Must-see attractions in Auvergne

  • Church build on a narrow rock in Le Puy-en-Velay in south east France; Shutterstock ID 245085790; your: Sloane Tucker; gl: 65050; netsuite: Online Editorial; full: POI
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    Chapelle St-Michel d'Aiguilhe

    Auvergne

    Le Puy's oldest chapel, first established in the 10th century, and rebuilt several times since, teeters atop an 85m-high volcanic plug, reached by…

  • Église Abbatiale de St-Robert

    Auvergne

    For Pope Clement VI, a humble tomb simply wouldn't do. The pope commissioned a palatial church to shelter his final resting place and the resulting Église…

  • Notre Dame Cathedral in Clermont-Ferrand, France.

    Cathédrale Notre Dame

    Clermont-Ferrand

    Clermont-Ferrand’s skyline broods with volcanic stone, but its most impressive edifice is Cathédrale Notre-Dame, whose 108m twin spires pierce the sky…

  • Lac Pavin and forest.

    Lac Pavin

    Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans d'Auvergne

    This midnight-blue crater lake, enclosed by a fuzz of pine trees, lies 6km southwest of Besse. Blasted out of the earth by a volcanic explosion nearly…

  • Musée de la Coutellerie

    Auvergne

    Split across two buildings, this museum gives an entertaining account of cutlery-making history. In number 23, a kid-friendly sound-and-light show evokes…

  • Volcan de Lemptégy

    Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans d'Auvergne

    Feel the Auvergne's smouldering terrain beneath your feet at this mined volcanic site, across the main road from amusement park Vulcania. In summer, at…

  • Château de Murol

    Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans d'Auvergne

    Roosting on a basalt knoll above Murol village, the 12th-century Château de Murol offers peerless views along with insights into a brutish medieval past…

  • Musée d'Art Roger Quilliot

    Clermont-Ferrand

    Housed in an Ursuline convent 3km northeast of central Clermont, the city’s premier gallery takes design cues from NYC’s Guggenheim, its white spiral…

  • Musée Mandet

    Auvergne

    Dating back to 1866, the Musée Mandet's splendid collection of art is arranged across two atmospheric hôtels particuliers (town houses). Exploring these…

  • Fontaines Pétrifiantes

    Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans d'Auvergne

    The Papon family put St-Nectaire's hot springs to creative use at the 'Petrifying Fountains', channelling the mineral-rich waters to make art. Calcium…

  • Roches Tuilière et Sanadoire

    Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans d'Auvergne

    One kilometre north of the turn-off to Lac de Guéry is a lookout that gazes towards two of the Sancy region's most noteworthy geological features. The…

  • Main entrance facade of Cathedral of Notre-Dame du Puy, Le Puy-en-Velay, France.

    Cathédrale Notre Dame

    Auvergne

    A chequerboard of grey and white stone perched on a volcanic stone crag, Le Puy's cathedral is the monumental starting point for pilgrims embarking on the…

  • "Michelin Adventure" facade, a French museum dedicated to the Michelin group located in Clermont-Ferrand, France.

    L'Aventure Michelin

    Clermont-Ferrand

    Yes, it’s a temple dedicated to the Auvergne’s world-famous tyre brand, but the 'Michelin Adventure' is a crowd-pleasing attraction. Gallery spaces are…

  • Gazebo in the Parc des Sources, Vichy, France.

    Parc des Sources

    Auvergne

    Vichy's centrepiece is the huge Parc des Sources, the town's oldest park. Dating to the mid-18th century, the park is lined with chestnut and plane trees…

  • Notre-Dame Basilica is a Romanesque Auvergnat church located in Orcival, France.

    Basilique Notre-Dame

    Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans d'Auvergne

    The Romanesque basilica towering over Orcival is one of the most impressive churches in the Auvergne. With its octagonal tower and broad stone arches,…

  • Abbey Saint Austremoine, Issoire, France.

    Abbatiale St-Austremoine

    Auvergne

    Issoire is the proud home of the Auvergne’s most extravagantly decorated Romanesque church. The exterior of this 12th-century edifice is festooned with…

  • The medieval castle of Tournoel.

    Château de Tournoël

    Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans d'Auvergne

    This medieval fortress glowers over Volvic from its 600m-high hilltop perch. A watchtower is thought to have stood here since the 10th century, but the…

  • The Basilica of Saint Julien in the city of Brioude.

    Basilique de St-Julien

    Auvergne

    The Auvergne's largest Romanesque church is a whopper in design as much as size. Built over the tomb of martyred Saint Julien, and housing a gold…

  • Exterior of Notre Dame des Malades church, built in the 20th century in the art deco style, and and extension of the Sainte Blaise church in Vichy, France.

