The Chaîne des Puys and the Puy de Dôme
A UNESCO World Heritage site, the Chaîne des Puys lines up eighty sleeping volcanoes at the heart of the regional natural park. You climb the Puy de Dôme on foot via the muleteers’ path, or by rack railway; from the summit, the full three-sixty panorama leaves you speechless. Setting off at dawn and watching the sun wake up Clermont-Ferrand makes for a date you will not forget.
The Sancy massif, Auvergne’s peak
To the south, the Puy de Sancy rises to one thousand eight hundred and eighty-six metres, the highest point of the Massif Central. You climb on foot from Le Mont-Dore, or take a cable car, to walk the ridges and discover the sources of the Dordogne. In winter, the ski runs of Sancy and Super-Besse welcome gliding couples. In summer, hikes often end over a shared truffade in a buron hut.
Crater lakes and open plateaux
The crater lakes of Pavin, Chambon and Aydat offer mirrors of water barely rippled by rowing boats. The Pavin, perfectly round, carries a legend: no reflection sings out of tune there. The Cézallier plateaux, vast pastures dotted with buron huts and stone crosses, invite a sense of freedom. On Lyad, people from Auvergne share their summits and lakes; it is up to you to find someone to pull your walking boots on with.
Date ideas
- Puy de Dôme
- Chaîne des Puys
- Puy de Sancy
- Lake Pavin
- Lake Chambon
- Sancy Massif
- Volcanoes of Auvergne Park
