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
Waterfalls
Rated 4.8 out of 5, 28 reviews
Trizac
A tiered waterfall tucked away in a wood listed as an Espace Naturel Sensible (a protected natural area), between Trizac and the Col d'Aulac. Direct access, 1 km there and back.
Gorges
Rated 4.8 out of 5, 27 reviews
Goudet
The young Loire runs between basalt columns and sandy beaches, at the foot of Château de Beaufort. Easy path from the bridge.
Waterfalls
Rated 4.8 out of 5, 18 reviews
Saint-Germain-l'Herm
A waterfall on the Faredonde, deep in the forests of the Haut-Livradois. Reached on foot from Saint-Germain-l'Herm, yellow waymarking.
Viewpoints
Rated 4.7 out of 5, 102 reviews
Queuille
The Sioule makes an almost perfect loop around a peninsula, and the Paradis viewpoint puts it before your eyes all at once.
Gorges
Rated 4.7 out of 5, 25 reviews
Saint-Gal-sur-Sioule
The Sioule's 15 km of canyon, a panoramic road and perched castles.
Lakes
Rated 4.5 out of 5, 501 reviews
Champclause
A former lauze (stone slab) quarry turned turquoise lake at an altitude of 1,265 m, in the Meygal. Five minutes' walk and the water changes before your eyes.
Parks and gardens
Rated 4.5 out of 5, 306 reviews
Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule
A park island on the Sioule in the heart of Saint-Pourçain: shade, play areas, canoeing in season. Open access; activities and campsite from April to early October.
Waterfalls
Rated 4.7 out of 5, 95 reviews
Laveissière
A double waterfall under the fir trees above Laveissière, with an 1811 mill at the foot of the falls. Family loop of about 25 minutes.
Gorges
Rated 4.6 out of 5, 240 reviews
Olloix
A wild corridor where the Monne runs as a torrent between jumbled boulders, south of Clermont. Expect a waterfall, a basin and the Riberolles bridge.
FindLakes
Rated 4.6 out of 5, 113 reviews
Vichy
Vichy's lake: rowing, sailing, paddleboarding and a 6 km loop round the lake on foot or by bike. Supervised swimming at the Célestins beach from 1 July to 31 August in 2026.
Waterfalls
Rated 4.6 out of 5, 231 reviews
Montfermy
A waterfall cut into the rock by Benedictine monks for their mill, in the middle of a loop of the Sioule.
FindViewpoints
Rated 4.7 out of 5, 15 reviews
Chambon-sur-Lac
The Dent de la Rancune, a 90-metre dyke standing in the heart of the Chaudefour reserve. You can admire it from the Chaudefour path, or climb it roped up.
Waterfalls
Rated 4.7 out of 5, 71 reviews
Vitrac
A jumble of rocks blocking the Rance, near Vitrac, with picnic tables on site.
FindVolcanoes
Rated 4.6 out of 5, 89 reviews
Ceyssat
The largest Strombolian cone in the Chaîne des Puys, with its nested double crater, and a 6 km waymarked forest loop to go round it.
Gorges
Rated 4.7 out of 5, 62 reviews
Monistrol-sur-Loire
Waterfalls, giants' kettles and a legend of a petrified devil: a small granite canyon in the heart of Monistrol-sur-Loire.
Waterfalls
Rated 4.7 out of 5, 59 reviews
Cheylade
A 16-metre drop on the Petite Rhue d'Eybes, 5 minutes' walk from the road, in the glacial valley of Cheylade.
Waterfalls
Rated 4.7 out of 5, 56 reviews
Le Falgoux
The Mars tumbles down through the Falgoux forest in a series of drops. The upper part is easy to reach from the D12, or by a waymarked path from La Chaze.
Unusual experiences
Rated 4.7 out of 5, 56 reviews
Le Mont-Dore
The Dordogne is born here, at 1,366 m on the north flank of the Sancy, where the Dore and the Dogne meet. An easy walk from the foot of the Puy de Sancy.
Waterfalls
Rated 4.7 out of 5, 44 reviews
Vèze
A trickle of water slides down big basalt columns, between Pradiers and Vèze, at the end of a shady path in the Cézallier.
Waterfalls
Rated 4.7 out of 5, 39 reviews
Marcenat
In the Cézallier, the Bonjon falls more than 20 metres over basalt columns, and the fall is easy to reach from the hamlet of Le Saillant.
