Photo : Christophe.Finot / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Pyramides - Vallée des Saints
The Vallée des Saints is a natural site in the commune of Boudes, in the Lembron, south of Issoire. Over more than 27 hectares, pyramids of red and ochre clay, 10 to 30 m high, rise from the vegetation. They are sometimes compared to a little Auvergne Colorado, and their silhouettes gave the place its name: they evoke great statues, the penitents.
These shapes are fairy chimneys, rare in Auvergne. In the Tertiary era, a hot, humid tropical climate weathered the gneiss and turned it into clay loaded with iron oxide. Rain and wind then sculpted this soft material. Blocks left in place protected the rock beneath and formed capped pillars, of which the pyramids are the remains, most having lost their cap.
The site is classified as a sensitive natural area. It is explored by laid-out paths, which must be respected so as not to damage fragile reliefs.
