Discovering Puy-de-Dôme: a practical guide
Puy-de-Dôme is volcano country. The Chaîne des Puys, a UNESCO World Heritage site, lines up about a hundred dormant volcanoes, and the Sancy massif offers lakes, waterfalls and summer pastures. The département adds characterful villages, castles and a great cheese-making tradition to these landscapes.
This practical guide helps you choose your stops and organise your trip. Underlined site names link to their detailed pages.
Understanding Puy-de-Dôme in a few minutes
West of Clermont-Ferrand, the Chaîne des Puys stretches for about forty kilometres, dominated by the Puy de Dôme. To the south-west, the Sancy massif, around the Puy de Sancy, Le Mont-Dore and Besse, is the most mountainous area. To the east, the fertile Limagne plain leads to Thiers and the Livradois-Forez. To the north, Riom and the Volvic volcanoes.
Clermont-Ferrand is the gateway, about three and a half hours from Paris by train. A car is essential for the volcanoes and the Sancy. For a trip of a few days, combine a base in Clermont or Orcival with another in the Sancy.
- The Panoramique des Dômes rack railway climbs to the top of the Puy de Dôme.
- Sancy roads are winding and sometimes snowy until spring.
- The Volcans d'Auvergne regional nature park covers much of the département.
Le Puy de Dôme
The Puy de Dôme is a dormant volcano of the Chaîne des Puys, in the Massif Central. It is about fifteen kilometres from Clermont-Ferrand and gave its name to the Puy-de-Dôme département.
Chaîne des Puys
About forty kilometres of volcanic alignment gather a hundred cones and domes inherited from intense eruptive activity. Inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage since 2018, the Chaîne des Puys forms one of the most singular landscapes of the Massif Central.
Clermont-Ferrand
Historic capital of Auvergne, whose Gothic cathedral in black Volvic stone dominates the city born from the merger of two rival towns.
Puy de Sancy
Highest point of the Massif Central at 1,885 metres, the Puy de Sancy overlooks the Monts Dore with its volcanic silhouette. Reached by gondola from Le Mont-Dore, it offers one of the widest panoramas in Auvergne.
Culture, history and heritage
Clermont-Ferrand is dominated by its cathedral of black Volvic stone, and Riom keeps a fine Sainte-Chapelle. Auvergne is rich in Romanesque art and characterful villages: Saint-Saturnin, Montpeyroux, Usson and Saint-Floret. Castles are plentiful: the Château de Murol, perched on its peak, the Château de Tournoël, the Château de Chazeron, the Château de Ravel, the Château de Villeneuve-Lembron, the Château de Cordès and the Château d'Effiat.
L'Aventure Michelin tells the story of the famous Clermont company. In Thiers, the cutlery museum presents the skills of France's knife capital. The Jonas cave dwellings and the Cornadore caves recall the ancient occupation of the area.
- At Murol, medieval shows take place in summer.
- Old Thiers is hilly: wear good shoes.
- Auvergne's Romanesque churches are often freely open.
Château de Murol
Built on a basalt cone, the castle overlooks the surroundings. Built in the thirteenth century, the fortress belonged to the Murol and Estaing families. It remains one of the finest medieval ruins in Auvergne.
Château de Tournoël
Its history begins around 1200. At that time this medieval Auvergne castle belonged to the powerful Auvergne family, and Guy II, Count of Auvergne, lived there.
L'Aventure Michelin
Set off for the Michelin Adventure!
Saint-Saturnin
Built on a lava flow in the green Veyre valley, this village once belonged to the Auvergne family of La Tour, to whom we owe its imposing castle of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.
Food and local produce
Puy-de-Dôme is a land of PDO cheeses: Saint-Nectaire, Fourme d'Ambert and Bleu d'Auvergne. Truffade (potatoes with melted cheese), potée auvergnate and pounti are signature dishes. Côtes d'Auvergne wines and Volvic water complete these specialities.
In Saint-Nectaire, farms offer tours of their ripening cellars, and the petrifying fountains show an unusual craft. The Grotte de la Pierre de Volvic explains the story of Volvic stone and water.
- Buy farmhouse Saint-Nectaire straight from the farm.
- Try truffade in a buron (mountain hut) or an inn in the Sancy.
- The markets of Clermont and Besse are lively at weekends.
Les Fontaines Pétrifiantes de Saint Nectaire
The Petrifying Fountains of Saint-Nectaire use hot springs (52°C) particularly rich in calcium carbonate to make limestone bas-reliefs.
Grotte de la Pierre de Volvic
Volvic water and stone reveal their secrets across 5 areas: the open-cast quarry and how it works, the geological origin of the cave and the discovery of the water, the uses of Volvic stone past and present, and daily life in Volvic.
Besse Super Besse
Besse Super Besse, one resort, two atmospheres: a medieval and Renaissance town, Besse bears witness to a rich architectural and historical past.
Nature and wide open spaces
The volcanoes are climbed on foot: the Puy de Dôme, the Puy de la Vache with its breached crater, and the Lemptégy volcano, a former quarry that lets you step inside a volcano. The volcanic lakes are superb: Lac Pavin, Lac Chambon and the Lac de Guéry. The Tuilière and Sanadoire rocks overlook a wooded cirque.
The Sancy has many waterfalls: La Grande Cascade du Mont-Dore, the Cascade de Queureuilh, the Cascades de la Vernière and, in the Chaudefour valley, the Biche waterfall. The Gorges d'Enval and the Vallée des Saints, with its red hoodoos, are other fine walks. With children, Vulcania and the Parc Animalier d'Auvergne are popular outings.
- From the top of the Puy de Dôme the view carries far in clear weather: set off early.
- Stay on the marked volcano paths to limit erosion.
- The walk round Lac Pavin takes about an hour.
Le Lac Pavin
Due to a powerful volcanic explosion, Lac Pavin is a crater lake carved on the north flank of the Puy de Montchal (1,411 m).
Volcan de lemptégy
The Lemptégy Volcano, a 100% natural site, unique in Europe, welcomes you all year round.
La Grande Cascade du Mont-Dore
The Grande Cascade rises on the wind-swept plateau of the Durbise at 1,450 m altitude.
Vulcania
15 km from Clermont-Ferrand, the first scientific exploration park on volcanoes and Earth sciences invites the visitor to be in turn actor and spectator, to live the planetary dynamics that shape the surface of the Earth, the many forms taken by…
When to go and how to plan
Summer is ideal for the volcanoes, lakes and pastures. Spring sets the waterfalls roaring, autumn colours the forests. In winter, the Sancy offers skiing at Super-Besse and Le Mont-Dore. The weather changes fast at altitude.
A five-day trip can combine a day in Clermont-Ferrand, a day on the Chaîne des Puys and at Vulcania, two days in the Sancy (lakes, waterfalls, Murol, Saint-Nectaire) and a day between Thiers and the Limagne.
- Bring a windbreaker for the summits, even in summer.
- Book accommodation in the Sancy during school holidays.
- Check Vulcania's seasonal opening.
Château de Chazeron
In the Middle Ages the castle was a simple wooden military fortress, benefiting from a strategic position on the Chazeron hill (next to Châtelguyon).
Château de Villeneuve-Lembron
A fine example of architecture at the transition between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, the château of Villeneuve-Lembron was built in the fifteenth century by Rigaud d'Aureille, bailiff of the mountains (a royal official) of Auvergne but above all steward to Louis XI, Charles VIII, Louis XII…
Usson
In this village, whose origins are said to go back to Celtic times, stands the most important fortress of Basse Auvergne.
Going further
Explore the départements of this area: