Charraix: Church, Crosses and Hiking Trails

When visiting Charraix, you can choose between cultural and historical sites and activities such as hiking, cycling or bouldering. If you are looking for a hotel for your stay, the local attractions and route options can help you decide what to focus on when planning your trip. The range includes everything from the Église Saint-Sébastien and the ball crosses to the 61.2-kilometre GTMC cycling route. This gives you a choice of both individual historical sites and activities of varying lengths.

Church and Heritage Protection

The Église Saint-Sébastien in Charraix was built in the early years of the 13th century. It was part of a priory dependent on the Abbaye Saint-Pierre-des-Chazes. Since 18 November 2002, the church has been protected as a historic monument; this protection also includes the cemetery enclosure and the cemetery cross.

Ball Crosses and Rocher de Bounou

Most of Charraix’s ball crosses were carved from granite between 1850 and 1870; iron was also used in some cases. The remains of the former Rochelaure Castle stand at Rocher de Bounou, built on a granite rock tor. Human presence at Rocher de Bounou has been documented since the Neolithic period. The timeline ranges from human presence dating back to the Neolithic period, through the early-13th-century church and the majority of the ball crosses dating from 1850 to 1870, to the church’s protection in 2002.

Hiking on PR460 and PR214

The PR460 La Pierre Passade hiking trail is a moderately difficult 10.0-kilometre hike that takes about 2 hours and 27 minutes. Starting from Charraix, it offers views of the Haut-Allier gorges, Prades and the summit of Durande. The route also climbs up to the Croix à boules. The estimated duration and route details may be revised; check the latest route information before planning your schedule.

The PR214 Les croix à boules hiking trail reaches Charraix via an uphill path and passes Rocher de Bounou after the last houses in the village. The hikes therefore differ in their character: PR460 can be assessed in terms of its approximate duration and views, while PR214 is defined by the climb to Charraix and the section by the Rocher.

Cycling and Bouldering

The GTMC Langeac–Domaine du Sauvage route is a 61.2-kilometre cycling and mountain biking route. It climbs to the Margeride plateau in Charraix. Along the entire route, follow the red FFC markers bearing the route’s name. As the markers and route may be revised, check the latest route information before setting out.

The Charraix bouldering area offers more than 100 climbing problems, graded from 3a to 8a. The number of problems and the grades may be updated; check the latest technical information before planning your climb.

Discover more destinations: La Chaise-Dieu, Saint-Arcons-De-Barges, Chaspuzac, Saint-Martin-De-Fugères, Craponne-Sur-Arzon, Les Estables, Loudes, Tence.

For the broader travel overview: Haute-Loire.