Why come to Auvergne in autumn
In mid-September the summer visitors leave. In mid-November the skiing hasn't arrived yet. In between, you get two months when Auvergne looks like what it really is: russet volcanoes, golden beech woods, deserted lakes, the terraces of fermes-auberges (farm inns). For the express version by département, the autumn page gives you the essentials.
Three things to know before you book:
- Weather: a mix of sun and fog. The Sancy ridge can be in cloud while the lakes below are in sunshine. Always pack a fleece and a windproof jacket.
- Accommodation: book early for the Toussaint weekend (the autumn school holidays).
- Roads: the road over the Col de la Croix Saint-Robert (RD 36) needs winter equipment on your car and can be closed to traffic.
When to come: the week-by-week calendar
| Period | What's happening | Where to go first |
|---|---|---|
| 22 Sept → 5 Oct | Colours still green, first frosts, the deer rut | Forêt de Tronçais (Allier), Hautes Terres (Cantal) |
| 6 → 19 Oct | Peak colours in mid-altitude mountains (1,000-1,400 m) | Sancy, Chaudefour valley, Artense |
| 20 Oct → 2 Nov | Peak in the lowlands + the Toussaint weekend | Mandailles valley, Sioule gorges, Saint-Flour |
| 3 Nov → 16 Nov | Colours faded at altitude, sublime in the valleys | Allier (Charroux, Hérisson), Haute-Loire (Lignon gorges) |
| 17 Nov → 30 Nov | First snowflakes on the Sancy, absolute low season | Spa towns (Vichy, Chaudes-Aigues), restaurants open |
The 8 experiences to go for
1. See the volcanoes of the Puy de Dôme under an October sky
When the air cools, visibility soars. From the summit of the Puy de Dôme, on a clear October day, the view carries a long way. The rack railway (Panoramique des Dômes) runs every 40 minutes from 9:00 to 19:00 until 1 November 2026, then every hour from 10:00 to 17:00. In November 2026, it does not run on Mondays and Tuesdays, nor from 16 to 20 November (maintenance).
Tip: go up early (first train at 9:00 in October 2026). The inversion layer of cloud that covers the Limagne plain in the morning is a show in itself.
2. The Lac Pavin loop under golden beeches
A 2.7 km loop, 93 m of ascent, easy level. The Lac Pavin loop in the second half of October is a circle of gold around black water. Allow 1 hour without rushing. The path is a walking path, not suitable for pushchairs.
Combine it with Besse-et-Saint-Anastaise (a medieval town 4 km away), where several bars still open their terraces if the sun is beating down.
3. The waterfalls of Le Mont-Dore
Autumn is waterfall season in Auvergne. The September rains refill them, and the falling leaves open up the views. Two walks starting from Le Mont-Dore, both doable in half a day:
- Cascade du Queureuilh: 2 km from the centre of Le Mont-Dore towards La Bourboule, from the landscaped cemetery car park, route de Prends-Toi-Garde. With its neighbour, the Cascade du Rossignolet, allow about 1 hour for the round trip.
- Grande Cascade: the classic, a drop of around thirty metres. Allow 1 hour 45 for the round trip from the bandstand in the town centre, 269 m of ascent. Access is not allowed from 15 November to 1 April under a municipal order: in 2026, the path is open until 14 November.
Boots or waterproof shoes. The path gets slippery with mud from mid-October.
4. Listening to the deer rut (le brame)
The brame is the call of rutting stags, from mid-September to around mid-October. It is a powerful thing to hear, as long as you follow a few rules: stay silent, don't get close, don't use torches.
Two areas where listening is organised:
- Forêt de Tronçais (Allier): the rut listening hide, in plot 336, takes 12 people at most. You reach it along the ligne verte forest road, closed to vehicles, from the RD 978A. In 2026, the Bouteille forest road, between the Rond du Chevreuil and the Rond de la Croix de Vitray, is reserved for walkers and cyclists from 14 September and reopens to cars on 19 October. To listen on foot, park at the Rond du Chevreuil and the Rond de Vitray.
- Hautes Terres (Cantal): night-time outings led by professionals, by booking only.
Ideal time: nightfall.
5. A warm soak when it's cold outside
Vichy, Chaudes-Aigues, La Bourboule, Le Mont-Dore: Auvergne has several spa towns. In autumn, if you're not on a medical spa cure, you can bathe at Vichy and Chaudes-Aigues:
- Vichy (Allier): at the Célestins Spa Thermal, the Pass Thermal gives half-day access to the giant thermal-water bath, naturally warm (about 34 °C), the hammam and the saunas: €40 per person in 2026, Monday to Friday only, from age 16.
