Paulhac: Hiking and Historic Buildings

Paulhac combines a challenging circular hike with architectural and cultural history. To plan your stay, you can choose from trails of different lengths and a range of historic sites. The hiking details help you estimate how much time the routes will take and what they are like; the buildings, in turn, tell stories of different periods and styles.

Hikes around Paulhac

The La Fageolle circular hike starts at the washhouse on the square in Paulhac. It is 15 km long, takes 3 hours and 45 minutes, and is classed as difficult. Allow this amount of time for the hike and check seasonal trail conditions. Along the way, the route offers views of the Planèze and the Margeride.

The 5 km La Vallée de l'Épie hike starts in Belinay and is marked in blue. At 5 km rather than 15 km, it is the shorter of the two routes; La Fageolle also has a stated duration and is classed as difficult. This lets you compare the two hikes by length and by the time given for La Fageolle, without interpreting the blue marking as a difficulty rating.

Cascade de Muratel

The Cascade de Muratel has a double waterfall drop. A 400 m footpath leads to the waterfall; this distance describes the walk to it, not the height of the waterfall. Picnic tables are available at the waterfall. This makes it possible to include the waterfall as a separate stop on an outing, while La Fageolle and La Vallée de l'Épie are longer hikes, each with its own stated distance.

Church and château

The Church of Saint-Julien in Paulhac has been listed in its entirety as a historic monument since 4 December 1968. Its original design was Romanesque and dates to the second half of the 12th century. The church was rebuilt at the end of the 15th century. Later alterations show a development towards Gothic forms. The building therefore reveals several distinct periods in its history: the original Romanesque church, its reconstruction and later modifications.

The Château de Paulhac stands in the centre of the village. It is thought to date from the 13th century. Over time, it was remodelled and reduced in size through the removal of several sections. Its probable date and later alterations belong to different chapters in its architectural history.

Chapels, heritage site and sarcophagus

The Espace Tradition in La Peyre is a restored heritage site within an enclosure open to the public. It includes a communal bread oven, a farrier's stand and a large washhouse. The Chapel of Bressanges contains a Neo-Gothic altarpiece, an old statue of the Virgin Mary, a small Pietà and the painting La remise au rosaire. The Chapel of Chambon offers another historical connection: it replaced an ancient oratory in 1886 and is dedicated to Notre Dame de la Pitié.

The Tombe de la Dame is a Romanesque sarcophagus on the GR des Pays de Saint-Flour hiking trail, between La Salesse and Pradalanche. As a sarcophagus, it differs from the churches and chapels; its location on a hiking trail also connects the historic monument with a route on foot. The cultural points of interest thus range from church architecture and furnishings to a structure beside a trail.

Cheese-making

The Ferme du Jarry produces Salers and Cantal cheeses. With the exception of ageing, every stage of production, from grazing to pressing, takes place on the farm. For anyone interested in regional products, this process offers a concrete insight into cheese production, without implying that a visit or tasting is available.

Discover more destinations: Champagnac, Lapeyrugue, Lacapelle-Viescamp, Saint-Poncy, Calvinet, Ladinhac, Riom-Ès-Montagne, Labrousse.

For the broader travel overview: Cantal.