Top 10: the Auvergne region’s must-see sites

The Auvergne region is home to a breathtaking landscape marked by mountains and volcanoes. Everyone can enjoy a little trip to the Auvergne region: discover the can’t-miss activity that’s right for you! 

• Discover the volcanoes of the Auvergne region
• Enjoy family fun
• Relax in the spa towns
• Have a “heritage” weekend in the city
• Visit the castles
• Get some exercise out in nature
• Swim in the lakes of the Auvergne region or just enjoy the scenery
• Enjoy skiing and other winter activities
• Eat cheese and discover tasty local food
• Stroll through the most beautiful villages in France

The Auvergne Volcanoes Regional Nature Park is the largest in France. It is home to 150 communes and 4 volcanic plateaus! Panoramas, hikes and activities — you can enjoy the park’s beautiful landscapes and large expanses of nature in a thousand different ways!

During the winter, you can go dogsledding (at Chalinargue, for example) across the magnificent landscapes of the Auvergne Volcanoes Park.

The traditional visit: I suggest listening to the explanations of the volcanologists of the Volcan de Lempetgy to learn all about the different types of volcanoes and landscapes of the Auvergne region.

Not to be missed: The summit of the Puy-de-Dôme!

Not far from Clermont-Ferrand, the Auvergne region has a theme park called Vulcania. The range of attractions will immerse you in the fascinating world of volcanoes.

For a day filled with nature and animals, you can choose from Le Pal or the Auvergne Animal Park. Le Pal is located at Dompierre-sur-Besbre, 30 km east of Moulins, and is both a theme park and an animal park that is home to 600 animals and 3 different shows. The Auvergne Animal Park is located on top of the Cézallier plateau in Ardes, 60 km south of Clermont-Ferrand and 25 km south of Issoire, and is home to 70 different species originating from five continents.

Nice outings to enjoy with your family: for a bike ride, start at the Forêt de Tronçais, or for a train tour you can choose between the Gentiane Express®, from Riom-ès-Montagnes to Lugarde, or the train that runs through the Gorges de l’Allier.

Vichy is the quintessential spa town, with its charming second empire houses, luxury hotels, art nouveau opera house, and of course, natural springs and baths.

La Bourboule, which the Dordogne flows through, is a spa town with Belle Epoque charm, well suited to families. The thermal baths in the city of Mont-Dore are classified as Historic Monuments and have been famous since Antiquity. Chaudes-Aigues is known for having the hottest spring in Europe. Other little cities, particularly around Clermont-Ferrand, also offer the occasion to relax and attend to your well-being!

The cities of the Auvergne region offer surprising places to discover. Clermont-Ferrand is home to the impressive black cathedral, and you can also enjoy a pleasant stroll through the old town of Ferrand.

Montluçon, the second largest city in the Auvergne region, showcases its medieval past with its imposing castle that once belonged to the Bourbon dukes. The MuPop is one of France’s most famous music museums and is home to 3500 instruments from the end of the 18th century to today.

Thiers has a medieval courtyard and is the capital of the cutlery industry!

After a stroll through the historic centre of Moulin, you can visit the CNCS, the Centre National du Costume de Scène, the world’s first museum dedicated to stage costumes and sets.

Le Puy-en-Velay is a pilgrimage town full of history.

The Auvergne region is the land of castles, which attest to the area’s impressive historical, artistic and architectural heritage. There is even an Auvergne Castle Historic Route that takes you past more than forty castles open to the public.

Here are just a few of them, to inspire you to learn more: the Château de Busséol, 20 km east of Clermont-Ferrand, was Catherine di Medici’s home. The Château de Parentignat, south of Issoire, is a miniature Versailles. At the Château de Murol, 30 km east of Mont Dore, you can take in performances that bring the age of knights and chivalry back to life.  The Château de Ravel, east of Clermont-Ferrand, was used in the film Les Choristes.

The gardens of the Château de la Batisse, located south of Clermont-Ferrand, are well worth the detour. The visit of the Château du Val, on the shores of the Lac de Bort-les-Orgues, between Clermont-Ferrand and Brive-la-Gaillarde, lets you dive into history and enjoy recreational activities at the lake. But be warned, very few of the castles in the Auvergne region are open in the winter.

Hiking is one of the most traditional pleasures of the Auvergne region, but you can also try kayaking on the Allier, horseback riding in the Sancy mountains or other activities!

A land of mountains and volcanoes, the Auvergne region has magnificent lakes where you can swim, such as Lac Chambon and Lac d’Aubusson, located between Thiers and Ambert, or simply have a romantic stroll along the shoreline such as Lac Pavin.

The Auvergne region’s ski resorts are perfect for enjoying winter sports at affordable prices. Super Besse is the most famous ski resort and is well suited to families. The small family-friendly resort of Prabouré, on the Crêtes du Forez in the Massif Central, has a giant zipline.

Cap Guéry, located on Le Mont Dore at the start of the Sancy mountain range southwest of Clermont-Ferrand, offers traditional winter activities (cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, etc.) and more unique ones. At the Loge des Gardes, you can ski through the state-owned Forêt de l’Assise et aux Estables in a vast, white, wintery wonderland. In addition to skiing, you can try dogsledding at Lioran, in the Cantal, or skijoring at Mont-Dore.

It isn’t difficult to eat well in the Auvergne region. First, you must sample local cheese by following the cheese route from Puy-de-Dôme to Cantal by way of Salers (known for its cows) and Saint-Nectaire, where you can even visit a cheesemaking factory!

We have also selected some of our favourite restaurants in Clermont-Ferrand, Puy-en-Velay, a unique table d’hôte in Marat, between Livradois and Forez; a gourmet stop in Sermentizon, 30 min from Clermont-Ferrand; and a village that was designed for food-lovers: Saint-Bonnet-le-Froid!

9 villages in the Auvergne region are classified most beautiful villages in France. The circuit is well worth the detour, thanks to is charming, authentic, historic sites: Salers with its specialities of the Auvergne region, Tournemire with its castle, Lavaudieu with its abbey, Charroux with its artisans, Arlempde with its outdoor theatre, Bresle with its timber framed houses, Montpeyroux with its wine, Pradelles along the GR 70, Usson with its black stone houses belonging to wine growers, and more.