Clermont-Ferrand

France

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A busy arts and ceramics market in the Place Saint-Jean in Lyon

© Shutterstock / Irina Crick

Why visit Clermont-Ferrand

In Clermont-Ferrand, the skyline is as moodily Gothic as the ambience is sunny and good-humoured. Dark volcanic stone gave the city its distinctive hue, layered into its 18th-century townhouses, dozens of fountains and the magnificent twin-turreted cathedral at its cobblestoned heart. As the Auvergne's largest city, Clermont-Ferrand is a hub not only for business but cuisine, with plenty of restaurants serving modernised cuisine auvergnate, and culture (in the form of fizzing art, film and live-music scenes). Beyond the winding lanes of its old town, the Auvergne’s capital is an industrial powerhouse, home to the Michelin automotive empire.

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The French Riviera & Provence: A Journey Through Authentic France

11 days / 10 nights

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  1. 1 Hopping between villages — and countries — with a guided tour to Èze, Nice, and Monaco
  2. 2 Wafting the scent and color of violets in Tourettes-sur-Loup, a floral and medieval wonderland
  3. 3 Enjoying the unique galleries and sculpture gardens of Saint Paul de Vence museum, Fondation Maeght
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