The Gallic lair
Sayat
Dogs allowed
Distance 6Km
Duration 2h00
Hiking route BOUCLE
Marking Blue
In pictures
Route description
This walk takes you out of old Sayat, with its many fountains, mills and oil mill, and up through the chestnut grove to the Gaul’s lair, an attractive lookout point with a view over the valley.
Trail highlights
– Sayat with its many fountains, mills and oil mill.
– A chestnut grove.
– A belvedere offering a view of the valley.
– The “Repaire des Gaulois” site.
– View of the Limagne.
– The castle.
Guidebook with maps/step-by-step
Step 1 : From the parking lot, walk down to the traffic lights, turn left, pass the mills (oil and flour) and cross the bridge. Turn right along the stream. Take rue de l’église and go right down to the road. Turn left, then right to reach the béal ; follow the left bank and cross it. After the Volvic stone fountain and wash-house, turn right into rue du Pré Fabre. At the stop sign, turn right ; in the square, take rue du Stade up to the D943 / D15 crossroads.
Step 2 : Cross the road and take the footpath opposite, then fork right onto the path leading up into the forest. Turn right at the first footpath and continue uphill through the chestnut grove to the “Repaire des Gaulois” site, 20 m from the path.
Step 3 : Continue uphill to join a wide grassy path which bends to the left, reaching the plateau (on the left is a rocky knoll with a view of Limagne). Continue to the railroad line and cross the bridge.
Step 4 : Turn right towards the village of l’Etang ; take the first street on the right, then rue du Four on the left. At the crossroads, turn right along the château’s boundary wall. Take the right-hand track, which crosses the railroad again, and continue to the next crossroads.
Next step
Step 5 : Take the downhill path opposite, then turn left onto a narrow path. Continue through the woods to the road and cross it.
Step 6 : Turn right, then left, towards the business park ; at the bottom of the descent, turn right at the stop sign to return to the starting point.
Proposed and managed by the Conseil départemental du Puy-de-Dôme – PDIPR.
/* col-6_sm-12 */ ?>
Opening hours
From 01/01 to 31/12 daily.
Subject to favorable weather.
Comfort, facilities and services
- Car park
- 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
Forest location, Mountain view, Presence of livestock and guard dogs
Access
From Clermont, follow signs for Limoges, Volvic, then Sayat. At the “D15 Sayat” junction, enter the town center. At the first set of traffic lights, turn left onto rue Gustave Faugère as far as the salle polyvalente (parking lot).
Downloadable :
You might also like…
Photo credits : Conseil départemental du Puy-de-Dôme, Conseil départemental du Puy-de-Dôme, Conseil départemental du Puy-de-Dôme, Conseil départemental du Puy-de-Dôme, Conseil départemental du Puy-de-Dôme, Conseil départemental du Puy-de-Dôme, Conseil départemental du Puy-de-Dôme, Conseil départemental du Puy-de-Dôme
Updated on 29 May 2026 by Conseil départemental du Puy-de-Dôme