A hike takes you to Cézallier (Cantal) along the small Bonjon stream. You can discover waterfalls, temples but also a biodiversity typical of Cézallier.
In the middle of Cantal, in Cézallier, en route on the paths to follow the Bonjon valley. This small stream gave its name to a hike which begins with an Orthodox monastery, a small local curiosity. “It is an Orthodox monastery, one of the rare ones in France. It was founded by nuns in the 1980s. It is inspired by the Russian sanctuaries found in Greece. We actually find this architecture with its domes, really typical”explains Anne Malet, project manager at the Auvergne Volcanoes Regional Natural Park.
The valley is full of flowers: “At the moment there is the poets’ narcissus flowering, small white star-shaped flowers. It is a typical mountain meadow flower, more or less humid, which has a very pleasant scent and which is harvested in certain places in the Massif Central to make perfume.” We can’t pick them, says Anne. The hike is under blue small hike markings. Just above, a red cow’s head refers to another hike: “It’s a route that allows you to go around Cézallier in 7 or 8 days. You can find the itinerary on the discovery site of the Auvergne volcanoes regional natural park”says Anne.
Next stop, the Saillant waterfall. “It marks one of the limits between the volcanic plateau of Cézallier and the Bonjon valley. On the plateau above, we see volcanic organs, a kind of vertical prism which are quite typical. That’s wonderful. There are about twenty meters. This waterfall is truly spectacular. It’s one of the most beautiful in the region”praises Anne.
The hike leaves the small path it followed until then to go up a little along the stream along Bonjon. “It makes a lot of streams that go in all directions and scatter, they ended up making a bigger stream at the waterfall. It creates lots of small wetlands which are typical of Cézallier.” The hike leads to one of the summits of Cézallier, Mont Chamaroux: “We are at more than 1,450 meters above sea level, we can clearly observe the volcanic relief of Cézallier which has been resculpted by the glaciers.” A hike accessible to the whole family.
This walk is stage 7 of the Tour des Vaches Rouges which can be found on the Les Découvertes du Parc des Volcans d’Auvergne website.
Here are some good practices to adopt while walking: stay on marked trails, keep your dog on a leash (on many trails that cross cattle pastures in Cantal, dogs are even prohibited), do not make a fire or pick flowers. . More info here.
