Free access. From the top of Côte St-Amand, the Hurlevents plateau overlooks the town of Abrest and the meandering Val d'Allier. There's a magnificent view across the plain to the ridges of the Bourbonnais mountains, the Forez mountains and the chain of volcanoes.
A calcicole hill resulting from the long sedimentation of an ancient tropical lake, the site is occupied by dry grasslands well exposed to the sun, where a rich and original vegetation thrives, with 321 listed species, including nine types of orchid. This mosaic of vegetation attracts a varied fauna, including numerous butterflies and birds.
A 2.3 km long, digitally equipped and interactive interpretation trail, the "Azuré walk", has been set up to help visitors discover the hillsides in a sensitive way, through their cultural and natural heritage, while following the trail of this rare little butterfly.
Grazing parks for the upkeep of areas of sensitive vegetation through the extensive, rotating grazing of ewes in summer, with the precautionary requirements that this entails (respect for the animals, keeping gates closed, keeping dogs on a leash, etc.).
Periode d‘ouverture : Ouvert toute l‘année
All year round.
