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The sources of the Dordogne
Description
The banks of the Dordogne are an easy walk for the whole family. It's a refreshing outing with beautiful views of the Sancy massif and La Bourboule.
Technical Information
Altimetric profile
Starting point
Additional information
Distinctions
Listed PDIPR
Tips
- The banks of the Dordogne.
- The Sancy carving workshop.
Updated by
Conseil départemental du Puy-de-Dôme - 02/06/2026
www.puydedome-tourisme.com/
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Environments
Mountain location
Presence of livestock and guard dogs
Open period
From 01/01 to 31/12 daily.
Subject to favorable weather.
Contact
Phone : 04 73 65 20 21
Email : accueil-otsancy@sancy.com
Website : https://www.sancy.com/decouvrir/toutes-les-communes/le-mont-dore/
Topo guides and map references
Topo guides references :
2015 - Randos au fil de l'eau - Discovering the Puy-de-Dôme - Conseil départemental du Puy-de-Dôme
Type of land
Ground
Location complements
Le Mont-Dore - parking de la Taillerie du Sancy (towards Murat-le-Quaire from Le Mont-Dore).
Reception complements
For your own safety, always take a bottle of water, a hat, warm clothing and footwear suitable for walking.
Depending on weather conditions, certain itineraries are not recommended in bad weather (fog) or are not practicable, or even forbidden, during the winter season.
Some sites are fragile, so stay on the marked trails. Avoid picking wild flowers and disturbing wildlife. Pick up your garbage.
Animals are not allowed on some routes.
Guidebook with maps/step-by-step
1/ Go down the path, past a building (Moulin Compissade, micro-power station), turn right and cross the bridge over the Dordogne. (At the first path on the right, you can take the AR to the Croizat hot spring on the riverbank - swimming at the Croizat spring is strictly forbidden).
Continue along the river to the Félix spring, cross the bridge and climb up to the hamlet of Le Genestoux.
Take the first road on the left, then immediately turn right, then left. Cross the railroad line and continue along the river to the road (mineral water bottling plant).
2/ Go left to the main road, cross it, continue straight ahead and climb left then right into the forest. At two track crossings, keep going straight up. On the flat, the path is tarmacked and leads to the hamlet of Rigolet-bas (GR markings), with views of Puy Gros and Banne d'Ordanche. Cross the village and turn left down the Salon de Mirabeau path. At a fork in the road, turn left to reach the road, cross it and go straight ahead on the track descending to the left. Cross the railroad line and return to the path you took on the outward journey at the Croizat spring (swimming at the Croizat spring is strictly forbidden). Turn right and return to the starting point.
Proposed and managed by the Conseil départemental du Puy-de-Dôme - PDIPR.
Animals
Yes. Dogs must be kept on a leash due to the presence of herds.
Data author
