Le Pont d'Alleyras / Saint-Haon - Nouveau Monde

Having relaxed a little and feeling reinvigorated, time to get going again on your adventure along the Via Allier cycle route. You’ll need to use those leg muscles to tackle the slopes up to the Devès volcanic plateau, crossing through exceptional, unspoilt, traditional natural parts. Enjoy the many views down onto the Allier Gorges, offering good excuses to stop and catch your breath, observing more closely the landscapes here, so marked by fire and water. At Saint-Haon, take the time for a little detour to the hamlet of Le Thord to enjoy exceptional views over the Allier Gorges and the viaduct at Chapeauroux.

The Via Allier cycle route from Pont d'Alleyras to Saint-Haon and Nouveau Monde

The Via Allier cycle route makes you climb for a long portion of this stage, as you ride along the D40 road. Near the start, there are shaded areas, but these become fewer and farther between as you approach the Devès Plateau. 

Don't miss

• Alleyras: the 12th- to 13th-century church with bell-gable; viewing points over the Allier Gorges.
• Saint-Haon: the church with bell-gable and multi-coloured choir end, plus carved sculptures around the roof; the viewing point from the hamlet of Le Thord.
• Lentils: the Lentille Verte du Puy, grown on the Devès Plateau, was the first vegetable in France to be awarded its own guaranteed quality label, or Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC). Its authenticity is also protected by European AOP (Appellation d'Origine Protégée) accreditation. 
• Chemin de Stevenson: this major French hiking trail (the GR70) crosses through the area, but takes its name from the famed Scottish writer, Robert Louis Stevenson, who recorded his memorable journey across these parts in 1878, accompanied by a stubborn donkey.

Railway station

Pont-d'Alleyras : Ligne TER Clermont-Ferrand <> Langogne