Valuéjols: Hiking, cross-country skiing and churches

Valuéjols offers a range of options to consider when planning a trip: walks and hiking routes, cross-country skiing in winter, and churches and chapels with their own histories. A visit to an apiary and a stopover accommodation are also among the specific offerings in the area.

Forest, hiking and stopovers

Bois des Fraux is one of the few wooded areas of the Planèze. Valuéjols is part of the Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans d’Auvergne. Walks in Bois des Fraux are an option in both summer and winter; in the colder months, snowshoeing is also possible there. One specific circular route through Bois des Fraux is 18 kilometres long, easily accessible and passes through forest, summer pastures and villages. This sequence of landscapes gives the tour a different character from a stage described primarily in terms of its long-distance trail connections.

The GR4 passes through Valuéjols; the village is a stage between Plomb du Cantal and Saint-Flour. Valuéjols is also a stage on the Les Boucles du Tour de la Planèze long-distance hiking trail. The Circuit des estives mountain biking route starts in Lescure. This gives you a range of route options: a circular trail with a described sequence of landscapes, two long-distance trails with stage connections, and a mountain biking route starting in Lescure.

Cross-country skiing and winter trails

The cross-country skiing options differ both in length and in the number of trails mentioned. Les Mouthes is a 4.9-kilometre loop for classic cross-country skiing or skating. Les Rhodes is a 3-kilometre route on wide forest tracks, also suitable for classic skiing or skating. The Le Ché Nordic area lies at an elevation of 1,240 to 1,450 metres and has a total of 15 kilometres of trails, as well as three cross-country ski routes for classic skiing or skating. The 15 kilometres refer to the area as a whole, while the figures for Les Mouthes and Les Rhodes describe individual routes.

Another option is the Voie blanche La Forêt: an easy circular route through the forest, suitable for snowshoeing or Nordic ski touring. Together with the possibility of snowshoeing in Bois des Fraux in winter, this offers a choice of different ways to get around, not just cross-country skiing. If you are planning a specific winter outing, it is advisable to check the latest trail information in advance.

Churches and local history

The church of Saint-Saturnin has appeared in the records of Moissac since 804 and has been listed in the supplementary inventory of France’s historic monuments since 1928. Its furnishings include an altarpiece carved by Antoine Boyer and gilded by Noël Verdier in 1696. The early records, the specific piece of church furnishing and the later heritage listing represent different aspects of the church’s history.

Notre-Dame de la Visitation, a pilgrimage church within Valuéjols, is located in Lescure. The present church includes a chapel built in 1725, which replaced an earlier oratory and now forms the choir. In Nouvialle, the Notre-Dame du Bon Secours chapel was built in 1858 on the initiative of Abbé Roussilhe. The information about these chapels and churches presents different historical landmarks without implying that they share a construction period.

For a different local experience, Miel et merveilles du Cantal offers visits to its apiary and an introduction to the life of bees by appointment. The visit therefore requires an appointment in advance.

Accommodation for your stay

The Gîte d'étape de Valuéjols offers 12 bunk beds, a kitchenette, a communal room, and bathroom facilities with a shower and toilet. It is located in the Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans d’Auvergne, on the GR4.

Discover more destinations: Chaudes-Aigues, Montmurat, Giou-De-Mamou, Jussac, Drugeac, Allanche, Trémouille, Lacapelle-Viescamp.

View the broader travel guide: Cantal.