Le Lioran
Le Lioran is a small mountain resort in the heart of continental France. It consists of the original settlement of Le Lioran in the valley bottom as well as the settlements of Prairie de Sagnes, Font d'Alagon, Font de Cère, and Prat de Bouc, all of which are geared towards the mountain tourism market. The largest of these is the Prairie de Sagnes, now known as Super-Lioran; most facilities and accommodation are concentrated there. One of the few remaining resorts in central France, it has grown to become one of the biggest and most advanced resorts in the Massif Central. There is a wide range of sporting and leisure activities on offer in addition to the more traditional winter sports and the wealth of lodging and other services available. There is a heavy emphasis on the all year round nature of the resort, although, inevitably, the resort is busiest in the winter season.
Introduction from the English Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA).
Seven criteria rated from 1 to 5 stars, in half-stars, from this page's sourced data. A rating is a rank among the 322 French resorts we cover — 5 stars means “among the best in France on this point”, not “perfect”. Nobody types these in.
- SnowCan you count on the snow?2 / 5
Top of the ski area: 1,822 m · Bottom of the pistes: 1,161 m · Days above 30 cm per winter, measured: 50 days · Days above 30 cm, December to March, model: 8%
- Ski areaIs there enough to ski all week?3.5 / 5
Km of pistes at the resort: 39 km · Km of pistes across the linked area: 39 km · Lifts: 15 · Balance between piste levels: 96%
- ValueIs the lift pass reasonable for what you get?n/a
Not rated: “adult day pass” is missing from this page.
- Families and beginnersIs it right for children and beginners?2 / 5
Share of green and blue pistes: 53% · Magic carpets: 3 · Sledging runs: 0 · ESF ski school · Ice rink, pool, rail sledge…: 2
- AccessIs it easy to get to?3.5 / 5
Average drive time from 20 major cities: 4 hr 46 · Nearest railway station: 1 min · Nearest airport: 1 hr 51
- Atmosphere and après-skiIs there life in the evening and off the slopes?2.5 / 5
Bars and pubs: 1 · Nightclubs: 0 · Restaurants: 13 · Upcoming events: 3 · Collective tourist beds: 0 — index: what the map and the listings publish
- Luxury and comfortHow upmarket is the resort?1 / 5
5-star hotels: 0 · 4-star hotels: 0 · Share of hotel rooms in 4 and 5 stars: 0% · Spas and saunas: 0 · Jewellers, watchmakers, fashion boutiques: 0 — index: what the map and the listings publish
“Atmosphere” and “Luxury” are indexes: they count what OpenStreetMap and the event listings publish within 2.5 km (bars, nightclubs, rated hotels, spas, upcoming events), not what you experience there. A zero means “nothing mapped”, not “nothing there”. Sources per criterion: snow (altitudes (OpenStreetMap, Wikidata), snow depth observed at the Météo-France station, ERA5-Land model) ; ski area (OpenStreetMap pistes and lifts, linked area (Wikidata)) ; value (the resort’s official price list) ; families and beginners (OpenStreetMap pistes, price list, ESF ski school, Famille Plus label, OpenStreetMap leisure) ; access (OSRM drive times from 20 cities, SNCF stations, GTFS shuttles, airports) ; atmosphere and après-ski (bars, nightclubs and restaurants within 2.5 km (OpenStreetMap), upcoming events (OpenAgenda), collective tourist beds (INSEE)) ; luxury and comfort (rated hotels within 2.5 km (OpenStreetMap) and by category across the commune (INSEE), spas and boutiques (OpenStreetMap), day pass price).
Open pistes and lifts will appear here during the season, as published by the resort. Out of season we show nothing rather than a misleading zero.
Right now at the PRAT DE BOUC station (1,405 m)
7-day forecast
Village 1,160 m · top 1,822 m
Forecast corrected for altitude; fresh snow = forecast total at the top; UV = peak of the day. Beyond 3 days, check the resort’s own report. Source:Open-Meteo.
Snow actually measured, winter by winter
22 complete winters measured, from 1997-1998 to 2024-2025 — on average 50 days a winter with at least 30 cm on the ground.
