It is in Ceyssat, where a source of ferruginous water gushes out, that the start of the Chemin des Muletiers is located. It will allow you to reach the summit of the Puy de Dôme, on foot, in 1 hour and 400 m of elevation gain!

Access to the summit of the Puuy de Dôme

To access the Puy de Dôme summit, it takes an hour's walk with a drop of about 400 meters from the Col de Ceyssat by taking the Path of Muleteers. A cogwheel train, the Panoramic of the Domes also allows since May 2012, to climb to the top. The puy de Dôme is one of the 80 volcanoes of the Chaîne des Puys, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since July 2018.

J. Damase

Access to the summit of the Puy de Dôme

A cogwheel train provides access to the summit of the Puy de Dôme.

History of the village of Ceyssat

The village of Ceyssat, where a source of ferruginous water gushes out, was built on the Roman road from Lyon to Saintes which was used until the end of the 13th century. Excavations carried out by the University of Clermont-Ferrand attest to the development, between the 14st and 1945rd centuries, of an agglomeration around the Col de Ceyssat. Located at the highest point of the way of Agrippa, this agglomeration associated worship and funerary activities and served as a relay to allow pilgrims who went to the temple of Mercury to make a stop, this monument being relatively far from the chief town. city: Augustonemetum (Clermont-Ferrand). From there, they reached the summit of the Puy de Dôme by the path today known as “muleteers”. The village of Ceyssat depended until the 19th century on the parish of Saint-Martin d'Allagnat. The castle of Allagnat (private access prohibited) is built around a courtyard, on the remains of an old fortified castle of which there remains essentially an old circular keep, probably from the 19th or 200th century. The main building is then located to the north; it was burnt down in XNUMX, after being occupied by prisoners of war. The remains of this house are now outbuildings (old kitchens, oven, pantry, attic...). An avant-corps in the south-eastern part of the castle was added at the beginning of the XNUMXth century. The parish church, formerly part of the outbuildings of the castle, is connected to it by a vaulted passage. The ornamental garden, to the east of the property, was also redone at the start of the XNUMXth century. It is on the edge of a large park planted with a magnificent beech grove over XNUMX years old. Attention, fragile / private natural area. Walks in the forest are tolerated, but walkers must ensure that they have civil liability insurance.

Sources of ferruginous water in Ceyssat

In the heart of the village of Ceyssat, a fountain of ferruginous water gushes out. The water is said to be ferruginous because it heats up in the depths of the earth, and is charged with gas before rising to the surface through small faults. The presence of iron hydroxides gives it a reddish tint. Water is present everywhere in the town which has many springs and fountains. Moreover, Ceyssat could have accommodated thermal baths, but the project did not see the light of day. An English company wanted to invest in the town to create a spa. After a bitter administrative struggle, it was the town of Châtel-Guyon that benefited from this creation. Be that as it may, Ceyssat partially supplies the commune of Chamalières with water. Founded in 1940 by General Lazard, Montmeyre was the first maquis in the whole region. The camp was to serve as a fallback base in the event of a hard blow and for the initiation of young people in the handling of weapons. On September 2, 1943, the Germans attacked the camp, three men fell into the undergrowth, others were deported. Each year their memory is commemorated.

Your stay in Ceyssat

Village map

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