Discover Araules: Hiking and Architectural History

When planning a trip to Araules, there are several themes to choose from: hiking trails through summit and forest landscapes, buildings with different histories, and a Second World War memorial. If you are looking for a hotel for your stay, these interests can help guide your travel plans. The destinations below offer specific themes without requiring you to follow a set itinerary.

Hiking Trails and Pic du Lizieux

PR639 Le sentier de Bonas is a 5.17 km hiking trail in Araules, with a stated duration of 1 hour and 30 minutes. It leads to Pic du Lizieux; from the summit, a 360-degree panorama extends as far as the Alps. This destination combines specific distance and time details with sweeping summit views.

Pic du Lizieux is a volcanic dome formed from an ancient lava flow. The summit thus combines the views with a geological history. The Bonas interpretation trail also presents geology, history, flora and fauna in the volcanic area. These topics offer different ways to explore the area: from its formation to its nature and history.

PR513 Entre Lizieux et Meygal runs from Araules to Recharinges through a forest and offers views of the Sucs range. The two routes differ in their described focus: for PR639, the distance, duration and summit destination are specified; PR513 is characterized by its route between the two places, the forest and the views. This lets you assess the trail descriptions according to whether a stated duration and distance or the landscape described is more helpful for your planning. Pic du Lizieux can be reached from Araules via the D42.

Churches and Architectural History

The present-day Église Notre-Dame d'Araules was built between 1870 and 1873 in the Neo-Romanesque style on the site of a 12th-century Romanesque church. The two style descriptions make clear the difference in age between the more recent building and its Romanesque predecessor. The church houses the painting “Notre Dame d'Araules,” which was designated a historic monument in 2014.

The Église de Recharinges has a different history: it was converted from an abandoned barn. A bell tower was added around 1873; its interior is distinguished by a simple, modern design. Its origins and the character of its present-day interior thus offer different points of interest.

Construction of the Temple de Montbuzat began in 1818 and was completed in 1886. Compared with Notre-Dame, built between 1870 and 1873, the temple's dates are far apart: the start and completion mark a long span of time. Araules and its named hamlets thus bring together several different building histories, from a repurposed barn to a temple whose construction dates span many years.

The Mémorial de Chièze

The Mémorial de Chièze is located in Araules, in the hamlet of Montbuzat, at 205 Route des Résistants. As of August 2026, it is freely accessible at all times; check access information before your visit. The memorial commemorates the events of April 22, 1944, and honors civilians, resistance fighters and unnamed victims. The date anchors the memorial in a specific historical event, while the dedication identifies the groups being honored.

Discover more destinations: Sainte-Florine, Laval-sur-Doulon, Connangles, Chomelix, Saint-Julien-D'ance, Lavoûte-Chilhac, Dunières, Vergezac.

For the broader travel overview: Haute-Loire.