- Chaudes-Aigues (Cantal): the Caleden thermal leisure centre is open from 7 February 2026 to 3 January 2027, closed on Thursdays; children aged 6 to 15 are only admitted on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The Chaudes-Aigues spring comes out at 82 °C, the hottest in Europe.
- La Bourboule and Le Mont-Dore: these are medical spas, and their 2026 season ends early: on 31 October at the Grands Thermes de La Bourboule (open since 6 April) and on 4 November at the Thermes du Mont-Dore (open since 2 April, closed on Sundays).
Pair it with a cheese-based meal in the evening: a warm bath + truffade in an inn is what Auvergne does best in the off-season.
6. Markets and the chestnut fair
The Allier and the Forez are mushroom country. If you're not a forager (and that's probably for the best: identification is a job for a pharmacist, not an app), head for the markets.
- Charroux market (Allier): food market on Sunday mornings, Place de l'Église, on 11 and 25 October, then 8 and 22 November 2026.
- Saint-Flour market (Cantal): Saturday mornings in the upper town, Place de la Halle aux Bleds and in the lanes; from November to the end of March, it is held inside the Halle aux Bleds.
For chestnuts, head for the Cantal: the 35th Mourjou Chestnut Fair takes place on Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 October 2026. Buy direct from producers through the open farms (the Bienvenue à la Ferme network).
7. The spa towns in “off” mode
Vichy in November is another town. The summer strollers have gone, and the Parc des Sources is left to the locals. The town stays alive (Vichy pastilles, the Opera, the Source des Célestins) without the queue.
As for restaurants in Vichy: La Table d'Antoine, L'Opportun, Bistrot Le Victoria. Book the day before; tables are still hard to get on Fridays and Saturdays.
In Clermont-Ferrand, almost all the restaurants stay open. Good places for a hot meal after a day's walking: the Brasserie le Dôme (Centre Jaude) or La Régalade.
8. Salers and the Cantal in golden stone
Salers in November is an almost empty town. You spend 30 minutes going round the streets without meeting anyone, and you discover how AOP cantal (protected designation of origin) is made at the dairy cooperative in Saint-Bonnet-de-Salers.
If you're heading up towards the Plomb du Cantal, stop at La Grange de la Haute Vallée: a farm that makes its own AOP cheeses (salers, cantal, bleu d'Auvergne) and sells them in its shop, on the D926, 900 m from Murat towards Saint-Flour.
What to eat in Auvergne in autumn
| Speciality | Why in autumn | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|
| Truffade | Comforting after a cold walk | All the inns in the Cantal mountains |
| Pounti | Sweet-and-savoury (pork, chard, prunes), brings summer into the winter | Aurillac, Saint-Flour |
| Farmhouse Saint-Nectaire | Maturing cellars to visit at the producers' | Saint-Nectaire, Besse |
| Aligot du Cantal | Potato + fresh tome, stretched out at the farms in autumn | Plomb du Cantal, Châtaigneraie |
| Green Puy lentil (AOP) | Harvested between July and September, slow-cooked dishes all winter | Le Puy-en-Velay markets |
| Potato pâté (pâté aux pommes de terre) | The Sunday family dish in the Bourbonnais | Allier, everywhere |
For Saint-Nectaire, read our dedicated guide Saint-Nectaire AOP: where to taste it, where to see it maturing.
Accommodation: where to sleep in the off-season
- Gîtes and chambres d'hôtes (B&Bs): book through Gîtes de France or directly by phone.
- Spa-town hotels: Vichy, La Bourboule, Le Mont-Dore.
What to pack
For an autumn stay:
- Fleece + windproof jacket: essential, even if the forecast says 18°.
- Waterproof shoes: leaves + rain = muddy paths from mid-October.
- Head torch: night falls fast, at 18:00 in early November.
- Swimsuit: for the thermal baths. Sandals for the changing rooms.
- Weather app: Météociel or the Météo-France app, to check that same morning when you're in the mountains.
To go further
If you want to structure a weekend or three days: Auvergne in 3 days: the practical itinerary from Clermont still works in autumn, simply swapping the swim at Lac Chambon for a stop at a Saint-Nectaire maturing cellar.
To dig into the villages theme: The most beautiful villages in Auvergne: 10 towns worth a real stop.
For the lakes and their easy loops, to do in autumn without kitting yourself out: Lakes in Auvergne: 12 crater, dammed or glacial lakes.