- 1-15 Dec16 cmInsufficient · 20 %
- 16-31 Dec20 cmInsufficient · 26 %
- 1-15 Jan25 cmInsufficient · 37 %
- 16-31 Jan34 cmVariable · 51 %
- 1-15 Feb44 cmVariable · 52 %
- 16-29 Feb43 cmVariable · 53 %
- 1-15 Mar40 cmVariable · 51 %
- 16-31 Mar25 cmInsufficient · 30 %
- 1-15 Apr9 cmInsufficient · 11 %
- Best winter of the series
- 2005-2006 — 134 days at 30 cm or more
- Worst winter of the series
- 2011-2012 — 0 day at 30 cm or more
Snowfall: no long enough record of fresh snow at this station. Rather than an estimate, we show nothing.
The ski area
Compare with another resort →51 pistes, by level — 39 km
- Skiable vertical
- 661 m (1,161 m → 1,822 m)
- Lifts
- 8 chairlifts, 4 drag lifts, 3 magic carpets
- Piste aspect
- N 47% · E 34% · S 6% · W 13% (descent direction of 56 OSM pistes, terrain model)
- Mountain restaurants
- Refuge du Plomb (1794 m)
- Lift opening hours
- Lifts open from 08:45 to 16:40 (Du 7 au 13 septembre) (official website, read on 9 September 2026)
Pistes and lifts surveyed on OpenStreetMap within 4 km of the resort — for a resort in a linked area, the figure may include neighbouring pistes.
Lift passes detail →
The price list for this resort is being collected: most resorts publish winter prices between September and November.
Official piste map
Open the piste map (image, 918 KB) ↗
Link to the resort’s own file — a piste map is a copyrighted artwork, we host no copy.
The ski area in figures
Measured on 9 September 2026Measured on OpenStreetMap (altitudes: IGN RGE ALTI), not taken from the brochure. The vertical above is that of one piste, not of the whole ski area. Population: INSEE municipal population via geo.api.gouv.fr.
Source: national register of mechanical lifts (STRMTG, CAIRN), fleet as of 1 January 2025 — lifts attributed to Le Lioran only (“SUPER LIORAN”), magic carpets included.
Staying and hiring gear in Le Lioran
We compare the partners that cover this resort. Some links earn us a commission — never at the expense of the price or of the data.
Stay & accommodation
Live webcams
All webcams (1) →Official players of the resort, live image.
Piste map
Open on OpenSnowMap ↗Pistes coloured by level, lifts as lines. The resort’s official map is the reference in season.
Base map © OpenTopoMap (CC-BY-SA) · pistes © OpenSnowMap (CC-BY-SA) · data ©OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
Getting to Le Lioran
From Paris: 5 hr 55 (535 km) by road.
By road
- From Clermont-Ferrand: 1 hr 42 · 118 km
- From Saint-Étienne: 3 hr 04 · 184 km
- From Montpellier: 3 hr 07 · 272 km
- From Lyon: 3 hr 26 · 277 km
- From Toulouse: 3 hr 42 · 262 km
From other major cities (15)
- From Valence: 3 hr 52 · 234 km
- From Perpignan: 4 hr 02 · 372 km
- From Bordeaux: 4 hr 23 · 341 km
- From Grenoble: 4 hr 35 · 378 km
- From Chambéry: 4 hr 38 · 375 km
- From Annecy: 4 hr 56 · 412 km
- From Dijon: 4 hr 57 · 432 km
- From Marseille: 5 hr 03 · 441 km
- From Genève: 5 hr 04 · 432 km
- From Besançon: 5 hr 33 · 490 km
- From Pau: 5 hr 47 · 463 km
- From Paris: 5 hr 55 · 535 km
- From Nice: 6 hr 40 · 599 km
- From Nancy: 7 hr 04 · 643 km
- From Strasbourg: 7 hr 57 · 728 km
Excluding traffic and winter conditions; passes closed in winter are avoided.
By train
Le Lioran station
halt · then 1 min drive
Nearest main station: Clermont-Ferrand, 1 hr 41 by road.
Shuttles and buses from the station: see the resort’s official website.
By plane
- Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne (CFE): 1 hr 51 by road · 122 km
- Limoges (LIG): 3 hr 10 by road · 217 km
Take me there
These links open the app with Le Lioran as the destination. Your starting point is never sent by us — the app asks you for it, if you agree.
Charging an electric car
No freely accessible charge point is declared within 2 km of the resort (checked on 9 September 2026). Covered car parks in the resort may offer chargers reserved for their customers: those are not listed here.
