©Florian Leoty/500px

Auvergne

Explosive history slumbers underground in the Auvergne. This land-locked region was scorched by ancient volcanoes, which left behind chains of cinder cones and mirror lakes, overlooked by the razor peaks of the Massif Central mountain range.

Two great green lungs of protected land define the Auvergne: westerly, mountainous Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans d'Auvergne, and to its east Parc Naturel Régional Livradois-Forez, its picturesque villages lost amid woodlands and farms. Cultural splendour is strung in between: retro-glamorous Vichy, colourful Pays d'Issoire, and dreamy villages along the Allier River. East of here, petrified lava plumes tower over pilgrimage town Le Puy-en-Velay, surely one of the most dramatic skylines in France.

After hikes to Romanesque churches (or ice-fishing, or cross-country skiing...) the Auvergne's treasured cuisine tastes all the better. Mirroring the region's rough charisma, meals are hearty and utterly free of pretension – you won't be able to resist digging in.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Auvergne.

See
Église Abbatiale de St-Robert
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 Abbatiale, completed in 1352, is an imposing sight: two square towers crown its restrained Gothic façade, behind which a cavernous interior, framed by 18m-high rib vaults, harbours treasures including the massive 17th-century organ (a focal point of the town's Sacred Music Festival) and Clement VI's marble tomb. Don't miss the celebrated Danse Macabre fresco. The blood-red fresco, painstakingly restored in recent years as part of a €23m renovation over a period of eight years, shows different members of 14th-century society tormented by Death, who is represented as a succession of dancing skeletons. Behind the church is the Salle de l'Echo – an architectural oddity that allows people on opposite sides of the chamber to hear each other talking, without being overheard by those in between. It's thought to have been built to enable monks to hear lepers' confessions without contracting the dreaded disease. Access is restricted during the Sacred Music Festival; if you're visiting in mid-August, plan ahead and buy a ticket to an event in the church.
See
Musée de la Coutellerie
Split across two buildings, this museum gives an entertaining account of cutlery-making history. In number 23, a kid-friendly sound-and-light show evokes the dazzling, deafening conditions of a medieval workshop. Continue down the street to number 58 to see sparks fly in a knife-making demonstration on centuries-old equipment. Demos are in French only, but written information is available in other languages on request. In summer, pair a trip to the museum with visiting open-air Vallée des Rouets, 4km northeast of Thiers. In medieval Thiers, fashioning knives was literally back-breaking. Workers lay face-down at their stations for their entire working day, to use the full force of their body weight to sharpen steel. Meanwhile knife-makers' wives used leather-covered wheels to buff and polish the blades, also gruelling work – though period artwork at the museum also depicts women bashing out blades, side by side with men. The museum showcases ostentatious creations such as 18th-century knives with ivory handles while neatly contextualising the experience of Thiers' workers against the challenges of present-day mass manufacture. Ironically, Thiers once exported knives to China, and now it's the reverse.
See
Cathédrale Notre Dame
Clermont-Ferrand’s skyline broods with volcanic stone, but its most impressive edifice is Cathédrale Notre-Dame, whose 108m twin spires pierce the sky like blackened spears. Its façade, with snarling gargoyles and Gothic tracery, was constructed between the 13th and 19th centuries. Within, lift your gaze to the 1527 jacquemart clock, with the faun-like god Mars and Time beating out the hours, and intricate rose windows, restored in the early 20th century. In summer, climb Tour de la Bayette for 360-degree views. The cathedral was narrowly saved from destruction during the French Revolution when it was offered as a revolutionary meeting place and landmark. For more insight into the cathedral's seven centuries of history, ask at the tourist office about guided one-hour tours (€4.90, French only) from mid-July to August, usually at 11am on Tuesdays and Fridays.
See
Volcan de Lemptégy
Feel the Auvergne's smouldering terrain beneath your feet at this mined volcanic site, across the main road from amusement park Vulcania. In summer, at weekends and during school holidays, a motorised 'train' chugs for 3km along the scorched scarlet soil, weaving past boulders flung out of the belly of this ancient volcano. Year-round, the site is visitable on guided walks. Lemptégy's geological forces are further explained through a short 'dynamic 3D' film (spoiler: expect bumps and jolts). Allow 2¾ hours. The film can be dubbed in multiple languages. The site opens sporadically in November, February and March; check details on the website.
See
Château de Murol
Roosting on a basalt knoll above Murol village, the 12th-century Château de Murol offers peerless views along with insights into a brutish medieval past. Pacing uphill to the castle, you'll pass a 13th-century 'crow's cage' torture implement; the castle interior is far merrier, its chambers draped with animal skins and lit by wooden chandeliers. Medieval history comes to life on summer guided tours (French only), when costumed guides, scullery maids and jesters recreate daily life in the castle and knights joust beneath the keep; check the programme online.
See
Musée d'Art Roger Quilliot
Housed in an Ursuline convent 3km northeast of central Clermont, the city’s premier gallery takes design cues from NYC’s Guggenheim, its white spiral staircase linking various centuries of European art. Head upstairs for 17th-century European masterworks, or down for the medieval art annexe, packed with religious art relics dating back to the 7th century. Take tram A from place de Jaude. For local insights, don’t skip floor minus two, which showcases a stunning collection of mostly 20th-century art assembled by Clermontois collectors.
See
Lac Pavin
This midnight-blue crater lake, enclosed by a fuzz of pine trees, lies 6km southwest of Besse. Blasted out of the earth by a volcanic explosion nearly seven millennia ago, today it attracts trout fishers and walkers; the trail around the shore takes less than an hour. There's pedalo rental in summer (half-/full day €5.50/10). Winter, when the lake has a frosty halo, is even more beautiful. There's free parking nearby but at the height of summer you may have to fight for a space.
See
Fontaines Pétrifiantes
The Papon family put St-Nectaire's hot springs to creative use at the 'Petrifying Fountains', channelling the mineral-rich waters to make art. Calcium-heavy water lashing against an object gradually causes a mineral build-up; using a 14m-high waterfall, the Papon family let artistic moulds get drenched until mineral sculptures take shape. The well-designed museum and showroom are truly original and there's a gift shop full of mineral art.
See
Roches Tuilière et Sanadoire
One kilometre north of the turn-off to Lac de Guéry is a lookout that gazes towards two of the Sancy region's most noteworthy geological features. The formidable Roche Tuillière (1288m) and Roche Sanadoire (1286m) are slumbering volcanoes, sculpted by glacial movement millennia ago. Poking out of a canopy of forest, they form an attractive mirror image that has become one of the most photographed views in the Sancy.