The GR40 reaches Montagnac via a grassy path that descends through a valley. In the village, the route crosses the settlement as far as the last houses. This places Montagnac on a specific stretch of a GR40 stage: the descent through the valley is followed by the route through the village. If you’d like to combine a short discovery trip with hiking, this route provides a clear framework for planning. You can consider the section through the valley, the village crossing, and the onward route as distinct stretches. Check current trail conditions before hiking, as they may change.
The GR40 between the Loire Gorges and the Village
The GR40 stage passes through the Loire Gorges. Before reaching Montagnac, this section of the GR40 meets the GR70. After the village, the route descends into the Loire valley; on the route leading away from Montagnac, there is a junction with the GR3 before the Loire crossing. So these trail connections are not all at the same point: the GR70 is part of the section described before Montagnac, while the junction with the GR3 is on the route leading away from the village, before the river crossing. This distinction helps you understand the order of the trail connections mentioned.
At Goudet, the GR70 branches off from the GR3. One route reaches Goudet via a bridge over the Loire. The river features in route descriptions in different ways: as the setting for the gorges, as the valley into which the route descends, and as a river crossed by a route over a bridge. If you’re interested in hiking trails and how they connect, these sections offer specific points of reference for planning your stages.
A Historical Connection to Montagnac
The village’s history also offers a point of interest. On the night of December 22–23, 1943, members of the Resistance hid the statue of General Lafayette with Félix Bernard in the village of Montagnac, which belongs to the municipality of Solignac. The event links a specific place, a person, the statue, and a precise date. Alongside the route, it provides a clearly defined historical topic for your stay.
Auvergne Ham Sold Direct
Auvergne ham is sold directly at Salaisons de Montagnac. If you’d like to include a visit in your plans, it’s best to ask about the current selection in advance, as sales arrangements may change. This allows you to include a culinary highlight alongside hiking or the historical connection, without conflating it with the trail connections.
Plan Your Stay Around Your Interests
When looking for a holiday rental, you can first consider what you’d like to focus on during your stay: the GR40 route through and from Montagnac, the Loire landscape, the village’s history, or the direct sale of Auvergne ham. These themes complement one another, but remain distinct reasons to include the village in your travel plans. If hiking is your main focus, consider the described trail sections in the order they occur and check conditions before setting out. The history and direct sales offer separate reasons to get to know Montagnac better.
Discover more destinations: Montfaucon-en-Velay, Le Chambon-Sur-Lignon, Le Brignon, Bellevue-La-Montagne, Saint-Julien-Des-Chazes, Pinols, Saint-Paulien, Araules.
For the regional travel overview: Haute-Loire.
