A good part of what makes Auvergne interesting costs nothing: the waterfalls, the ridges, the villages, the lakeshores. This page only keeps places confirmed to be free, across every category. Parking, on the other hand, can be paid in season: the page says so when we know. Filter by département and starting town, then off you go.
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157 lieux
Our pickLakes
Rated 4.8 out of 5, 2,407 reviews
Besse-et-Saint-Anastaise
An almost perfect circle of water 800 metres across and 92 metres deep: Auvergne's deepest lake fills a crater born 6,900 years ago, between Besse and Super-Besse. The walk around it takes an hour.
Our pickVolcanoes
Rated 4.8 out of 5, 2,375 reviews
Le Mont-Dore
The roof of the Massif Central at 1,885 m, a 360° panorama from the Cantal to the puys, and the source of the Dordogne on its north side.
Our pickVolcanoes
Rated 4.8 out of 5, 1,398 reviews
Orcines
The perfectly round crater of the Chaîne des Puys: 45 minutes up, then a few hundred metres along the volcano's rim.
Our pickViewpoints
Rated 4.8 out of 5, 1,389 reviews
Le Claux
1,783 m at the end of a 30-minute climb from the Pas de Peyrol, and seven glacial valleys fanning out beneath your feet.
Our pickVolcanoes
Rated 4.7 out of 5, 2,099 reviews
Orcines
1,465 m, a Gallo-Roman temple at the top and 80 volcanoes lined up before your eyes. You walk up, you ride the train back down.
Our pickNature reserves
Rated 4.7 out of 5, 2,146 reviews
Chambon-sur-Lac
A national nature reserve at the foot of the Sancy: glacial cirque, chamois and mouflon, waterfalls and waymarked paths.
Our pickCastles and heritage
Rated 4.7 out of 5, 1,795 reviews
Ruynes-en-Margeride
Before the Eiffel Tower, Gustave Eiffel was already putting his name to a red iron giant: 565 metres long, 122 metres above the Truyère. You can take it in from the D909, the A75 or by boat.
Our pickWaterfalls
Rated 4.8 out of 5, 1,049 reviews
Solignac-sur-Loire
Near Solignac-sur-Loire, a 27-metre drop from the top of a basalt cliff, 20 minutes' walk from the Reynardon car park. Come early, the site is popular.
Our pickNature reserves
Rated 4.6 out of 5, 16,389 reviews
Aydat
The largest regional nature park in mainland France. 395,000 hectares, the Chaîne des Puys and its more than 80 volcanoes, a living AOP (protected designation of origin) terroir.
Our pickHikes
Rated 4.6 out of 5, 1,577 reviews
Saint-Maurice-de-Lignon
A Himalayan footbridge suspended about 80 m above the Lignon gorges, 268 m long.
Our pickViewpoints
Rated 4.8 out of 5, 396 reviews
Les Estables
The roof of the eastern Massif Central at 1,753 m: a lava dome and a 360° view over the sucs (volcanic peaks) of the Velay, at its grandest at sunrise.
Our pickViewpoints
Rated 4.8 out of 5, 374 reviews
Saint-Jacques-des-Blats
The roof of the Cantal at 1,855 m, the second-highest summit in the Massif Central. Lioran cable car in summer, then a short walk, with a panorama over the Puy Mary.
Our pickLakes
Rated 4.7 out of 5, 652 reviews
Orcival
An almost round maar at 1,200 m above Orcival. The walk round is flat and takes an hour, in a rare calm for such an easy-to-reach lake.
Our pickHikes
Rated 4.7 out of 5, 606 reviews
Le Mont-Dore
Above Le Mont-Dore, a waterfall of about 30 metres at the end of a forest path. Open access from 1 April to 14 November.
Our pickUnusual experiences
Rated 4.7 out of 5, 545 reviews
Saint-Rémy-en-Rollat
A quarter of an hour from Vichy, one of the biggest private mineral collections in France: 300 m² of minerals and fossils, free entry.
Our pickGorges
Rated 4.8 out of 5, 131 reviews
Prades
80 km of wild canyon in the Haut-Allier, between basalt cliffs and villages clinging to the rock.
Our pickViewpoints
Rated 4.8 out of 5, 50 reviews
Araules
A phonolite suc (volcanic peak) of the Velay rising above 1,380 m. A waymarked loop of 1 hour 30 from Araules, an orientation table at the summit and the Mézenc opposite.
Our pickGorges
Rated 4.6 out of 5, 276 reviews
Chantelle
Four kilometres of gorges carved by the Bouble between Chantelle and Deneuille: remains of mills, a steep-sided river and paths with open access all year round.
