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The Gour de Tazenat, a volcanic lake an hour from Vichy

Published 25 August 2021

The Gour de Tazenat is an almost perfectly round crater lake at Charbonnières-les-Vieilles, in the Combrailles area. From Vichy, allow about an hour by car. Once there, an easy loop of about 4 km goes round the water in an hour and a half, and swimming is possible in summer, though unsupervised.

Getting there from Vichy

The route goes via Riom or Gannat, then continues north-west of Châtel-Guyon. The lake lies at the northern edge of the Chaîne des Puys. Park at the Quatre Chemins car park, the usual starting point for the loop.

The site is open to all and free of charge. There is no suitable public transport: plan on taking the car.

If you are staying in Vichy, this is the most accessible gateway to the volcanic landscapes: closer than the Sancy, and with a walk short enough to do in the morning or late afternoon. Outside the summer months the place is quiet and makes a lovely autumn walk, when the trees around the crater change colour.

A lake born of an explosion

The gour is a maar: a crater formed by an explosive eruption when magma came into contact with groundwater. The crater then filled up, creating this circle of water about 700 m across and several dozen metres deep.

The walk round the lake

The path circles the crater, partly under the trees, with about 120 m of ascent. It is graded easy and suits families with children who are already good walkers. Some sections can be slippery after rain, so wear suitable footwear.

• Duration: about 1 hr 30, longer if you take breaks by the water.
• Shade: much of the route is wooded, which makes it pleasant even in summer.
• Pets: allowed on the site.

Swimming: what you need to know

There are two places to get into the water, but swimming is not supervised: take care, especially with children, as the lake gets very deep very quickly. To protect the water quality, you may not use your own equipment (inflatable boat, rubber ring, paddleboard...). In July and August, canoes and pedalos can be hired from the crêperie on the lakeshore.

Practical information is kept up to date by the Combrailles tourist office: Gour de Tazenat swimming page.

Making a day of it

The Gour de Tazenat combines well with other stops on the way back to Vichy:

• A canoe trip down the Sioule near Ébreuil, in summer: our article on canoeing the Sioule.
• For another swimming spot closer to Vichy, the Saint-Clément lake: see our article.
• For a more mountainous day out, the Chaudefour valley further south: our article on Chaudefour.

Setting off from Vichy

Vichy is a good base for alternating between the volcanoes and the Bourbonnais from one day to the next. Our apartments in Vichy can be booked from one night, with cleaning and linen included.