Riverside stroll On footfrom the inn
Saint-Poncy · Cantal
The Allagnonette valley
The river that gave the inn its name winds below the village, between meadows, hedgerows and old stone bridges. Perfect for a stroll before dinner.
Travel guide · Around Saint-Poncy
Volcanoes, villages and viaducts
Between the Margeride, the Cantal mountains and the Allier valley, the inn makes an ideal base. Here are our ideas for days out, sorted by driving time, plus three one-day itineraries.
Things to see
Where to go today?
Approximate driving times from the inn, outside winter conditions. Check opening times and seasons with the tourist offices before you go.
Driving time
In the mood for
22 placesplace
360° panorama On footin the village
Saint-Poncy · Cantal
The Moulin à tous vents windmill
A windmill restored in oak, with a 360° view over the uplands. Free access all year round, weather permitting, on a waymarked loop of about 8.5 km.
Basalt spur ≈ 20 min25 km
Saint-Flour · Cantal
Saint-Flour
The upper town perched on its basalt spur: Saint-Pierre cathedral built of lava stone, ramparts, lanes and the Haute-Auvergne museum.
12th-century abbey church ≈ 20 min22 km
Blesle · Haute-Loire
Blesle
Listed among the Most Beautiful Villages of France: 12th-century Saint-Pierre abbey church, the keep of the barons of Mercœur and the Saint-Martin bell tower.
565 m · 1884 ≈ 25 min35 km
Ruynes-en-Margeride · Cantal
Garabit viaduct
Built between 1881 and 1884 by Eiffel's company: 565 m long, 122 m above the Truyère. Boat trips and water sports on the lake in season.
Romanesque basilica ≈ 30 min35 km
Brioude · Haute-Loire
Brioude
Saint-Julien basilica, the largest Romanesque church in Auvergne, with its contemporary stained glass. 9 km away, Lavaudieu abbey keeps the only Romanesque cloister left in Auvergne.
Aquarium ≈ 30 min35 km
Brioude · Haute-Loire
Salmon and River House aquarium
An aquarium devoted to the Allier salmon and the fish of local rivers. The ideal outing with children, even on a rainy day.
Bend of the Allier ≈ 35 min35 km
Lavoûte-Chilhac · Haute-Loire
Lavoûte-Chilhac
A village set in a bend of the Allier, with its priory and old stone bridge. A starting point for lovely riverside walks.
Medieval fortress ≈ 35 min35 km
Alleuze · Cantal
Alleuze castle
The ruins of a medieval fortress on a rocky peak above the Truyère. During the Hundred Years' War, the mercenary captain Bernard de Garlan made it his lair.
350 animals ≈ 40 min40 km
Ardes · Puy-de-Dôme
Auvergne Wildlife Park
Around 350 animals from 60 rare or endangered species, in a park committed to their conservation. Open from February to December.
Allier gorges ≈ 45 min50 km
Langeac · Haute-Loire
Langeac and the Allier gorges
Gateway to the Allier gorges: canoeing and swimming in summer, and a tourist train that runs up the gorges towards Langogne (check dates each season).
Multiple-arch dam ≈ 45 min45 km
Lanau · Cantal
Grandval lake and dam
The great lake on the Truyère, held back by a multiple-arch dam completed in the late 1950s. Viewpoints, hiking and water sports in season.
Bonnevie rock ≈ 45 min50 km
Murat · Cantal
Murat
A small stone town below the Bonnevie rock, whose basalt columns carry an 8 m statue of the Virgin erected in 1878. The Maison de la Faune wildlife museum will delight curious minds.
1,497 m ≈ 50 min45 km
Auvers · Haute-Loire
Mont Mouchet
A major site of the French Resistance: in June 1944 the Margeride maquis fought the German army here. Resistance memorial and museum deep in the forest, at 1,497 m.
Spring at 82 °C ≈ 50 min55 km
Chaudes-Aigues · Cantal
Chaudes-Aigues
The Par spring gushes out at 82 °C, one of the hottest in Europe. Géothermia museum and the Caleden thermal spa for a relaxing break.
Plomb du Cantal · 1,855 m ≈ 55 min60 km
Le Lioran · Cantal
Le Lioran and the Plomb du Cantal
Skiing in winter; in summer the cable car climbs to the Plomb du Cantal (1,855 m), at the heart of Europe's largest volcano. Views of the Puy Mary and the Sancy.
50 m waterfall ≈ 1 h60 km
Brezons · Cantal
La Borie waterfall
A 50 m waterfall in three steps, on a 1 h 30 loop with footbridges and a staircase. Usually open May to October, not advised for children under 12: check access before you go.
1,783 m ≈ 1 h 2080 km
Pas de Peyrol · Cantal
Puy Mary, Grand Site de France
From the Pas de Peyrol (1,589 m), the highest road pass in the Massif Central, allow about 1 hour there and back to the summit (1,783 m). The road is closed in winter, usually November to May.
Way of St James ≈ 1 h 2090 km
Aubrac · Aveyron, Lozère, Cantal
The Aubrac plateau
Wide open spaces, stone herders' huts and upland lakes, crossed by the Way of St James. Spectacular wildflowers in spring.
UNESCO · 2018 ≈ 1 h 20115 km
Orcines · Puy-de-Dôme
Puy de Dôme
The emblematic summit of the Chaîne des Puys, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2018. Up by rack railway (Panoramique des Dômes) or on foot.
1,886 m ≈ 1 h 30100 km
Le Mont-Dore · Puy-de-Dôme
Puy de Sancy
The highest point of the Massif Central (1,886 m). Cable car from the Mont-Dore resort, then a wooden staircase to the summit.
Renaissance town ≈ 1 h 45100 km
Salers · Cantal
Salers
A town of volcanic stone with Renaissance houses, listed among the Most Beautiful Villages of France. Home of the red Salers cow and the cheese of the same name.
No place matches this combination.
One-day itineraries
Leave in the morning, dine here
Three loops starting from the inn, back in time for dinner. Remember to book your table.
01One day
The Truyère and its giants
≈ 130 km- MorningSaint-Flour: the upper town, the cathedral and the ramparts.
- MiddayLunch in Saint-Flour or a picnic facing the Garabit viaduct.
- AfternoonA boat trip on the lake in season, then the ruins of Alleuze castle.
- EveningBack via the A75 and dinner at the inn.
02One day
Romanesque art along the Allier
≈ 120 km- MorningBlesle, one of the Most Beautiful Villages of France, 20 minutes away.
- MiddayBrioude: Saint-Julien basilica and the Salmon and River House.
- AfternoonThe Romanesque cloister of Lavaudieu, then Lavoûte-Chilhac by the Allier.
- EveningA quiet drive back through the valley and dinner at the inn.
03Late May to October
The Cantal volcanoes
≈ 190 km- MorningMurat and its Bonnevie rock, then the Plomb du Cantal cable car at Le Lioran.
- MiddayA picnic or a herders' hut restaurant in the summer pastures.
- AfternoonThe Pas de Peyrol and the Puy Mary summit, with Salers as an option.
- EveningBack via Murat and Saint-Flour and dinner at the inn.
Your base camp
A day outdoors, a quiet night
Eight renovated rooms, Damien Rousset's local cuisine and free parking, five minutes from the A75. The ideal starting point for exploring the Cantal and the Haute-Loire.
Photo credits
The places in this guide are illustrated with original graphic designs (monograms and contour lines) made for this website: no third-party photograph is reproduced.
- The inn's covered terrace ("Your base camp" block) Photo: Damien Rousset / Auberge de l'Allagnonette
All site credits are listed in the legal notice.