Auberge de la Petite Ferme

Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans d'Auvergne


Fling open your window shutters to views of rolling pastures from one of 32 snug rooms (most with a balcony) at this converted farmhouse, 800m from Besse's historic centre on the road to Lac Pavin. You can almost taste fresh air in the breakfast buffet (€11.50) of cheeses, yoghurts and local honey. There's a games room and ski cellar, too.

If you don't fancy walking into central Besse, the on-site restaurant serves generous evening meals (from €14) including duck with Le Puy lentils and a few varieties of cheese and potato speciality truffade.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans d'Auvergne attractions

1. Le Beffroy

0.58 MILES

One monumental gateway remains of Besse's medieval fortifications, crowned by the octagonal 16th-century Beffroy, the town's most distinctive feature…

2. Musée du Ski

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An essential stop for diehard snow-heads, this pocket-sized museum exhibits a collection of vintage ski gear, ice skates, snow shoes and wintry miscellany…

3. Lac Pavin

1.81 MILES

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…

4. Lac Chambon

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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…

5. Château de Murol

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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…

6. Fontaines Pétrifiantes

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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…

7. Maison du Fromage

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8. Grottes du Cornadore

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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…