Bard and Letz

Madriat

Dogs allowed

Distance 10Km

Duration 3h00

Hiking route BOUCLE

Marking Yellow

In pictures

Route description

This not-to-be-missed walk will take you through the typical villages of the Lembronnais region, with their incredible red and ochre earth colors. You’ll also enjoy the AOC Côtes d’Auvergne Boudes vineyards.

Starting point – From the starting sign, attached to the common oven near the fountain, follow the D723 to the crossroads at the exit of Madriat. Take the D142, towards Boudes for 1.5 km (at the height of a dovecote, overlooking Nonnette, the Livradois mountains and the Boudes hills). After(…)

1 – Take it and turn immediately to the right to reach the village of Bard. Cross the bridge and continue until you reach the ordinary oven ; go around it and go up to the left in rue de la Fontaine. At the T-junction, turn right and then immediately left. At the end of the village, leave the road on the left and take the wide path for 100 m until you reach the intersection with a path that leads to the source of Bard (signs).

2 – Turn to the right. At the spring (salt water source), follow the path to the left into the forest, cross a landscaped passage and go back up. At the belvedere (view on the red clay cliff), take the footbridge on the right and then the stairs. At the fork stay on the left (right A/R at the Cirque des Mottes). Join a wide path (junction with other yellow PR – right at 50 m A/R at the vallée des Saints), turn left. At the crossroads, go up in front until the next crossroads.

3 – Turn left (other PR on the right) (view on the Lembron, the Livradois, the summit of Forez, the peak of Avoiron, the peak of Montcelet). Continue until the crossing at the entrance to the hamlet of Brugère-Basse.

4 – Turn right then immediately left to cross it (fortified farm and remarkable building). Go around the last house and continue straight ahead along a wide path, cross a fording stream and turn right at the next intersection (view of the red ochre cliff and Madriat). Continue until Letz. Enter the village by crossing the road and taking a narrow, grassy path in front of it, bordered by old buildings. At the T-junction, turn right. The path turns left at a water trough. Continue straight ahead until you reach the ordinary oven (castle).

5 – Go down the road to the left and then immediately to the right. Continue for 400 m until you reach an intersection at an isolated farm building and turn left. Go down to the 2nd fork and continue to the right. At the T-junction, turn right until you reach a new T-junction. Turn left to the village of Madriat to reach the starting sign.

Trail highlights

– View of Nonette, the Livradois mountains and the Boudes hills.
– The Bard spring and its salt water.
– Red clay cliffs, Lembron, Avoiron and Montcelet peaks.
– The Mottes cirque.

Guidebook with maps/step-by-step

Step 1 : Suivre la D723, laisser le four banal à droite. Au carrefour, à la sortie de Madriat, prendre la D142 en direction de Boudes sur 1,5 km (au sommet de la côte, vue sur Nonette, les monts du Livradois et les coteaux de Boudes). Après un petit pont continuer sur 150m jusqu’à un chemin à gauche.

Step 2 : L’emprunter et se diriger immédiatement à droite pour rejoindre le village de Bard. Franchir le pont et continuer jusqu’au four banal ; le contourner et monter à gauche rue de la Fontaine. Au carrefour en T, tourner à droite puis tout de suite à gauche. À la sortie du village, monter en face un large chemin. (Hors circuit, à droite, aller-retour de 5 min, à la source romaine de Bard). À l’intersection, continuer la montée à gauche jusqu’à un chemin carrossable.

Step 3 : Virer à gauche (vue sur le Lembron, le Livradois, le sommet du Forez, le pic de l’Avoiron, le pic de Montcelet). Poursuivre jusqu’au croisement à l’entrée du hameau de Brugère-Basse.

Step 4 : Aller à droite, puis, obliquer immédiatement à gauche (ferme fortifiée et bâti remarquable), Contourner la dernière maison et poursuivre tout droit par un large chemin. Traverser un ru à gué et rester à droite jusqu’à Letz. Traverser la route, prendre en face le passage entre les maisons. À l’intersection en T, obliquer à droite. Le chemin vire à gauche au niveau d’un abreuvoir. Continuer tout droit jusqu’au four banal (château).

Next step

Step 5 : Descendre la route à gauche, puis aussitôt, à droite. Après 400 m, quitter la route pour prendre à gauche le chemin de Soullouzes. Descendre en ignorant les chemins de gauche. À la première intersection en T, tourner à droite, et, à la seconde, bifurquer à gauche jusqu’au village de Madriat pour rejoindre le point de départ.

Randonnée proposée et gérée par le Conseil départemental du Puy-de-Dôme – PDIPR.

Opening hours

From 01/01 to 31/12 daily.

Subject to favorable weather.

Comfort, facilities and services

Pets welcome

Additional information

For your own safety, always take a bottle of water, a hat, warm clothing and footwear suitable for walking.
Depending on weather conditions, certain itineraries are not recommended in bad weather (fog) or are not practicable, or even forbidden, during the winter season.
Some sites are fragile, so stay on the marked trails. Avoid picking wild flowers and disturbing wildlife. Pick up your garbage.
Animals are not allowed on some routes.

Dogs allowed Dogs must be kept on a leash due to the presence of herds.

Environment

In the country, Presence of livestock and guard dogs

Access

South of Issoire on the A75 freeway, take exit 15 for Saint-Germain-Lembron, then inside the village turn right onto the D214 for Ardes. After 4 km, turn right at Madriat.

Downloadable :

PDF – Bard et Letz-39_FR

Photo credits : Julie Lobstein

Updated on 29 May 2026 by Conseil départemental du Puy-de-Dôme