La vierge de Beaufort

1/ From the start sign, walk up rue des Bruyères and, at the church, turn right into rue du Muscadet and walk past the stadium. At the fork (stone cross), take the track on the right. At the next fork, take the left-hand path down, cross the Chabanne stream and climb up to the hamlet of Le Cheix.

2/ At the crossroads, take the left-hand track. Cross the stream. Walk up to the road, cross it and continue straight ahead. At the T-junction, turn right to reach the hamlet of Fraisse. At the last houses, go up to the left, past a water reservoir (with views of the Sancy massif and the Chaîne des Puys) and reach the hamlet of Montcognol. Continue along the tarmac road. Go straight ahead at the crossroads. At the T-junction, take the small road on the left. Ignore the track and take the road on the right. At the last house in the hamlet of La Palle, turn left. Continue straight ahead. At the fork in the road, turn left, go over the top of the hill (cross) and continue until you reach the road.

3/ Take the right-hand path for 100 m and turn right to enter the ‘Pierres qui marchent’ estate (Chemin Fais'Art: numerous monumental sculptures by Gilles Perez, view of the Vierge de Beaufort). After the car park (off the route: 20-minute round trip to the statue of the Virgin, 360° view of the Combrailles, the Chaîne des Puys and the Massif du Sancy), go right down the main path, passing several sculptures and the sculptor's studio. At the road, turn left. At a wide bend to the left, take the path to the right. At the T-junction, fork left; at the next junction (cross), go right and then immediately left. Go straight ahead and join the D62 opposite the Chapdes-Beaufort church, turn right and then left into rue Saint-Joseph and then right back to the starting point via rue des Bruyères.