Clermont-Ferrand & Auvergne Volcanoes

A city of black volcanic stone and the home of Michelin, with the World Heritage Chaîne des Puys right on its doorstep – climb volcanoes, tour crater lakes and visit a volcano theme park.

Clermont-Ferrand is the prefecture of the Puy-de-Dôme department in France's Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. With around 140,000 inhabitants, it sits at the foot of the volcanoes in the northern Massif Central and is the birthplace and headquarters of the Michelin group. The old town is built of black Volvic volcanic stone, and the cathedral's twin spires and the Basilica of Notre-Dame-du-Port (a World Heritage Site) are the city's signature sights. Just a few kilometres west lies the Chaîne des Puys – Limagne Fault Tectonic Arena, inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 2018, where 80 volcanic cones line up from north to south. Climbing the Puy de Dôme, hiking the Puy Pariou crater, going inside the Lemptégy volcano and visiting the Vulcania theme park are all within half an hour's drive.

About an hour to the south are the Monts Dore: the Puy de Sancy, the highest peak in the Massif Central, the spa town of Le Mont-Dore, Lac Pavin and Lac Chambon, the village of Besse, the Saint-Nectaire cheese village and several Romanesque churches – base yourself in Le Mont-Dore or Besse for a slower pace. To the north and east are the old town of Riom, the Château de Tournoël, the knife-making town of Thiers and the World Heritage spa town of Vichy.

The best season is May–Oct, ideal for volcano hikes and the lakes; most attractions, including Vulcania, the Lemptégy volcano and the Grottes de Jonas, open only from April to November. In winter the mountains are snow-covered and you can ski at the Puy de Sancy and Super-Besse, though the summit of the Puy de Dôme is often shrouded in cloud. Getting there: the train from Paris takes about 3.5 hours, and Clermont-Ferrand has a small airport. The city tram is convenient, but the volcano chain and mountain sights essentially require a car; in summer a shuttle bus runs to the Puy de Dôme. Allow 3–4 days: one for the city, one for the volcano chain and one or two for the Monts Dore. Food to try: aligot (mashed potato with cheese), truffade (potatoes sautéed with cheese), blue cheeses and Saint-Nectaire cheese.

