Volcanoes of the Auvergne Auvergne

Volcanoes of the Auvergne

Name: Volcanoes of the Auvergne
Price: 759 GBP
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Wooded hills and lunar lakes

Volcanoes of the Auvergne

The dramatic landscape of the Auvergne is full of contrasts: barren yet lush, rolling yet rocky. You’ll be walking on a whole range of surfaces, from narrow woodland tracks to country lanes.

Holiday Highlights

Hotels by the lake of Aydat and the lake of Chamon-sur-Lac
GR in Auvergne Volcanoes Regional Park
Outstanding mountainous landscape
Family resort of Le Mont Dore (altitude 1050m)

What's Included

5 days walking
6 Nights Half Board
Luggage transfers between hotels
Comprehensive route notes
Free parking

Starting Days

You can choose to begin this holiday on any day of the week, except for Thursday.

Itinerary & Hotels

1
Arrival Le Mont-Dore day 1
Summary
The Romans discovered the springs of Le Mont Dore in the 2nd century and the baths they built are still here today. The waters are famed in France for their apparent healing properties. Stay at 3-star Hôtel du Parc.
Hotel
Hôtel du Parc
Le Mont-Dore
Hotel du Parc is located in the famous spa town of Le Mont Dore, altitude 1050m, right in the heart of the Auvergne Regional Volcanoes Park. It is situated ten minutes walk from the train station, opposite the casino and close to the park and the thermal centre. The décor provides a cosy atmosphere along with bedding and bathroom facilities of excellent quality. Each room has en suite facilities, telephone, television and WiFi.
Facilities
En suite bathrooms
Television and WiFi
Bar
Restaurant
Buffet breakfast
Board
Half Board
Cuisine
The restaurant is proud to give guests the opportunity of discovering local dishes from the Auvergne, in pleasant surroundings. Breakfast includes a wide choice of pastries, ham, eggs, cheese, jams.
2
Le Mont Dore to Murol day 2
Summary
Begin with a steep climb, rewarded with views across the plains, then wander up hillsides, through lush pine forests and past tumbling waterfalls. Descend to the large, open, green valley that’s home to Lac Chambon, and on to Murol and your Logis hotel, Le Grillon.
Hotel
Hôtel le Grillon
Murol
Located close to Lake Chambon, Le Grillon is a cosy hotel that has been run by the same family for 20 years. The 22 rooms are brightly decorated and have en suite bathrooms and TV. The traditional restaurant has terrace seating for guests wishing to dine al fresco.
Nearby attractions include the medieval Château de Murol.
Facilities
En suite rooms
Free Wifi
TV
Garden
Pet friendly
Board
Half Board
Cuisine
The breakfast buffet includes local cheeses, and packed lunches can be ordered for the day. There are plenty of options in the restaurant, including duck and fish dishes, escargots, cassoulet and cheese platters.
12 mi
(19 km)
3
Murol to Sauteyras day 3
Summary
An easy walk leads past ancient stone menhirs and tiny picturesque villages, switching between quiet country roads and remote farm tracks. Your hotel tonight is the modern Hôtel des Cygnes, with splendid views across Lac d’Aydat.
Hotel
Hôtel Les Cygnes
Sauteyras
This is a small but modern hotel above a friendly bar and restaurant in the heart of the little lakeside resort of Sauteyras. The hotel directly overlooks the large, peaceful Lac d'Aydat. Sauteyras is a popular place for people coming out of Clermont Ferrand to visit, especially at the weekends. It consists of a scattering of small bars, restaurants and homes along the edge of Lac d'Aydat, a peaceful, broad stretch of water nestling in what was an active volcanic crater many thousands of years ago. There is an attractive sandy beach along the edge of the lake and many watersports - be they sailing, rowing or just swimming - are enjoyed here. The rooms here are modern and bright, as befits a building of this age, but comfortable too. Many have views across to the lake for you to watch the last of the daylight as it dies across the water and gently revives the following morning. You will find that the owners wish to offer you every possible convenience and will be as accommodating as they can. They are young and enthusiastic and also run the main beach-side restaurant down by the lake.
Facilities
Centrally located in the small resort of Sauteyras
Beautiful views across the lake
Bright, fresh, modern rooms
Very helpful owners
Board
Half Board
Cuisine
Traditional cuisine of the region.
10 mi
(16 km)
4
Sauteyras to Orcival day 4
Summary
You have two choices today, with the longer route actually passing through the now extinct volcano cones. The countryside is attractive and very peaceful as you walk to Orcival and the Hôtel Notre-Dame, set in the shadow of the beautiful Basilica.
Hotel
Hôtel Notre-Dame
Orcival
Orcival is a very pretty, small village with an unusual number of hotels for its size, all attracted by the outstanding Romanesque Basilica in the centre of the village square. Hotel Notre Dame is a small, country hotel which stands proudly across the square from the Basilica, serving both the tourist and local communities with delicious food, refreshments and the open hospitality characteristic of this region.
This is a fairly old-fashioned, rural hotel in the sense of the warm, uncomplicated hospitality offered here in the way it probably has been for generations. The place has a country charm about it; from the rustic, heavy dining room furniture, to the deep, generous beds and birdsong that drifts into your room at any time of the day. You will not find minimalist chic here, but a peculiarly French type of warm, cosy decor which includes carpet-type wall coverings through the hall and stairways, it must be very comforting during the hard Auvergne winters no doubt! The friendly bar looks across the beautiful central square of Orcival with the Basilica at its centre. It's amazing to find a building like this at the heart of this very small, rural community, hidden as it is by the steep sides of the valley in which it finds itself. It would more befit a street in Rome and has thus been a centre of pilgrimage for many centuries, striking awe into the heart with its beauty and grandeur. You will really enjoy your two nights here and become very fond of the small community and sorry to leave.
Facilities
Right opposite the village's famous Basilica
Large, comfortable, traditional rooms
Very warm hospitality
Board
Half Board
Cuisine
Good local cuisine is served in the hotel's restaurant.
8 mi
(13 km)
5
Day trip from Orcival day 5
Summary
Take time to explore Orcival before leaving on today’s gentle walk. The whole town is built around the Basilica, which forms a real focal point, both spiritually and physically. The walk is a stunning example of rural France, dotted with old farmsteads, fertile fields and intriguing hamlets.
12 mi
(19 km)
6
Orcival to Le Mont-Dore day 6
Summary
There are points in this homeward leg that are quite remote and utterly beautiful. There are several short steep climbs and many lakes to swim in. Spend your final evening back in the lovely spa town of Le Mont Dore.
Hotel
Hôtel du Parc
Le Mont-Dore
Hotel du Parc is located in the famous spa town of Le Mont Dore, altitude 1050m, right in the heart of the Auvergne Regional Volcanoes Park. It is situated ten minutes walk from the train station, opposite the casino and close to the park and the thermal centre. The décor provides a cosy atmosphere along with bedding and bathroom facilities of excellent quality. Each room has en suite facilities, telephone, television and WiFi.
Facilities
En suite bathrooms
Television and WiFi
Bar
Restaurant
Buffet breakfast
Board
Half Board
Cuisine
The restaurant is proud to give guests the opportunity of discovering local dishes from the Auvergne, in pleasant surroundings. Breakfast includes a wide choice of pastries, ham, eggs, cheese, jams.
12 mi
(19 km)