Le Vernet-Sainte-Marguerite offers several specific perspectives for planning a trip: hiking trails with different routes, a church with distinctive layers from different periods, a spring inside a chapel, and activities involving clay, stoneware and mohair. If you plan your stay around a particular focus, you can choose between a walk with a specified duration, architecture and visual art, or hands-on craft activities.
Hiking trails with different routes
The GR 30, the Tour des Lacs d’Auvergne, passes through the municipality of Le Vernet-Sainte-Marguerite. By contrast, the Sancy Tour No. 7 is a two-hour walking loop around the village. It passes through open landscapes and offers views of the Massif du Sancy, particularly from the summit of Puy d’Alou. This lets you choose based on the type of route you want: the Sancy Tour has a defined loop and duration, while the GR 30’s specific point of reference is that it passes through the municipality.
The hike at Puy d’Alou offers wide, unobstructed views across the Plateau de la Serre, the Massif du Sancy, Puy d’Alou and the Chaîne des Puys. The starting point for this hike is at the edge of Le Vernet-Sainte-Marguerite, just before the overnight gîte. For the Au fil de Mareuge hike, the starting point is explicitly at the edge of the village; the car park is located there, before the start of the PR Puy de Baladou.
Church Art and a Spring
The Église Sainte-Marguerite dates mainly from the 14th century. Its Gothic vaults are combined with 20th-century wall paintings and modern frescoes. To appreciate the architecture, it is worth looking at the vaults and the artwork separately: they belong to different periods.
At the Source Pétillante de la Chapelle Sainte Marguerite, clear, carbonated water flows into a basin inside the chapel. The water, basin and chapel interior form a specific detail that connects nature and the building.
Crafts with Clay and Mohair
Natures d’Argiles et de Grès in Le Vernet-Sainte-Marguerite offers sculpture and modeling classes, as well as clay and stoneware workshops for all ages and skill levels, from age six. After their work has dried, participants can have it fired on site in a professional kiln at 980 °C. The process is clearly defined: drying is followed by firing. This means the offering includes a clearly described step in the process as well as the creative work itself.
The Au Fil de la Monne boutique in Le Vernet-Sainte-Marguerite offers locally and artisanally made mohair products: balls of wool, scarves, socks, sweaters and throws. The selection ranges from yarn and clothing to textile home accessories. Unlike clay and stoneware, the focus here is on mohair and its use in a variety of products.
Discover more destinations: Royat, Champs, Saint-Sauves-D'auvergne, Égliseneuve-près-Billom, Augnat, Pontaumur, Montel-de-Gelat, Cunlhat
For the main travel overview: Puy-De-Dôme.
