Auvergne: not just volcanoes!
Auvergne, a natural paradise: soft green, irrigated by a thousand waters, where the peaks reveal grandiose landscapes, where the summer pastures stretch to infinity, where the plains undulate in the soft light.
Auvergne, treasures of heritage: from proud medieval fortresses to elegant Renaissance residences, from a collection of 250 11th and 12th century Romanesque buildings of great purity and exceptional unity.
Auvergne, a tasty platter of 5 cheeses and volcanic wines to tantalise your taste buds.
The majestic Auvergne is everywhere to be discovered, for confidential tourism.
Top 5 Charmhotel
1 - The VOLCANS Park
This geological complex of 80 volcanoes is exceptional because of its youth (the last eruption was 8,600 years ago!) and its morphology. The Chaîne des Puys - Faille de la Limagne is the first natural site in mainland France to be declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site (2018).
The emblematic image of the Puy-de-Dôme and the Auvergne, a visit to one of the volcanoes in the Puys chain is a must on your trip to the Auvergne!
- The Lemptégy Volcano: a guided tour of the bowels of the open-air volcano on a small train. - Vulcania , the volcano theme park, a journey to discover the beauty, fragility and mysteries of our planet.
- The summit of Puy de Dôme, the highest point in the Puys chain (1465 m), with the Temple of Mercury, one of the great sanctuaries of the Western Roman Empire.
40 km + 40 min
2 - The SANCY Massif: a land of contrasts
Set off on a journey to the heart of the Massif du Sancy, with its rugged landscape and lakes created by eruptions over 3 million years ago:
Lac Pavin, an impressive crater lake; Besse, the city of the mountains; Le Mont Dore, birthplace of the Dordogne river at the foot of Puy du Sancy, the highest peak in the Massif Central (1886m); and the Vallée de Chaudefour, a secret glacial escape.
The Cézallier: land of summer pastures.
La Godivelle and its two lakes: the vertigo of the horizontal, Auvergne Mongolia. Gentle curves, undulating meadows, herds of Salers or Aubrac cows, give the impression of gentleness. But this territory at 1000 m altitude is uncompromising.
30km + 30min
3 - Le Puy en Velay
A town of sanctuary and pilgrimage, the starting point of the via Podiensis to Santiago de Compostela: the volcanic peaks that rise up in its basin offer a view that is as bewitching as it is splendid, and its cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A land of expertise: lace and Verveine de Velay.
70km + 1h
4 - Treasures of arkose
Romanesque art is to Auvergne what the Eiffel Tower is to Paris: a must-see! In the 12th and 13th centuries, Auvergne experienced a veritable spiritual and artistic effervescence. The Pays d'Issoire boasts many churches that have retained all or part of their Romanesque structure. Major, perched, isolated or even fortified, these churches bear the imprint of the soil on which they were built.
30km+30min
5 - A forming tray like no other!
The most famous is Saint-Nectaire. This delicious, creamy cheese with a hint of hazelnut is the king of Auvergne cheeses.
Cantal, 3 cheeses in 1. 2,000 years ago, Cantal was born in Haute Auvergne, a land of fertile pastures, the aptly named "green country".
The little youngster, Bleu d'Auvergne. It is some forty kilometres west of Clermont-Ferrand that Bleu d'Auvergne has earned a reputation that has not wavered over the decades.
The demanding Salers. Despite its origins being lost in the mists of time, the creators of Salers have been able to perpetuate the secrets of its production to keep this cheese with its authentic aromas anchored in time.
The great lady with the tender heart, the Fourme d'Ambert. It is said that long before the Romans, the Gallic druids who worshipped at Pierre-sur-Haute were already familiar with fourme cheese.
