Auvergne
At this cheerful inn in tiny Dore-l'Église, restful, wooden-floored rooms overlook a 12th-century church. It's worth getting breakfast (€7) or opting for half-board (from €15): half the fun is eating here (the name means to eat one's fill). Expect French comfort food like confit duck, coq au vin and plenty of outstanding local cheese. It's 8km north of La Chaise-Dieu.
There is free parking around the village.
23.86 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…
5.04 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…
24.19 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…
26.77 MILES
Issoire is the proud home of the Auvergne’s most extravagantly decorated Romanesque church. The exterior of this 12th-century edifice is festooned with…
18.9 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…
24.08 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
24.17 MILES
A peaceful 12th-century cloister adjoins Le Puy's cathedral, its multicoloured bricks and columns alluding to strong Moorish influences. Upstairs is a…
22.46 MILES
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…
1. Église Abbatiale de St-Robert
5.04 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…
11.23 MILES
Paper has been made here since 1326, and this old-school operation still produces around 200 sheets per day using traditional techniques. Hour-long guided…
3. Maison de la Fourme d'Ambert
11.57 MILES
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…
18.9 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…
22.41 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…
22.46 MILES
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…
7. Chapelle St-Michel d'Aiguilhe
23.86 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…
24.08 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,…