Auvergne
Travel photography and zany murals, from Cola bottles and New York City's Chrysler building to Donald Duck, liven up this modern hotel. Situated five minutes' walk from Le Puy's train station, the hotel's double-glazed windows do a decent job of insulating against the noisy main road, but ask for a room on the côté calme (the quiet side).
Breakfast (€14) is a worthy spread of homemade jams and brioche, along with pastries, cheeses and the like. Garage parking costs €8.
0.6 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…
21.41 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…
26.08 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…
0.28 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…
0.37 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
0.29 MILES
A peaceful 12th-century cloister adjoins Le Puy's cathedral, its multicoloured bricks and columns alluding to strong Moorish influences. Upstairs is a…
20.27 MILES
Through evocative displays and audiovisual presentations, this museum paints a vivid picture of an extraordinarily resilient wartime community. Residents…
0.3 MILES
Within this museum and cultural centre, the highlight is a 19th-century pharmacy, elegantly panelled in walnut and wild cherry wood. Upstairs, French…
0.25 MILES
Interesting for armchair travellers, as well as committed walkers about to undertake the multiweek journey to Santiago de Compostela, this museum in the…
0.28 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…
3. Cathédrale Notre Dame Cloister
0.29 MILES
A peaceful 12th-century cloister adjoins Le Puy's cathedral, its multicoloured bricks and columns alluding to strong Moorish influences. Upstairs is a…
0.3 MILES
Within this museum and cultural centre, the highlight is a 19th-century pharmacy, elegantly panelled in walnut and wild cherry wood. Upstairs, French…
5. Centre d'Enseignement de la Dentelle au Fuseau
0.32 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…
0.37 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,…
7. Chapelle St-Michel d'Aiguilhe
0.6 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…
2.21 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…