Arpajon-sur-Cère brings together a marked hiking route, independent nature exploration and historical landmarks. This allows you to tailor your stay to different interests: Puy de Vaurs offers a specific hiking route, La Plantelière is an area with information panels, and the private Château de Conros is currently closed to visitors. When planning, you can first decide whether hiking, nature exploration or heritage will shape your stay.
Hiking on Puy de Vaurs
The marked Puy de Vaurs hiking trail starts at the church square in Arpajon-sur-Cère. It is 8 kilometres long, with an elevation gain of 100 metres. These details will help you factor the route into your day’s plans; allow time for your own walking pace. Information materials for the trail cover flora and hedgerow fruits as well as local rocks, traditional building methods, water and landscape interpretation. The range of topics therefore extends from nature observation to regional architecture and landscape. If you would also like to learn about the surroundings as you hike, this trail offers several ways to do so.
Exploring nature at La Plantelière
La Plantelière offers another way to explore nature: it is a 7-hectare site in Arpajon-sur-Cère. Visitors can discover its flora and fauna. La Plantelière is open to the public year-round and can be explored independently with the help of information panels. Three orienteering courses are named “petit explorateur”, “pépiniéiste” and “arpenteur”. There are also five themed gardens: the garden of scents, the garden of flavours, the honey garden, as well as the Jardin du bon dieu and the Jardin du diable. Observation, orienteering and gardens with different themes thus offer distinct ways to explore the site.
Views, a park and the Cère
From Puy Gioli, you can enjoy a view of Arpajon-sur-Cère and part of Aurillac; a partially shaded park lies on a hill behind Arpajon-sur-Cère’s social and cultural centre. By contrast, a walk along Pont de Couffin alternates between impressive panoramas of the Monts du Cantal and refreshing woodland. Choosing between a view of the town and a mountain panorama offers two distinct landscape experiences. The Cère is also one of Arpajon-sur-Cère’s natural features and is suitable for fishing. If fishing is one of your interests, the river adds another activity to the hiking and scenery.
Heritage with clear visiting conditions
Château de Conros is a medieval castle dating from the 13th century in Arpajon-sur-Cère and has been listed as a historic monument since 30 September 1911. The privately owned castle is currently closed to visitors; you can see it from the surrounding paths. So do not plan an interior visit. As visitor access may change, check the status before making a special trip.
A Merovingian sarcophagus can be seen in the church of Arpajon-sur-Cère. It was discovered in 1988 near a Gallo-Roman wall of the former church. The find adds the story of its discovery and its connection to the former church to what can be seen of the sarcophagus today.
Getting there
Arpajon-sur-Cère is served by STABUS route 1, which runs between Arpajon and Aurillac. If you plan to use this route to get there, check the timetable for your travel dates.
Discover more destinations: Labesserette, Sansac-De-Marmiesse, Lapeyrugue, Ladinhac, Vezels Roussy, Nieudan, Mourjou, Chaussenac
For the broader travel overview: Cantal.
