Aydat: Lake, Volcanoes and Heritage

When planning your trip, decide whether you would like to focus mainly on spending time by the water, hiking or exploring cultural and historical sites.

Lake and volcanic landscape

Lac d’Aydat is a 65-hectare volcanic reservoir. It formed more than 8,500 years ago, when lava flows from the Puys jumeaux de La Vache et de Lassolas blocked the course of the Veyre. The story of its formation connects the lake with the volcanic landforms that also feature on excursions in the surrounding area.

Puy de Vichatel is a Strombolian cone rising to 1,094 metres. Its crater is about 86 metres deep and the second deepest in the Chaîne des Puys. The ascent offers views over the Chaîne des Puys and towards the Sancy Massif. The lake and the Puy therefore offer different natural highlights: the formation of a reservoir on the one hand, and a volcanic cone with a crater and viewpoints on the other.

The lake is also home to the Zone humide du Lac d’Aydat wetland. It provides a habitat for aquatic animals, amphibians, dragonflies, and resident and migratory waterbirds. Nature lovers will find another distinct aspect of the landscape here, alongside its volcanic features.

Water activities and trails

Seasonal swimming and water sports are available at Lac d’Aydat. These include sailing, kayaking, rowing, stand-up paddleboarding and windsurfing. Swimming is seasonal; the water sports listed offer a range of activities on the lake.

For a walk by the lake, Autour du lac d’Aydat is an easy, 6.5-kilometre circular trail marked in blue, with a stated duration of 1 hour 45 minutes. It follows the lakeshore, offers views of the volcanoes and crosses the wetland on boardwalks. Aydat et ses puys offers a different timeframe: this circular trail is 18 kilometres long, moderately difficult, marked in green and has a stated duration of 4 hours 30 minutes. Along the way, there are panoramic views of the volcanoes; use of the route depends on the weather. The stated durations and difficulty levels make it easy to compare the two trails.

Another activity is Altiparc Aydat, an adventure park in a forest near Lac d’Aydat. It has 150 activities across 15 courses. The specific layout of individual courses may change.

Historic monuments in Aydat

Église Saint-Sidoine dates back to the 13th century. It was fortified in the 15th century by the addition of four towers, and on 4 August 1970 the entire building was listed as a historic monument. Its history thus combines a medieval origin with later fortifications.

The Fontaine-calvaire de Ponteix combines a polygonal fountain basin with a cross, statues of the Virgin Mary and Saint John, and a winged dragon figure. Its various features also make the monument interesting for visitors who would like to take a closer look at religious imagery and historical forms.

Pierre-longue is a 4.75-metre-high monolith weighing about 15 tonnes. It formerly served as a resting place for funeral processions. Together, these sites illustrate different aspects of cultural history: a fortified church, religious depictions on a fountain, and a former use associated with funeral processions.

Discover more destinations: Viscomtat, Bas-Et-Lezat, Gouttières, Saint-Genès-Du-Retz, Saint-Étienne-Sur-Usson, Pontgibaud, Olloix, Ceyrat.

For the regional travel overview: Puy-De-Dôme.