Mountain bike trail – Pays d’Issoire côté Cézallier – Stage 1

This stage from Issoire takes you to the Lembron, a region with a southern feel. Southern in the architecture of its village forts with their narrow streets, but also in its wine-growing culture, now residual but once omnipresent. It’s particularly between the town of Villeneuve-Lembron and the village of Saint-Hérent(…)

This stage from Issoire takes you to the Lembron, a region with a southern feel. Southern in the architecture of its village forts with their narrow streets, but also in its wine-growing culture, now residual but once omnipresent. It’s particularly between the town of Villeneuve-Lembron and the village of Saint-Hérent that you’ll notice this witness to local history. The Lembron is also known for its village forts, fortified because of the instability of the region during the Hundred Years’ War. The inhabitants received authorization from the king to surround themselves with walls. Today, these villages still retain the shape of their fortifications. Last but not least, the Lembron region is also home to a number of castles, some of which are in ruins, isolated on rocky outcrops. All bear witness to the power of the local lords during the medieval period. The end of the stage, the most difficult part, is cut by mountain foothills. Here you’ll find deep valleys, now forested but once populated and used by local people for their livelihood. Between the perched chapel of Le Fromental and the steep-sided village of Rentières, you’ll take your first turns on the wheel in the Cézallier region.