Discover Parlan from different perspectives on two hiking trails: “Entre fours et moulins” takes you through hamlets, waterways and former mills; La Croix del fût follows the village pond and passes through hamlets with traditional residential architecture. The Church of Saint-Georges adds local history closely connected with the former castle. When planning your visit, you can choose between landscapes, rural architectural styles and historical details.
Hiking trails between waterways and hamlets
The “Entre fours et moulins” hiking trail passes through the hamlets of Labroussette, Lamélie and Maurian. Along the way, it takes you past traditional buildings such as houses, bread ovens, mills and barn-stables. The route crosses varied landscapes and waterways, and passes bodies of water and former mills. If you want to take in both the landscape and rural architecture, this trail offers both: waterways along the route and buildings that tell the story of past uses.
La Croix del fût starts near the Parlan pond and follows the village pond. Follow the yellow trail markers, and check the signs on site before setting off. A local legend is also associated with the pond: church bells are said to have sunk into its waters. The trail thus combines practical guidance for the route with a local story.
Traditional homes and their architectural features
In the hamlets of Belaubre and Enfour, you can spot traditional homes with red-tiled roofs along the La Croix del fût trail. Their south-facing wooden balconies are called “balets.” Exterior staircases lead to these balconies; above them are the “plancadous,” drying lofts where corn and chestnuts were dried. These terms highlight the variety of architectural features found on these houses and the former function of the upper drying lofts.
The trails offer different points of interest: in Belaubre and Enfour, the focus is on the homes and their architectural features; “Entre fours et moulins” takes you past bread ovens, mills and barn-stables in several hamlets. Both routes incorporate traditional buildings into their landscapes, but each has a different emphasis. If you are particularly interested in rural architecture while hiking, La Croix del fût offers specific examples of “balets” and “plancadous.”
The Church of Saint-Georges and the former castle
The Church of Saint-Georges in Parlan probably dates from the 12th century, the same period as the castle. It originally served as the castle chapel; a door in the gallery connected the church to the castle. The remains of a tower in a nearby copse attest to the former existence of Parlan Castle. The church and tower remains offer different clues to local history, while the church’s date remains probable.
The church’s furnishings span several periods and include items from the 17th to the 20th century, as well as two polychrome wooden statues, one of Saint Roch and one of Saint George. The statue of Saint George is gilded and dates from the 11th century. A medieval ribbed vault is preserved in the side aisle; the coats of arms of Parlan’s former lords have also been preserved. During your visit, you can view furnishings from different centuries alongside medieval architectural features and the coats of arms of the former lords.
Honey and an introduction to beekeeping
Le Rucher de Lagarde offers visitors tastings of locally produced honey, chestnuts, propolis and other treats. Visitors can also tour the apiary and learn about the world of bees. This is a distinct experience alongside the hiking trails and local architecture, with tastings, beekeeping and bees at its heart.
Discover more destinations: Le Rouget, Virargues, Polminhac, Aurillac, Lascelle, Thiézac, Saint-Cernin, Vezels Roussy.
For the wider travel overview: Cantal.