Unusual experiences
Rated 4.5 out of 5, 350 reviews
Boudes
A red, salty and naturally sparkling spring in the woods above Boudes. The Romans were already leaving their coins there.
FindVolcanoes
Rated 4.6 out of 5, 53 reviews
Besse-et-Saint-Anastaise
1 hour 30 there and back from the shore for the view straight down onto Lac Pavin, with the Sancy in the background.
Waterfalls
Rated 4.6 out of 5, 136 reviews
Saint-Alyre-ès-Montagne
Two falls on the Couze d'Ardes, in the heart of the Cézallier, ten minutes' walk there and back from the hamlet of Jassy. Cool in summer, generally frozen in winter.
Nature reserves
Rated 4.6 out of 5, 46 reviews
Pignols
The largest lowland oak wood in Auvergne, near Vic-le-Comte: themed trails over volcanic hills, ponds and salamanders.
Waterfalls
Rated 4.6 out of 5, 134 reviews
Chambon-sur-Lac
A waterfall beside the D637, between Lac Chambon and the Chaudefour valley. You park nearby, take a look, and move on.
FindVolcanoes
Rated 4.6 out of 5, 38 reviews
Saint-Ours
At Saint-Ours, a trachyte needle rising inside the open crater of the neighbouring puy: a 2-hour loop with 176 m of elevation gain, views over the whole Chaîne des Puys from the crater rim.
Swimming spots
Rated 4.3 out of 5, 872 reviews
Vichy
A supervised sand beach in the heart of Vichy, on the edge of the Lac d'Allier. Free swimming all summer, guinguette (open-air café) atmosphere.
Parks and gardens
Rated 4.5 out of 5, 143 reviews
Arpajon-sur-Cère
A 7-hectare nature area on the edge of Aurillac: themed gardens, apple orchard, maze. Free entry and nature activities all year round.
Waterfalls
Rated 4.3 out of 5, 843 reviews
Besse-et-Saint-Anastaise
A string of waterfalls along the Couze Pavin, with giants' kettles carved into the lava, a stone's throw from Besse.
FindPhoto spots
Rated 4.5 out of 5, 127 reviews
Bègues
The Eiffel viaduct at Rouzat, in Bègues: metal lacework from 1869 over the Sioule, best photographed in low sunlight.
Cycling and mountain biking
Rated 4.7 out of 5, 12 reviews
Abrest
A 27 km greenway along the Allier, from Billy to Saint-Yorre via Vichy: alluvial forests, the Lac d'Allier, no cars.
Castles and heritage
Rated 4.5 out of 5, 118 reviews
Saint-Menoux
At Saint-Menoux, in the Allier: a Romanesque abbey church and its débredinoire, the pierced sarcophagus people slipped their heads into to cure troubled minds.
Gorges
Rated 4.5 out of 5, 246 reviews
Thiézac
A walk under the trees to the waterfall and cliffs of the Pas de Cère, at Thiézac.
Waterfalls
Rated 4.6 out of 5, 83 reviews
La Tour-d'Auvergne
On the way out of La Tour-d'Auvergne, the Burande goes over a large rock in the middle of the meadows. The waterfall is seen from above: the foot is reserved for campsite guests.
Nature reserves
Rated 4.6 out of 5, 18 reviews
Picherande
High-altitude peat bog in the Sancy at 1,200 m: boardwalks, sundews, cotton grass, and almost nobody around.
FindCastles and heritage
Rated 4.5 out of 5, 96 reviews
Charroux
Romanesque and Gothic in the heart of Charroux, rue de l'Horloge. Truncated bell tower, bells defended by the inhabitants in 1793. Self-guided visit, 30 minutes is enough.
Waterfalls
Rated 4.1 out of 5, 1,202 reviews
Saint-Nectaire
A 7 m waterfall where the Couze Chambon crosses a lava flow, in Saint-Nectaire, a few minutes from the car park. Free access, strong flow until spring.
Gorges
Rated 4.5 out of 5, 85 reviews
Brioude
The river of the Livradois, from La Chaise-Dieu to Lavaudieu: a wooded valley, waymarked paths and stone villages.
Lakes
Rated 4.5 out of 5, 191 reviews
Chavagnac
A mountain lake at 1,142 m between Cézallier meadows and the Pinatelle forest. An easy walk round the lake, trout fishing, a bird observatory.
Waterfalls
Rated 4.4 out of 5, 333 reviews
Saint-Priest-des-Champs
A 10 m fall deep in the woods of Saint-Priest-des-Champs, at the end of a waymarked path (about 3 km of walking in all). We take you through the route step by step.
