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The Gour de Tazenat, a crater lake 35 minutes from Gannat

Published 25 August 2021

The Gour de Tazenat, at Charbonnières-les-Vieilles, lies about thirty kilometres south-west of Gannat, a 35 to 40 minute drive. This circular lake fills an old volcanic crater at the northern tip of the Chaîne des Puys. Access is free all year round; in summer you can swim there and hire a boat.

Getting there from Gannat

Head south towards Aigueperse and then Combronde on the Clermont road, and follow signs for Charbonnières-les-Vieilles. The gour is well signposted. Only park in the official car park: parking along the road is prohibited and fined.

On very hot days the site gets very busy. Arrive in the morning or late afternoon to find a space and enjoy the peace and quiet.

A maar, not an ordinary lake

Tazenat is a maar: a crater blasted out when magma met groundwater, a few tens of thousands of years ago. The result is an almost perfect circle about 700 m across, surrounded by wooded slopes, with very deep water, more than 60 metres at the centre. It is one of the easiest maars to see in Auvergne, as you can walk all the way round it without difficulty.

Walking and swimming

The blue waymarked path is about 7 km long with 130 m of ascent, and takes around 2 hours. It is graded very easy and combines the lakeside loop with the surrounding countryside. Dogs are welcome on a lead, as the route crosses fields with livestock.

For swimming:

• there are two swimming areas opposite the crêperie;
• swimming is not described as supervised: keep children close, as the water gets deep quickly;
• inflatable boats, rubber rings and personal canoeing equipment are not allowed;
• in July and August, the crêperie hires out canoes (from €10 per half hour) and pedalos (from €15 per half hour).

A picnic area and a refreshment stand complete the facilities. Prices and conditions are published by the Combrailles tourist office; conditions for the 2027 season are not yet known.

What to do nearby

Tazenat combines well with other visits on the way back to Gannat:

• The Sioule gorges: via Menat and its old bridge, then Châteauneuf-les-Bains, you reach the valley and can head back up towards Ébreuil.
• A canoe trip on the Sioule in summer: our article a canoe trip on the Sioule lists the hire companies.
• The villages of the Val de Sioule, featured in our 10 things to do in Gannat.

Staying near Gannat

To alternate between lake, river and villages, a place in the countryside is ideal. The Gîtes de Saint-Bonnet, at Saint-Bonnet-de-Rochefort, sleep 2 and 4 people with terraces and a shared swimming pool. For a larger family, see all our gîtes and country houses. All can be booked from one night, cleaning and linen included. Our map lets you compare distances.