Trails made by local people

The idea came about in the early 2000s in the Carladez group of communes. Each commune brought together a group of residents. Together they chose a theme from their own area (lava, water, iron, the forest, history, meadows), designed the route and then made the works themselves with whatever they had to hand. The first trails opened in 2002, and the name "Sentiers de l'Imaginaire" (Trails of the Imagination) was registered in 2006. They are still changing: new sculptures appear from one year to the next.

The six trails

  • Lacroix-Barrez, "Du magma à la pierre" (6 min from Valon): volcanic geology told by Binocle the mole. The La Fage route is 2.7 km (1 hour), with an underground slide near the pond. The lava-flow route (3.4 km, 1 hr 30) follows Sylvestre the monkey to a stone giant.
  • Murols, "De feu et de vent" (16 min): 2.5 km and an hour among wrought-iron sculptures made from old farm machinery and watched over by Blaise the dragon. The village forge can be visited by appointment.
  • Taussac, "La Forêt magique" (15 min): 4.4 km through the woods of Vivian the hermit, following Noisette the squirrel, with huts where children love to hide. There is also a short 2.6 km loop. In July and August, the wood house and the garden of the five senses open at the end of the trail.
  • Brommat, "Au fil de l'eau" (15 min): 5.1 km and two hours along the Siniq and the Bromme, following an orange fish. In the castle grounds, an open-air exhibition tells the story of how the Brommat and Sarrans dams were built.
  • Mur-de-Barrez, "D'histoire en histoires" (12 min): 1 km through the old town, from the Monaco tower to the church, with illustrated panels. See our guide to Mur-de-Barrez.
  • Thérondels, "Et le paysan créa la prairie" (31 min): 5 km, almost flat, along the drailles, the walled lanes that once took the cows out to pasture, with Gaillarde the cow as your guide. The village cheese cooperative is open to visitors.

Our tip

With young children, start with La Fage in Lacroix-Barrez: it is short, almost flat, and the slide always goes down well. Bring drinks and a snack. The trail guide is given out free at the tourist information office in Mur-de-Barrez.