Montaigut-Le-Blanc: Village Center, Church and Hiking Trails

Montaigut-Le-Blanc combines a historic village center with a landscape shaped by volcanic activity. From the village, there are views of hills, plateaus and valleys. The church, lanes, hiking trails and pottery offer different ways to explore the area: you can learn about local history, choose a walking route or plan a workshop.

Village Center and Getting Around

The upper part of the village, known as the “bourg haut,” is the historic center of Montaigut-Le-Blanc. Wooden signs from the small car park point the way through the neighborhood’s lanes. Since 2025, Montaigut-Le-Blanc has held the “Petite Cité de Caractère” label.

Saint-Blaise Church

The originally Romanesque Saint-Blaise Church stands on a fortified esplanade at the upper end of the old village. Its interior is entirely painted. The baptismal font inside the church is late Romanesque and was made from lava stone in the 13th century. The Romanesque origin refers to the church building; the 13th-century date applies to the baptismal font.

Hiking Trails and Landscape

If you’d like to explore on foot, you can choose one of the six hiking trails in Montaigut-Le-Blanc. The GR de Pays “Tour en Pays des Couzes – Boucle du Val d’Allier n°1” passes through the village. These options follow different routes: the six hiking trails offer walks in the area, the GR de Pays passes through Montaigut-Le-Blanc, and the Grand Tour continues on to Saint-Julien.

The “Le Grand Tour entre puys et couze” route leads to Montaigut-Le-Blanc and then on to Saint-Julien, where you can explore the former Saint-Nectaire aging cellars carved into the rock. It offers views of the Cézalier, the Forez and the Limagne Plain. The 140 caves of Saint-Julien were dug into an ancient ash deposit from the Sancy volcano; some were repurposed for aging Saint-Nectaire. The caves are privately owned. Check access conditions before visiting.

The hike at Puy de la Rodde offers a different selection of named viewpoints: Cézallier, the Sancy Massif, the Forez and the Limagne Plain. The Conseil départemental du Puy-de-Dôme offers and manages this hike as part of the PDIPR. In comparison, “Le Grand Tour entre puys et couze” names the Forez and the Limagne Plain, as well as the Cézalier. The two routes therefore share the explicitly named landscape destinations of the Forez and Limagne; Puy de la Rodde adds the Sancy Massif, while the Grand Tour explicitly continues on to Saint-Julien.

Pottery Workshops in a Vaulted Cellar

At Atelier du Petit Matin, children and adults can take part in hands-on pottery workshops. The studio is located in a vaulted cellar, typical of Auvergne’s wine-growing villages. Here, a practical activity comes together with a distinctive architectural feature. If you’d like to plan a workshop, check the booking details in advance, as they may change.

Discover more destinations: Landogne, Le Monestier, Chaptuzat, Échandelys, Chambon-Sur-Lac, Pontgibaud, Saint-Rémy-de-Blot, Aubusson-D'auvergne.

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