Département 43
Haute-Loire
Volcanoes, pilgrimage and green lentils: Haute-Loire will surprise you.
Haute-Loire is a film set that doesn't know it: the volcanic pinnacles of the Velay crowned with chapels, the cathedral of Le Puy-en-Velay at the start of the Way of St James (the Camino de Santiago), the deep gorges of the Allier and of the young Loire, which rises nearby, in Ardèche. This is secret, vertical, luminous Auvergne.
You come here to climb the Aiguilhe rock, walk on the Mézenc, follow the young Loire from the Gerbier de Jonc, or stop over on the Via Podiensis. Le Puy-en-Velay, a Ville d'art et d'histoire (a national label for towns of art and history), packs in the essentials and makes a perfect base.
We've sorted the department by what you're in the mood for: Le Puy and the Way of St James, the Mézenc and the volcanoes of the Velay, rivers and swimming, where to eat, where to sleep. Each section points you to the places we've picked.
Le Puy-en-Velay and the Way of St James
Le Puy-en-Velay means the Cathédrale Notre-Dame, UNESCO-listed as part of the Routes of Santiago de Compostela, the Notre-Dame de France statue on top of its rock, and the Chapelle Saint-Michel d'Aiguilhe perched on a volcanic pinnacle. All around, Brioude and its Romanesque basilica, La Chaise-Dieu and its abbey church.
The Mézenc and the volcanoes of the Velay
Mont Mézenc (1,753 m) towers over a plateau of volcanic sucs (the local name for these steep domes). Right next door, on the Ardèche side, the Gerbier de Jonc marks the source of the Loire. The Allier and Loire gorges offer deep-cut landscapes, crossed by the GR470 trail and a tourist train line.
Rivers, lakes and swimming
Lac du Bouchet, a perfectly round crater set in the forest, is the department's spot for swimming and walking. The Allier and the Loire are good for canoeing and fishing. Plenty to cool off after a day of walking.
Where to eat well
The green lentil from Le Puy, the first lentil in France to get AOP status (protected designation of origin), is the local pride. Add fin gras du Mézenc meat, Verveine du Velay as a liqueur and the restaurants that cook with these products, and you've got real local cuisine.
Where to sleep
A hotel in Le Puy-en-Velay, a gîte d'étape (walkers' hostel) on the Way of St James, a campsite by a lake: Haute-Loire is used to welcoming walkers and the curious. For the Way of St James, book your stages ahead in summer.
When to go
From May to October for the Mézenc, the gorges and the Way of St James (most walkers set off in spring and in September). In winter, the Mézenc plateau switches to cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Le Puy-en-Velay can be visited all year round.
How long to stay
One day for Le Puy-en-Velay and its pinnacles. Two to three days to add the Mézenc, the Gerbier de Jonc and the gorges. More if you walk a stretch of the Way of St James.
Getting there
Le Puy-en-Velay is linked by train (via Saint-Étienne) and by road from Clermont, Lyon or Saint-Étienne. The department is mountainous: plan on a car for the Mézenc and the villages, and leave some slack in your travel times.
Places to see in Haute-Loire
Castles and heritage · Le Puy-en-Velay
Le Puy Cathedral
The UNESCO-listed cathedral of Le Puy-en-Velay. Black Virgin, pilgrims' mass for the Via Podiensis, Romanesque architecture with Byzantine influences.
Gorges · Prades
Gorges de l'Allier
80 km of wild canyon in the Haut-Allier, between basalt cliffs and villages clinging to the rock.
Swimming spots · Cayres
Lac du Bouchet
An almost perfectly round crater at 1,205 m altitude, straddling Cayres and Le Bouchet-Saint-Nicolas. Lifeguarded swimming in July and August, a 3 km walk around the lake, easy with the family.
Castles and heritage · Aiguilhe
Rocher Saint-Michel d'Aiguilhe
A 10th-century chapel perched on an 82 m volcanic pinnacle, reached by 268 steps.
Questions about Haute-Loire
What is there to see in Le Puy-en-Velay?
The Cathédrale Notre-Dame and its cloister (UNESCO), the Chapelle Saint-Michel d'Aiguilhe on top of its pinnacle (268 steps), the Notre-Dame de France statue and the old town. Allow a full day, more if you're setting off on the Way of St James.
Where is the source of the Loire?
At the foot of the Gerbier de Jonc, a volcanic suc in the Mézenc massif, on the Ardèche side: the Loire rises just outside Haute-Loire, then flows through it. You can climb to the top (about 30 minutes) and visit the source farms (fermes-sources) around it.
What is Haute-Loire's speciality?
The green lentil from Le Puy, the only AOP lentil in France, grown on the volcanic plateaus. You'll also find fin gras du Mézenc (AOP meat) and Verveine du Velay.