Castles and heritage
Rated 4.6 out of 5, 1,807 reviews
Clermont-Ferrand
Pale 12th-century Romanesque church, below the black cathedral. UNESCO-listed as part of the Routes of Santiago de Compostela, free entry, open every day.
Parks and gardens
Rated 4.6 out of 5, 8,431 reviews
Clermont-Ferrand
The big Romantic-style park in the centre of Clermont-Ferrand. 5 hectares, a pond, a waterfall and century-old trees.
Swimming spots
Rated 4.6 out of 5, 2,035 reviews
Chambon-sur-Lac
Two free beaches with lifeguards in summer, shallow water that warms up fast, paddleboarding facing the Sancy. Auvergne's big family swimming lake.
Parks and gardens
Rated 4.6 out of 5, 4,423 reviews
La Bourboule
Twelve hectares of landscaped park dating from 1874 in the very centre of La Bourboule: sequoias, little train, 1900 carousel and rides, entry open to all.
Nature reserves
Rated 4.5 out of 5, 7,041 reviews
Saint-Gervais-sous-Meymont
Auvergne's 2nd regional nature park (PNR), created in 1986: rolling forests, the panoramic railcar from Ambert to La Chaise-Dieu, Thiers cutlery, the paper museum in Ambert.
Viewpoints
Rated 4.8 out of 5, 345 reviews
Murat-le-Quaire
Viewpoint at Murat-le-Quaire, above La Bourboule. Wide panorama, perfect at sunset.
Hikes
Rated 4.7 out of 5, 583 reviews
Le Mont-Dore
A 20 m fall over basalt columns, in the forest at Le Mont-Dore: 40 minutes there and back on an easy walk along the Ronde des Cascades.
Viewpoints
Rated 4.8 out of 5, 265 reviews
Besse-et-Saint-Anastaise
Lac Pavin seen from above, from the rim of its crater: the deepest of Auvergne's lakes, 92 m deep. You walk up via a detour off the lake loop.
Hikes
Rated 4.8 out of 5, 253 reviews
Chambon-sur-Lac
A pass at 1,401 m between Le Mont-Dore and Chambon-sur-Lac. The Puy de la Tâche and the Puy de l'Angle from the same car park.
Nature reserves
Rated 5.0 out of 5, 3 reviews
Saint-Jean-Lachalm
A volcanic plateau in the Velay, between high-altitude meadows and a crater lake. The GR70 Stevenson Trail crosses it.
Waterfalls
Rated 4.7 out of 5, 417 reviews
Laqueuille
A waterfall near Laqueuille: 30 min of easy walking there and back, a lava flow two million years old and its basalt columns.
Volcanoes
Rated 4.9 out of 5, 59 reviews
Le Mont-Dore
1,738 m and a final ridge facing the Sancy.
FindVolcanoes
Rated 4.8 out of 5, 183 reviews
Orcines
One of the best-defined craters in the Chaîne des Puys: 1 hour 30 there and back from the Pariou car park, with views of the neighbouring puys from the crater rim.
Nature reserves
Rated 4.9 out of 5, 43 reviews
Anzat-le-Luguet
High plateau between the Puy-de-Dôme and the Cantal: steppes, burons (stone huts on the summer pastures) and Salers cows. Auvergne's Mongolia.
Hikes
Rated 4.7 out of 5, 342 reviews
Le Mont-Dore
A 7-metre waterfall near Le Mont-Dore, about twenty minutes' walk from the car park of the landscaped cemetery, through woodland.
Volcanoes
Rated 4.7 out of 5, 340 reviews
Saint-Genès-Champanelle
A 1,167 m Strombolian volcano whose lava flow created the Lac d'Aydat. Climbing it has been banned since May 2026, during the works.
Castles and heritage
Rated 4.6 out of 5, 587 reviews
Thiers
A hundred knife-making workshops along the Durolle, from the 13th to the 20th century. Two waymarked trails, about 3 km, open access all year round.
Waterfalls
Rated 4.7 out of 5, 267 reviews
Landeyrat
A waterfall near Landeyrat, in the middle of the Cézallier summer pastures: you park on the road, go through a gate, cross the pasture, and you are there.
Viewpoints
Rated 4.8 out of 5, 90 reviews
Orcival
A viewpoint at 1,268 m at the Col de Guéry, facing the Roche Tuilière and the Roche Sanadoire, two phonolite pinnacles. The Lac de Guéry is just below.
Gorges
Rated 5.0 out of 5, 3 reviews
Anglards-de-Saint-Flour
A balcony over the Truyère gorges: a 200 m drop, basalt, and almost nobody around. 10 minutes from the Garabit Viaduct.
