Champs: Hiking Routes and Heritage

When choosing a destination, Champs offers two distinct points of interest: exploring the landscape and discovering its local architectural heritage. The Château Jaloux route starts in the village, while Place du Communal is the starting point for numerous hikes on foot or by mountain bike. This lets you explore the area through a specific circular route as well as other ways to get around on foot or by bike. The scenery also includes a panoramic view of the Chaîne des Puys. Local features range from a named bread oven and dovecote to crosses spread across different parts of Champs.

The Château Jaloux route

The Château Jaloux route is a 13.5 km circular trail marked in yellow. It has 385 m of elevation gain and takes 3 hours and 45 minutes. These figures answer different planning questions: the distance describes the length of the route, the elevation gain indicates the climb, and the duration gives you a time frame. Together, they provide a practical guide to this hike. The circular route starts in Champs at Place du Communal. It passes through the Vallon de la Cigogne and heads towards the ruins of the Moulin de Charponne. In addition to its route details, the circuit also takes in named destinations in the surrounding area. The route specifications may be updated by the tourist office; if you are planning your hike based on them, check the details again before your visit.

Hikes and scenery

Numerous hikes on foot or by mountain bike start from Place du Communal. This offers a different way to plan beyond the Château Jaloux route: for that route, the distance, trail marking, elevation gain, and duration are specified, while the general choice of hikes from the square first depends on how you want to get around. This lets you choose between a named circular route with clear details and hikes on foot or by mountain bike. Champs also offers a panoramic view of the Chaîne des Puys. This landscape perspective broadens the focus beyond a single route and can be a point of interest in its own right if you are weighing scenery and outdoor activities when choosing your destination.

Architectural heritage in Champs

Champs’ heritage is spread across different areas. There are 13 crosses in total: in the village centre, in the hamlets, and in the open countryside. Their distribution draws attention beyond the central village area and makes the crosses a feature found in several parts of Champs. Another architectural feature is the Four de Chabrepine, a bread oven and dovecote. Both descriptions refer to this named building and complement the crosses with a single structure that has two stated functions. If you are interested in local architectural forms, you will find different aspects of the built heritage here: crosses spread across the area and a building described as a bread oven and dovecote.

The Grange de l'ancien presbytère adds a change in use over time to these architectural features. It is a former barn belonging to the former rectory and currently houses the school canteen. The building’s former function and present use can be distinguished: the former barn is part of its architectural history, while it is currently used for school catering. Together with the crosses and the Four de Chabrepine, it gives a picture of local buildings and features that goes beyond a single structure.

Discover more destinations: Saint-Saturnin, Saurier, La Sauvetat, Bromont, Orcet, Ménétrol, Picherande, Chaumont-Le-Bourg

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