Freely accessible charge points read from the French national EV charging database (data.gouv.fr ↗, operators’ own declarations), checked on 9 September 2026. Check availability before you leave: the database says what is installed, not what is free tonight.
Road conditions
From 1 November to 31 March, snow chains or winter tyres are compulsory in most mountain areas (French “Loi Montagne II”).
Driving times computed on the OpenStreetMap road network (OSRM), SNCF stations (open data), airports (Wikidata). Indicative, not a timetable: allow extra time in snow.
Off-piste & ski touring
The resorts for off-piste skiing →Named itineraries: Mur des Alpins · La Combe · Hors piste de l'ancienne piste de la Variante
Itineraries surveyed on OpenStreetMap within a 4 km radius (7 September 2026): “marked” means an itinerary exists on the map, not that it is open or safe on the day.
Ski touring routes described
Resorts for ski touring →12 ski touring routes documented within 10 km of Le Lioran — up to 1,893 m of climb.
| Summit and route | Ski grade | Climb | Altitude | Aspect | From resort |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puy de Peyre Arse · Le lioran >> vallon de Brezons par les 4 cols. | 3.1 · E1 · PD | 1,893 m | 965 → 1,806 m | n/a | 1.2 km |
| Puy de Peyre Arse · Versant SE depuis Font d'Alagnon | n/a · PD | 760 m | 1,806 m | n/a | 1.6 km |
| Sommet des Roches de Vassivière · versant W depuis la Boudio | n/a · E1 · PD- | 578 m | 1,100 → 1,678 m | NW | 1.6 km |
| Puy du Rocher · Versant NE, Cirque de Chamalière | 3.1 · AD- | n/a | 1,813 m | n/a | 2.7 km |
| Puy Mary · Traversée Lioran-Liadouze | n/a · AD- | 1,200 m | 1,200 → 1,783 m | SW | 2.9 km |
| Puy du Rocher · La Goulotte - Versant E par le cirque de Chamalière | 3.3 · E2 · PD | 700 m | 1,273 → 1,726 m | E | 3.4 km |
| Plomb du Cantal · Boucle par le cirque de Grandval | 2.3 · E1 · F | 650 m | 1,300 → 1,855 m | E · SE · S | 3.6 km |
| Puy de Peyre Arse · Traversée S-E et Téton de Vénus | n/a · PD+ | 1,250 m | 985 → 1,806 m | SW | 3.7 km |
| Puy Brunet · par le vallon de Ferval | n/a · E1 · PD+ | 840 m | 965 → 1,806 m | SW | 4 km |
| Puy du Rocher · L' Ancolie-Versant E par le cirque de Chamalière | 2.3 · E1 · PD+ | 650 m | 1,136 → 1,665 m | E | 4 km |
| Puy du Rocher · " La Jacomis " versant E du Cirque de Chamalière | 3.3 · E2 · AD | 480 m | 1,396 → 1,799 m | E | 4.2 km |
| Brèche de Roland (Puy Mary) · En boucle par le versant N | 3.1 · E2 · AD | 400 m | 1,310 → 1,677 m | N | 5.3 km |
Source: Camptocamp.org topo guide (CC BY-SA), routes starting within 10 km, read on 13 September 2026. Descriptions and photos are on Camptocamp; an empty cell is a field nobody has filled in. Camptocamp ski touring routes ↗
Beyond skiing at Le Lioran
Toboggan runs
- Déval'luge · Laveissière · 0.8 km away
Ice rink
- Patinoire · Laveissière · 0.9 km away
Spa and thermal baths
- Centre de balnéothérapie Kaï-Lan · Laveissière · 0.7 km away
- Sauna, hammam et bain nordique - Alta Terra · Lavigerie · 5.4 km away
Dog sledding
- La crête · Le Claux · 5.7 km away
- Nordicateam Puy Mary · Le Claux · 8.5 km away
Paragliding
- Parapente Puy Mary · Le Claux · 8.4 km away
Museum
- Réseau de chaleur bois · Murat · 8.9 km away
- Mémorial des Déportés de Murat · Murat · 9.8 km away
Cinema
- Cinéma l'Arverne · Murat · 9.6 km away
Source: DATAtourisme (open data), within 10 km of the resort; places in a large town of the valley are left out. Checked on 12 September 2026. Opening times and prices are the operator’s — check before you go.