Waterfalls
Rated 4.6 out of 5, 715 reviews
Salins
South of Mauriac, the Auze plunges 30 metres in a single jet over a basalt ledge, in the middle of the forest.
Unusual experiences
Rated 4.4 out of 5, 1,607 reviews
Chaudes-Aigues
Water that gushes out at 82°C in the middle of the street: the hottest natural spring in France, the beating heart of Chaudes-Aigues.
Waterfalls
Rated 4.8 out of 5, 56 reviews
Andelat
The Sailhant waterfall, or Babory, at Andelat near Saint-Flour: a 500 m walk from the car park to a fall into a deep pool of dark water, close to the Château du Sailhant.
Hikes
Rated 4.8 out of 5, 56 reviews
La Bourboule
A 190 km walking loop between the puys and the lakes of the Sancy. The grand tour of volcanic Auvergne, in 8 to 12 days of stages.
Hikes
Rated 4.5 out of 5, 961 reviews
Boudes
A 5.8 km loop at Boudes, among the red earth of the Lembron and 23 fairy chimneys.
Waterfalls
Rated 4.7 out of 5, 320 reviews
Égliseneuve-d'Entraigues
A wide fall spread over basalt lava, a few minutes' walk from the Entraigues lake.
Waterfalls
Rated 4.7 out of 5, 168 reviews
Thiézac
Waterfall at Thiézac, in the Cère valley. Short path from the hamlet, forest atmosphere, worth seeing in spring.
Hikes
Rated 4.7 out of 5, 159 reviews
Chambon-sur-Lac
A pass at 1,451 m on the D36, between Chambon-sur-Lac and Le Mont-Dore. Start of routes to the Puy de l'Angle and the Sancy.
Waterfalls
Rated 4.7 out of 5, 158 reviews
Besse-et-Saint-Anastaise
Waterfall at Besse-et-Saint-Anastaise. Short path, forest atmosphere, open access after a ten-minute walk.
Gorges
Rated 4.8 out of 5, 36 reviews
Laveissière
The Alagnon gorges trail, in Laveissière: a path laid out by volunteers, six footbridges and a trout river where the otter lives.
FindWaterfalls
Rated 4.8 out of 5, 28 reviews
Chambon-sur-Lac
A waterfall in the heart of the Chaudefour valley national nature reserve, a glacial valley in the Sancy: 2 to 3 hours there and back on foot.
FindCastles and heritage
Rated 4.7 out of 5, 125 reviews
Brioude
The largest Romanesque basilica in Auvergne. Ask at the entrance for the floor plan with the route marked, so you don't miss the 12th-century frescoes in the Saint-Michel chapel.
Nature reserves
Rated 4.8 out of 5, 22 reviews
Ségur-les-Villas
A 155-hectare regional reserve in the Cézallier: peat bogs, the Lac du Jolan and summer pastures at 1,130 m.
Nature reserves
Rated 4.6 out of 5, 251 reviews
Meaulne-Vitray
An oak forest of nearly 11,000 hectares, replanted under Colbert for the royal navy. Lakes, morning mist, the silence of a cathedral.
Nature reserves
Rated 4.7 out of 5, 88 reviews
La Godivelle
High-altitude peat bogs protected since 1975 in the heart of the Cézallier, at 1,220 m: an open-access path along the edge of the Lac d'En Bas.
Waterfalls
Rated 4.7 out of 5, 196 reviews
Picherande
Above Picherande, the Neuffonds stream tumbles down an old lava flow. Twenty minutes of easy walking to reach the top of the falls.
Waterfalls
Rated 4.8 out of 5, 58 reviews
Malbo
On the Siniq, above Malbo, a mossy fall drops into a clear pool. And you can walk behind the curtain of water.
FindPhoto spots
Rated 4.8 out of 5, 5 reviews
Lavoine
Viewpoint at 925 m in the Montagne Bourbonnaise: two lava peaks, an orientation table and a view as far as the Alps in clear weather.
Waterfalls
Rated 4.6 out of 5, 358 reviews
Perpezat
Above Lac de Guéry, a drop of a dozen metres that tumbles down basalt columns, twenty minutes' walk away.
Castles and heritage
Rated 4.2 out of 5, 1,536 reviews
Vichy
Taste Vichy's 5 mineral springs for free under the great cast-iron hall of 1903. Each has its own taste and virtues: compare them.
Gorges
Rated 4.5 out of 5, 590 reviews
Ceyrat
Gorges cut into the granite by the Artière, beneath pines and chestnut trees.
FindVolcanoes
Rated 4.7 out of 5, 46 reviews
Le Mont-Dore
An Auvergne volcano at Le Mont-Dore. Summit at 1,632 m, a 219 m climb from the Col de la Croix-Morand: the view opens out over the whole Sancy.
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