Laqueuille: Hiking, Waterfall and Local History

Laqueuille offers something for a range of travel interests: challenging hikes, a waterfall in the woods and a local history connected with Antoine Roussel l’Aîné and Bleu d’Auvergne. If you are looking for a hotel in Laqueuille, these themes may help you decide how to plan your stay. The routes vary considerably in the time they take, while specific places and stories bring the area’s natural and cultural themes to life.

Hiking by time and distance

The La Borne des Quatre Seigneurs circular trail is a difficult 19-kilometre hike, marked in green and listed as taking five hours and 30 minutes. It leads to the Cascade du Trador and then to the summit of the Banne d’Ordanche. The difficulty and time required are important planning considerations for this route.

Les Hauts de Laqueuille offers a different time frame: the route is 8.5 kilometres long, takes about two hours and has an elevation gain of 200 metres. Compared with the longer La Borne route, both the distance and the stated duration are shorter; the elevation gain is also provided for Les Hauts. The duration is approximate. Route details may change, so it is advisable to check them again before setting out.

The route to the Cascade du Trador near Laqueuille is listed as 1.1 kilometres and about 30 minutes. This is a considerably shorter time frame than for the two hiking routes. Here too, the duration is approximate; route details may be updated.

Waterfall, far-reaching views and spring flowers

The Cascade du Trador is in the woods. The stream flowing down from the Banne d’Ordanche crosses a lava flow there, formed by a geological feature that is two million years old. On the La Borne circular trail, the waterfall cascades in two stages over basalt columns. The stream, lava formation and the waterfall’s described shape give this natural site several distinct features.

The Les Hauts de Laqueuille route offers views of the Puy de Dôme, the Chaîne des Puys and the Banne d’Ordanche. Other named sights include pastures, the Limousin and its plateaus. Independently of these routes, Laqueuille is known for its fields of daffodils in spring. When planning a trip, these particular landscapes sit alongside a seasonal highlight of the area.

Local history around Antoine Roussel

The museum tour “De bleu et de sang” comprises two exhibition displays about Antoine Roussel and Victor Mornac. Its two main stops are the Laqueuille presbytery and the Caves de l’Empego. Each of these two places therefore has its own connection to local history within the tour.

The presbytery stands on the promontory where Laqueuille Castle once stood. The Caves de l’Empego were used as cheese-aging cellars by descendants of the Roussel family until the end of the 20th century. This family line traces back to Antoine Roussel, the father of Bleu d’Auvergne. A bust of Antoine Roussel l’Aîné was erected in Laqueuille’s square in 1933.

The story of the cheese’s creation is also connected with Antoine Roussel l’Aîné: together with his younger brother, he led experiments that resulted in the first Bleu d’Auvergne made from cow’s milk. The story thus runs from the former aging cellars to the brothers’ experiments. For those interested in cultural history, these details add the story of a well-known cheese to the tour’s two stops.

Discover more destinations: Mirefleurs, Saint-Georges-sur-Allier, La Crouzille, Saint-Gervais-Dʼauvergne, Aubière, Sainte-Agathe, Collanges, Corent.

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