FindCastles and heritage
Rated 4.5 out of 5, 48 reviews
Jenzat
Bourbonnais village church with a cycle of 15th-century wall paintings almost entirely preserved. Free self-guided visit.
Waterfalls
Rated 4.6 out of 5, 27 reviews
Collandres
The Véronne plunges into a small basalt cirque near the D63, between Apchon and Collandres. A purpose-built viewpoint puts you in the front row.
Castles and heritage
Rated 4.4 out of 5, 155 reviews
Mauriac
The largest Romanesque building in the Cantal and its 12th-century Black Virgin.
FindMuseums
Rated 4.5 out of 5, 37 reviews
Aubière
The museum in Aubière, where you realise Clermont was ringed with vineyards: presses, large casks, winemakers' tools. Open to all, a one-hour visit.
Waterfalls
Rated 4.4 out of 5, 295 reviews
Arfeuilles
The Cascade de la Pisserote, in the Barbenan gorges upstream of Arfeuilles: a private site, in the heart of the Montagne Bourbonnaise.
Gorges
Rated 4.5 out of 5, 115 reviews
Enval
A wooded cleft where the Ambène tumbles down in rapids and waterfalls, a stone's throw from Riom. Shaded, green and properly wild.
FindHikes
Rated 4.5 out of 5, 33 reviews
Murat
Hiking trail in Murat. Short, waymarked climb, with a view over the lauze (stone slab) roofs and the Alagnon valley.
Waterfalls
Rated 4.4 out of 5, 109 reviews
Cheylade
Thirty metres of drop into a basalt cirque at the foot of the Puy Mary, a few minutes' walk from the car park.
Waterfalls
Rated 4.3 out of 5, 463 reviews
Nébouzat
At Nébouzat, the Gigeole forces its way through an old lava flow and breaks into three falls. Twenty minutes' walk there and back.
Lakes
Rated 4.3 out of 5, 245 reviews
Saint-Front
A volcanic crater filled with water at 1,236 m, the highest lake in Haute-Loire. A walk round it in an hour, with the Mézenc massif as a backdrop.
Gorges
Rated 4.4 out of 5, 74 reviews
Saint-Floret
The river that runs down from the Monts Dore to the Allier: just under fifty kilometres, through Besse, Saurier and Saint-Floret, a village tucked against the rock by the water.
Nature reserves
Rated 4.4 out of 5, 178 reviews
Pérignat-sur-Allier
Former gravel pits turned bird refuge on the edge of Clermont: ponds, hides and 227 recorded species along the Allier.
Viewpoints
Rated 4.5 out of 5, 4 reviews
Saint-Paul-de-Salers
A ridge summit above the Maronne and Aspre valleys, reached on foot from the Col de Néronne. Almost no one up there.
Unusual experiences
Rated 4.5 out of 5, 42 reviews
Saint-Martin-de-Fugères
A naturally sparkling, iron-rich spring on the bank of the wild Loire, bottled until 1914 and reached on foot from Les Salles.
Paddle, kayak and water sports
Rated 4.2 out of 5, 634 reviews
Aurec-sur-Loire
A lake on the Loire on the doorstep of Saint-Etienne: pedalos, paddleboards, canoes and large green spaces.
Lakes
Rated 4.5 out of 5, 30 reviews
Trémouille
The largest natural lake of glacial origin in the Massif Central, sitting on the Artense plateau. Swimming is not allowed: you come for the walk round the lake, fishing and picnics.
Lakes
Rated 4.4 out of 5, 131 reviews
Compains
A crescent-shaped volcanic lake, curled up against its cone, at the end of a Cézallier path. Swimming is not allowed: it is a drinking water reserve.
Viewpoints
Rated 4.3 out of 5, 143 reviews
La Bourboule
A forest plateau above La Bourboule: a view over the valley, forest walks, a Nordic area in winter, and the memory of a water-counterweight funicular.
Waterfalls
Rated 4.4 out of 5, 97 reviews
Le Fau
In the Aspre valley, the Pissa del Coin drops 15 metres in one go, in the woods above La Bastide. A wide waterfall with a strong flow, reached via the GR400.
Waterfalls
Rated 4.4 out of 5, 91 reviews
Gelles
A staircase leads down the right bank of the Gelles stream, which leaps over the rock between the village and La Miouze. Twenty minutes' walk, signposted access.
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