Top sights

• Puy de Dôme – The iconic volcano of Auvergne at 1,465 meters. Take a cog railway for 15 minutes to the summit and look out over dozens of volcanic cones…
• Vulcania – Europe's only science park dedicated to volcanoes, featuring a volcano cone that opens into the ground, 4D cinemas, and immersive projects…
• Clermont-Ferrand Cathedral – A Gothic cathedral built from black Volvic volcanic stone, with twin spires 108 meters high. It is a symbol of the city's skyline.
• Basilica of Notre-Dame du Port – A flagship of Auvergne Romanesque architecture, listed as a World Heritage site as part of the French Routes of the Camino to Santiago de C…
• Place de Jaude – The central square of Clermont-Ferrand, with Bartholdi's equestrian statue of Vercingetorix, surrounded by shopping centers, cafés and tram…
• Montferrand – A medieval new town merged into Clermont in 1731. Its grid-pattern streets preserve many Gothic and Renaissance mansions, and it attracts f…
• L'Aventure Michelin – A brand museum in Michelin's headquarters city, covering the invention of the tyre, the Bibendum mascot, the Red Guide, and the "Micheline"…
• Volcan de Lemptégy – A volcano cut open by quarrying, now an open-air site where you can walk or ride a little train into its interior to see the volcanic condu…
• Puy de Pariou – One of the most perfect craters in the volcanic chain, with a green funnel-shaped crater about 90 metres deep. A hike around the crater rim…
• Puy de la Vache & Puy de Lassolas – A pair of "breach-type" volcanoes, with red cinder slopes and lava flows clearly visible. This is the most photogenic hiking loop in the so…
• Plateau de Gergovie – The ancient battlefield where Vercingetorix, a Gallic leader, defeated Caesar in 52 BC. The plateau has a monument and a newly built archae…
• Château de Tournoël – A medieval castle on a hillside above Volvic, with its round keep well preserved and views over the Limagne plain.
• Riom Old Town – The former judicial capital of Auvergne, lined with black volcanic-stone mansions. The Sainte-Chapelle built by the Duke of Berry preserves…
• Thiers – France's cutlery capital, with a half-timbered old town clinging to a cliff. Visit the Cutlery Museum and the old water-powered mills in th…
• Vichy – A member of the World Heritage "Great Spa Towns of Europe," known for the cast-iron gallery of the Source Park, the Art Nouveau opera house…
• Basilica of Notre-Dame d'Orcival – A 12th-century Romanesque church hidden in a small village in a volcanic valley, famous for its tiered stone-slate roofs and a gilded statu…
• Roches Tuilière et Sanadoire – Two volcanic plugs standing opposite each other. The columnar joints of the Roche Tuilière look like giant organ pipes, and they are clearl…
• Lac de Guéry – The highest lake in Auvergne at 1,250 metres, formed when volcanic lava dammed a valley, surrounded by meadows and conifer forest, and froz…
• Le Mont-Dore – A spa and ski town at the foot of the Puy de Sancy. Highlights include the neo-Byzantine spa palace and the Capucin cable railway, which op…
• Puy de Sancy – At 1,886 metres, the highest peak on the Massif Central. Take the cable car, then climb about 850 wooden steps to the summit. It is a ski a…
• Vallée de Chaudefour – A glacial valley within a nature reserve, with strange rock formations such as the "Cock's Comb" and the "Dent de la Rancune" rising above…
• Besse-en-Chandesse – A medieval town built of black volcanic stone, where the gate bell tower, slate-paved lanes, and cheese shops radiate a strong Auvergne atm…
• Lac Pavin – An almost perfectly round crater lake about 92 metres deep, with deep blue water. A lakeside trail takes about an hour. It is one of the mo…
• Lac Chambon – A lake formed when lava from the Tartaret volcano dammed a river valley. In summer it has beaches and water sports, with the "Maiden's Leap…
• Château de Murol – A medieval castle built on a basalt hill. In summer, actors in medieval costume demonstrate the lives of knights and craftsmen, making it a…
• Saint-Nectaire – The home of the cheese with the same name, which holds AOP status. A 12th-century Romanesque church on the hill preserves over a hundred ca…
• Grottes de Jonas – A medieval cave village carved into a volcanic tuff cliff. It has more than 60 chambers and a rock-cut chapel with 11th-century wall painti…
• Saint-Austremoine Abbey Church, Issoire – The largest Romanesque church in Auvergne. Its interior is decorated with colourful paintings restored in the 19th century, so the capitals…

Where to eat

• Le Pré - Xavier Beaudiment – A two-Michelin-starred restaurant on the outskirts of Clermont-Ferrand, featuring around 200 wild Auvergne plants in it…
• La Cassolette – A cozy Auvergne bistro in an old town alley, famous for its casserole-baked truffade and Auvergne cheese dishes.
• Apicius – A one-Michelin-starred restaurant above the Saint-Pierre Market, where the chef excels at presenting Auvergne ingredien…
• Le Bistrot d'à Côté – A Michelin Bib Gourmand bistro near Place de Jaude, featuring a short, seasonally changing menu and a highly cost-effec…
• Le Comptoir – An Auvergne restaurant serving truffade daily, open seven days a week with generous portions and high popularity in the…
• Le Bar à Truffade – A truffade street food shop opened in early 2026, using local potatoes and offering dine-in or takeaway.

Itineraries

• Auvergne Volcanoes & Lakes Loop – Climb Puy de Dôme from Clermont-Ferrand, and cross the chain of volcanoes to Puy de Sancy and volcanic lakes