Puy Saint-Romain, Summit in Loire department, France

Puy Saint-Romain is a summit in the Loire department that serves as a free flight launch site. Its elevated position and shape make it well-suited for paragliding activities above the surrounding plains.

The summit was occupied possibly from the Neolithic; archaeological test trenches in 2015 documented a settlement of the final Bronze Age, and finds also indicate an Iron Age occupation dated to La Tène A, in the 5th century BC. The top is thought to have once held a church, a priory and burials from the early Christian period in Auvergne, and to have been pierced by tunnels used as refuges.

The name Saint-Romain links the summit to a saint, and the sources hold that a church and a priory once stood on top, with burials from the early Christian period in Auvergne. On the southern slope, in the commune of Saint-Maurice-ès-Allier, the Sainte-Marguerite gaseous mineral spring is bottled and sold under that name.

Two main approaches exist. From the north, a switchback path from Mirefleurs or Busséol follows the Saute-Mouche ravine to the plateau pastures, then skirts the eastern edge before a steep rocky final stretch. From the south, the climb starts at Sainte-Marguerite by the Allier, around 340 m, crosses Saint-Maurice, then follows the main vehicle track to the croix de la Peyre.

The site is known among paragliders for favorable thermal conditions that rise from the plains below. The combination of elevation and air currents over the flat landscape makes it a preferred launch spot.