Auvergne
This converted 15th-century mill, 6km south of Langeac by the meandering Fioule River, offers tasteful chalet-style rooms that gaze towards basalt cliffs. Walkers with their own bedding can opt for the 15-bed dorm within the timber-beamed farmhouse.
Evening menus (€25) featuring hyper-local produce – trout and Le Puy lentils, lamb from the farm, tangy cheese from down the road in Saugues – are served in the mill.
16.31 MILES
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…
18.75 MILES
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…
18.89 MILES
Near the small village of Ste-Eulalie-en-Margeride, 45km north of Mende, this vast 200-hectare nature reserve contains more than 30 free-roaming bison…
16.44 MILES
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…
17.45 MILES
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…
16.46 MILES
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,…
Cathédrale Notre Dame Cloister
16.44 MILES
A peaceful 12th-century cloister adjoins Le Puy's cathedral, its multicoloured bricks and columns alluding to strong Moorish influences. Upstairs is a…
16.42 MILES
Within this museum and cultural centre, the highlight is a 19th-century pharmacy, elegantly panelled in walnut and wild cherry wood. Upstairs, French…
1. Musée de la Bête du Gévaudan
7.56 MILES
Ready to quake in fear at Saugues' most chilling legend? Or hoping to entertain your bloodthirsty kids and pick up a lupine-themed souvenir? This museum…
15.15 MILES
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…
3. Chapelle St-Michel d'Aiguilhe
16.31 MILES
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…
4. Centre d'Enseignement de la Dentelle au Fuseau
16.35 MILES
Le Puy is famed for the intricacy and beauty of its lace, and this workshop-museum – led by formidable lace expert Mick Fouriscot – showcases remarkable…
16.42 MILES
Within this museum and cultural centre, the highlight is a 19th-century pharmacy, elegantly panelled in walnut and wild cherry wood. Upstairs, French…
16.44 MILES
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…
7. Cathédrale Notre Dame Cloister
16.44 MILES
A peaceful 12th-century cloister adjoins Le Puy's cathedral, its multicoloured bricks and columns alluding to strong Moorish influences. Upstairs is a…
16.46 MILES
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,…