Via Allier à vélo – Stage 10 – Issoire > Brassac-les-Mines

Don’t miss
● Bansat : the fortified village of Bansat, with its church, is still sheltered by the ancient ramparts of the Vinzelles castle, flanked by three corner towers. A porch leads to the Saint-Julien church : now Gothic, it dates back to the 13th century.
● Usson : the village : dominated by a 7-metre-high statue of the Virgin Mary, this perched village offers panoramic views of the Monts Dore and the Chaîne des Puys. Château d’Usson was the place of exile of Marguerite de Valois, known as Queen Margot, sister of Charles IX and wife of Henri IV. The village is listed as one of France’s “Most Beautiful Villages”. Volcanic organs : a path leads to the summit, where you can observe basaltic organs : lava that, as it cools, has taken on the shape of organ pipes. Eglise Saint-Maurice d’Usson : a half-Romanesque, half-Gothic edifice offering sweeping views over the Allier valley.
● Nonette : the village : the village is dominated to the south by a volcanic neck 170 m above the river Allier. It offers fine views of the Dore mountains, the Cézallier, the Cantalien volcano, the Livradois, the Comté, the Puy de Dôme… A path leads around the mound and up to the summit. Beautiful Romanesque church. Pont Pakowski : at the foot of the village hill, this bridge crosses the Allier. Its construction was commissioned by the mayor, Monsieur Pakowski, in 1925.
● Lamontgie : Notre-Dame de Mailhat church : built on an ancient place of worship and then on a small Gallo-Roman temple, the present church was built by the monks of Sauxillanges at the end of the 12th century.
● Auzat-la-Combelle : the village is spread over both banks of the Allier. The right bank is home to the old winegrowing village of Auzat-sur-Allier (a former coal port), overlooked by the picturesque ruins of Château Cocu, the ancient feudal fortress. On the left bank is the village of La Combelle, whose boom was generated by mining operations, the evidence of which can still be seen today : headframe, hot chamber, water tower, infirmary, miners’ chapel. The Graves site includes the headframe and the hot chamber.
● Esteil : the village is dominated by the Esteil peak (821 m). The Saint-Jean church is a former priory of nuns from the Fontevrault order.
● Brassac-les-Mines : in 1738, this was the region’s most important coal port. Today, some of the remains can be seen in the “Port” district, including sculptures, anchors and mooring rings.
● Markets : Issoire : Saturday morning. Flea market every 3rd Sunday of the month from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. (flea market and garage sale). / Brassac-les-Mines : Sunday morning.