Top choice in Auvergne
Combining historic walls, French soul food and a lost-in-time village, it's hard to imagine a more atmospheric place to stay than Le Clos Saint François. Its four sizeable rooms, each decorated with a flair for antiques, are housed in a restored late-17th-century convent; ask to see the chapel. It's 14km west of La Chaise-Dieu.
Breakfast is a fine spread of homemade jams and organic produce, and there's an ample evening meal (€22) cooked up by owner Karine, who couldn't be a more effusive host.
16.17 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…
6.53 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…
29.41 MILES
An old industrial mining site that was once the lifeblood of St-Étienne has been transformed into a fascinating exhibition complex. On a 75-minute guided…
16.49 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…
21.08 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…
16.38 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
16.48 MILES
A peaceful 12th-century cloister adjoins Le Puy's cathedral, its multicoloured bricks and columns alluding to strong Moorish influences. Upstairs is a…
28.18 MILES
Through evocative displays and audiovisual presentations, this museum paints a vivid picture of an extraordinarily resilient wartime community. Residents…
1. Église Abbatiale de St-Robert
6.53 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…
14.79 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
16.17 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…
16.38 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,…
5. Cathédrale Notre Dame Cloister
16.48 MILES
A peaceful 12th-century cloister adjoins Le Puy's cathedral, its multicoloured bricks and columns alluding to strong Moorish influences. Upstairs is a…
16.48 MILES
Within this museum and cultural centre, the highlight is a 19th-century pharmacy, elegantly panelled in walnut and wild cherry wood. Upstairs, French…
16.49 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…
16.51 MILES
Interesting for armchair travellers, as well as committed walkers about to undertake the multiweek journey to Santiago de Compostela, this museum in the…