Practical information
Collective accommodation
- 3 hotels · 39 rooms (1 × 2★)
- 1 campsite · 100 pitches
Commune: Laveissière · INSEE tourist accommodation survey, 2026, read on 12 September 2026. Collective accommodation only — privately let flats and second homes are not counted. INSEE dataset ↗
Ski school
ESF Le Lioran
61 instructors
🇬🇧 30 English-speaking instructors — lessons in English available
Source: esf.net
Days without skiing
- Ice rink · Arche des neiges
- Alpine coaster · Déval'luge
In case of accident
112 — the European emergency number, free of charge, triggers mountain rescue. On the pistes, the ski patrol number is printed on the piste map and at lift ticket offices. Piste rescue is charged: check your insurance or take the option sold with the lift pass.
What's on around Le Lioran
All events →-
19 September 2026 · 10:00
Visite des carrières de diatomées et usine
Imerys Murat · Murat
La diatomée vous connaissez ?
Source: OpenAgenda, agenda “Cantal Destination” · View on OpenAgenda ↗
-
20 September 2026 · 14:00
Visite libre de l'église de Bredons
Église de Bredons · Albepierre-Bredons
Dans le cadre des Journées du Patrimoine, les bénévoles de l'association des Amis de Bredons ouvriront exceptionnellement les portes de l'église.
Source: OpenAgenda, agenda “Cantal Destination” · View on OpenAgenda ↗
-
20 September 2026 · 14:00
Visite guidée du village et de l'église de Bredons
Église de Bredons · Albepierre-Bredons
Guidé par Alexandre Albisson, président des Amis de Bredons, découvrez les nombreux trésors du village : son église, ses habitats troglodytiques, sa fontaine médiévale, etc.
Source: OpenAgenda, agenda “Cantal Destination” · View on OpenAgenda ↗
Events published on OpenAgenda by the agendas named above, kept when they take place within 10 km of the resort. We organise nothing: times, prices and cancellations are the organiser's.
Nearby resorts
Frequently asked questions
How high is Le Lioran?
Le Lioran sits at 1,160 m at village level, and its ski area rises to 1,822 m.
How many kilometres of pistes does Le Lioran have?
Le Lioran has 39 km of pistes served by 15 lifts (OpenStreetMap survey).
What is the longest piste in Le Lioran?
The longest piste is Prat de Bouc: 3 km (green run), for 355 m of vertical. Measured on the OpenStreetMap map, segments of the same name and level joined end to end, altitudes from the IGN RGE ALTI terrain model — a resort sometimes advertises a longer run by chaining several pistes.
How high do the lifts go in Le Lioran?
The highest lift, Plomb du Cantal (detachable chairlift), tops out at 1,820 m. Source: STRMTG, French national register of mechanical lifts (CAIRN database), file dated 1 January 2025.
How many lifts does Le Lioran have, and what is their capacity?
The French national register of mechanical lifts records 20 installations at Le Lioran (1 aerial tramway, 8 chairlifts, 8 drag lifts, 3 magic carpets), for an authorised capacity of 24,695 people per hour, of which 2,500 for Buron du Baguet alone. The fleet spans 1965 to 2017, an average age of 28 years. This count covers the resort itself, magic carpets included, not the whole linked ski area — a resort brochure often announces a different number. Source: STRMTG, French national register of mechanical lifts (CAIRN database), file dated 1 January 2025.
How do I get to Le Lioran?
By road, Le Lioran is 1 hr 42 from Clermont-Ferrand (118 km), excluding traffic and winter conditions. By train, the nearest station is Le Lioran, 1 min by road from the resort. The nearest airport is Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne, 1 hr 51 away.
How long is the drive from Paris to Le Lioran?
5 hr 55 for 535 km from central Paris, excluding traffic and winter conditions. Computed on the real road network (OpenStreetMap): allow more on a school-holiday Saturday.
What time do the lifts open in Le Lioran?
Lifts are announced open from 08:45 to 16:40 (Du 7 au 13 septembre), according to the official website (read on 9 September 2026).
Is Le Lioran good for beginners and families?
53% of the pistes are green or blue: a rather technical area.
Every figure carries its source and date; a missing figure shows as “—”, never estimated. Embed this widget on your site