Brioude

The Via Allier cycle route continues through former coal-mining lands, leading you into the département, or French county, of Haute-Loire, which you enter at Sainte-Florine. The trail crosses the Limagne Brivadoise plain and guides you along the foot of the Livradois Range. Always in sight of the Allier River, moving in wide meanders through a patchwork of agricultural fields, the perched villages dotted along this stage are packed with history. Auzon, Azérat and Lamothe, in particular, have medieval treasures, chapels, Romanesque murals, priories and historic fortifications to reveal to those bold enough to make detours to them. The town of Brioude and its Basilica Saint-Julien, the largest Romanesque church in the Auvergne, also open their doors to you.

After a few kilometres of cycling between Brioude and Vieille-Brioude, the Via Allier cycle route finally takes you away from the Limagne plains. The way takes you up into the Ribeyre Valley, which benefits from its own micro-climate, imparting Mediterranean touches to the landscapes, enhanced by the evident wine-making traditions around here, what with all the terracing and the winemakers’ houses. The river, and the road running alongside it, guide you to spots with views of local villages boasting a significant local heritage, up to the Château de Saint-Ilpize, looking down on the Allier, then on to the village of Lavoûte-Chilhac, built in an exceptional meander.