Basilique Notre-Dame du Port

The Port district sits just below the black cathedral, and it holds one of the finest chapters of Auvergne Romanesque art. Notre-Dame du Port was raised in the 12th century in Montpeyroux arkose, that pale golden stone that catches the light while the cathedral goes for dark.

Free entry, open every day from 9:00 to 18:00. Inside, head straight for the choir and its historiated capitals: biblical scenes carved in stone, one of them signed by its sculptor. The crypt shelters the Black Virgin, at the heart of an ancient pilgrimage. Outside, save the east end for last: its stepped apsidioles (small apses) are the calling card of Auvergne Romanesque.

Listed as a Monument Historique as early as 1840, inscribed on the UNESCO list in 1998 as part of the Routes of Santiago de Compostela. Every May, the Notre-Dame du Port procession makes its way down through the district, a tradition that began in the 17th century.

Our take, honestly: the cathedral draws every eye, but the Port is the other visit you shouldn't skip. Ten minutes' walk separates the two, and the contrast between pale Romanesque and dark Gothic is worth the stroll on its own.