stored it underneath the burons. From the Plomb du Cantal, you walk past Puy Gros along a long, broad ridge with good views before gradually descending through woodland to Thiézac. (22km, 8hrs)

Accommodation: Hotel le Casteltinet (2*), Thiézac. The hotel’s reputation is founded on its excellent restaurant, where you enjoy well-crafted cuisine. Most bedrooms have a small balcony overlooking the garden.

Day 3: a wonderfully varied walk, first through attractive woodland to the Faillitoux Waterfall, then along the fine Courpou Sauvage ridge which is lit by colourful wild flowers in summer. For the final leg, the path descends through a small stream valley to St Cirgues. (19km, 8hrs)

Accommodation: Hotel les Tilleuls (2*), St Cirgues. A family-run inn with an outdoor pool set in the centre of this sturdy stone hamlet.

Day 4: after two full days of walking, you have a considerably shorter day today. The route leads alongside the River Jordanne before ascending through pastureland and mature beech woods to the ridge. You stay high only briefly, before descending back into the valley through attractive woodland. (12km, 5.5hrs)

Accommodation: Auberge au Bout du Monde (inn), Mandailles. Despite its strange name (World's End Inn), this is a convivial, traditionally French inn where you can enjoy hearty local cooking and the company of other walkers – this is a popular inn among those looking to spend a week enjoying outdoor life, and owners Nathalie and Laurent Delteil know the local paths well.

Day 5: more superb ridge walking from crest to crest through the eerie yet enchanting landscape of the Auvergne Volcanic Natural Park. You pass close to the imposing Puy Mary (1,783 metres), one of the region's most famous peaks. (14km, 6hrs)

Accommodation: Hotel des Voyageurs (inn), Le Falgoux. Monsieur Mourguy's inn is built in the local style, with a grassy terrace set with picnic tables and offering views over the surrounding landscapes. The welcome here is particularly warm, and the food very good.

Day 6: your last walk is fittingly different to previous days. You ascend (at times steeply) through dense woodland to the Néronne Pass, then follow a grassy ridge on the north side of the Maronne Valley, leaving the mountains behind. Be sure to pause regularly to appreciate the views in good weather of the dramatic Puy Violent and back to the volcanic landscapes that you have explored. You descend gradually through increasingly open pastureland frequented by skylarks to reach the superbly preserved medieval town of Salers. For a longer walk, you can meander through the woods above Le Falgoux to a high plateau, then descend to the valley in which the Maronne rises, before ascending to a ridge and following this for excellent views. (13km, 5hrs or 18km, 7.5hrs)

Accommodation: Le Bailliage (2*), Salers. Salers is a picturesque and bustling town of handsome mansions, quite different in atmosphere to the small villages in which you have stayed during the week. Le Bailliage is a charming small hotel with an outdoor pool.

Walking chart: the chart gives the distance and an approximation of the ascents and descents involved each day. If comparing holidays, please note the scale of each chart as this can differ.

Recommendations for extra nights: Les Voyageurs (Le Falgoux) makes a great base for extra walking, as does the Auberge au Bout du Monde (Mandailles); Le Bailliage (Salers) is a good choice for a day of exploration and shopping.

Other information: if you would like to see the brochure page, you can download this (and the pages for any other holidays you are interested in) by using our brochure creation system. You can also read our website travel diary for a personal account of the holiday.

Take the Train and break your journey for a night in Paris on the way, staying at one of our favourite Parisian hotels. Read what one traveller has to say in her personal travel diary.

Similar holidays: The Grand Cerdagne (grade 2-3), Pyrenees to Atlantic (grade 2-3), The High Route (grade 3), The Bernese Oberland (grades 2 & 3), Aravis Alps to Lake Annecy (grade 2-3)

Prices & travel 2008:

Recommended destination airports: Paris CDG & Toulouse
Latest flight arrival time: Paris CDG 1030; Toulouse 0945
Earliest flight departure time: Paris CDG 2000; Toulouse 1600
*Connecting travel: return rail/taxi from Toulouse (out/home 4h30) £42pp;
return rail/taxi from Paris (out 5h40/home 7h20) £88pp
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By rail includes: Eurostar/regional rail via Paris & Clermont Ferrand (out dep St Pancras 0730, not Sundays, home dep Aurillac 1014). Please note that a supplement may be payable depending on availability of seats for your chosen dates of travel and how far in advance of your departure date your holiday booking is made
Self-drive includes: P&O Ferries Dover-Calais
Start: any day

Extra night prices 2008 (extra nights can be booked at any hotel):

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