Le Monestier: Hiking, Cycling and Culture

Le Monestier combines hiking and cycling with the history of the Église Saint-Antoine. For planning your trip, the routes described differ in length, route type and difficulty; a duration is also given for Les Lèches Beurriers. This allows you to assess the specific routes according to your own preferences and consider a historical connection to the area alongside outdoor activities.

Hiking between the village square and the viewpoint

The Les Lèches Beurriers circular hike is 7 kilometres long and is listed as taking two hours. It starts at the Rocher de la Vierge on the village square. From this viewpoint, you can see across the valley and the Monts du Forez. The starting point on the village square and the viewpoint at the Rocher provide two concrete landmarks for the hike: the beginning of the route and the landscape visible from there.

A second hiking option, the Parcours bleu – La montée à la vierge du Monestier, is a 9.5-kilometre, moderately difficult out-and-back route. At 2.5 kilometres longer than the 7-kilometre Les Lèches Beurriers, it is the longer option. Distance is therefore not the only factor to consider: Les Lèches Beurriers is a circular hike with a stated duration of two hours, while the Parcours bleu is a longer, moderately difficult out-and-back route.

Cycling: a circular route and a network

For cyclists, Circuit n°34 – Sommet du Livradois is a specific cycling loop starting from Le Monestier: it is difficult and 21 kilometres long. When planning your ride, you can use route type, distance and difficulty as concrete points of reference.

Le Monestier is also one of the starting points for the Espace-VTT-FFC Ambert Livradois-Forez network. The specific circuit and the connection to the network offer two different points of reference: a particular difficult circular route and Le Monestier as one of the mountain biking network’s starting points.

Church history and local craftsmanship

Different historical layers come together at the Église Saint-Antoine: the present-day church was rebuilt in the 15th century, while the Romanesque crossing is the last surviving part of the original sanctuary. A crossing is where the nave and transept intersect; the term therefore refers to a specific architectural feature, not the entire church. The description “Romanesque” applies to the surviving crossing, not to the whole of the present-day church. In 1976, the Église Saint-Antoine was classified as a Monument historique. This date refers to the classification, not the rebuilding of the present-day church.

The Atelier Corinne Pâquet Au Livre Dore also offers the care and restoration of all types of bookbinding. This craft adds a different cultural connection in Le Monestier to the architectural history.

Practical information for motorhome travellers

The Aire de services Le Monestier has a service station for motorhomes that is free to access. If you are travelling by motorhome, this service is a useful point of reference for planning your trip.

More destinations

Discover more destinations: Aubusson-D'auvergne, Thônes, Bagnols, Orcival, Blot-l'Église, Usson, Montpeyroux, Saint-Sauves-D'auvergne

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