    Église St-Blaise

    Auvergne

    Two contrasting churches combine at Église St-Blaise: the concrete outer shell of a 1931 art-deco church, resembling something of a Soviet space rocket,…

  • The statue of Notre-Dame de France, Le Puy-en-Velay, France.

    Notre Dame de France

    Auvergne

    At 16m tall and weighing a svelte 110 tonnes, this crimson Notre Dame de France (Virgin Mary) statue makes an imposing guardian over Le Puy. Since 1860,…

  • Cloister of Le Puy Cathedral.

    Cathédrale Notre Dame Cloister

    Auvergne

    A peaceful 12th-century cloister adjoins Le Puy's cathedral, its multicoloured bricks and columns alluding to strong Moorish influences. Upstairs is a…

  • Statue of Vercingetorix at Place de Jaude in Clermont-Ferrand, France.

    Place de Jaude

    Clermont-Ferrand

    Just southwest of the old city, lined with bars and hotels, Clermont-Ferrand's monumental pedestrianised square is overlooked by a statue of heroic Celtic…

  • Lieu de Mémoire

    Auvergne

    Through evocative displays and audiovisual presentations, this museum paints a vivid picture of an extraordinarily resilient wartime community. Residents…

  • Usson

    Auvergne

    Designed as an impregnable citadel, the village of Usson roosts atop a volcanic plume, 8km east of Issoire. The daughter of Henry II and Catherine de…

  • Basilique Notre Dame du Port

    Clermont-Ferrand

    This architectural gem has all the key elements of a Romanesque church: semi-circular arches, a bulky silhouette and a broad headpiece. But its…

  • Vulcania

    Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans d'Auvergne

    The Auvergne's long-extinct volcanoes are brought back to life in spectacular style at Vulcania theme park, 15km west of Clermont on the D941. Combining…

  • Thermes du Mont-Dore

    Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans d'Auvergne

    Le Mont-Dore's graceful 19th-century buildings grew from its centuries-old spa heritage, which long pre-dates its reputation as a ski hub. See the source…

  • Maison de la Fourme d'Ambert

    Auvergne

    Creamy blue Fourme d'Ambert, recognisable by its tall, cylindrical shape, is one of the Auvergne's five Appellation d’Origine Protégée (AOP) cheeses. This…

  • La Ferme Bellonte

    Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans d'Auvergne

    To buy cheese from the source (and get a little muddy), take the winding road 3km uphill from St-Nectaire to this multi-generational family dairy farm…

  • Lac Chambon

    Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans d'Auvergne

    The relatively shallow (and thus warmish) waters of Lac Chambon, 1.5km west of Murol, make this crater lake a much-loved place for families to splash…

  • Temple de Mercure

    Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans d'Auvergne

    An enigmatic imprint of the distant past stands atop the summit of Puy de Dôme: a 1st-century Gallo-Roman temple undergoing gradual restoration…

  • Église de St-Nectaire

    Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans d'Auvergne

    This ornate Romanesque church on a hilltop is unmissable as you arrive in St-Nectaire, and it's worth the uphill walk to look inside. Within, you'll see a…

  • Hall des Sources

    Auvergne

    Chug a mouthful of reputedly healing waters at the Hall des Sources, a late-19th-century atrium resembling an art-deco greenhouse. The water is naturally…

  • Grottes du Cornadore

    Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans d'Auvergne

    Don a hard hat for a 45-minute tour of St-Nectaire's Roman baths, deep in a cave that glimmers with damp limestone. Two-thousand years ago, these man-made…

  • Musée Hôtel-Dieu

    Auvergne

    Within this museum and cultural centre, the highlight is a 19th-century pharmacy, elegantly panelled in walnut and wild cherry wood. Upstairs, French…

  • Forteresse de Polignac

    Auvergne

    Sprouting from the sharp crags of a volcanic dome northwest of Le Puy, this late-11th-century castle was built by the powerful Polignac family, who once…

  • Maison de la Salers

    Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans d'Auvergne

    The magnificence of local cattle is the focus of this very French museum, 5km north of Salers. Beef produced in Salers is renowned in France for its rich,…

  • Église St-Jean

    Auvergne

    A blushing sandstone church in Glaine-Montaigut, 20km southwest of Thiers, makes a worthwhile detour. The Romanesque church's interior, brightly coloured…

  • Donjon de Montpeyroux

    Auvergne

    This castle keep is the stocky centrepiece of the medieval walled town of Montpeyroux, 12km north of Issoire. Montpeyroux's fortifications were built as a…

  • Rocher de Bonnevie

    Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans d'Auvergne

    For great views, brave the lung-busting climb to the top of Rocher Bonnevie. From the town centre, this route is about 2.5km; follow the signposts with…