Things to do in the Puy-de-Dôme
The Puy-de-Dôme is the département of volcanoes. Not distant or theoretical volcanoes: a chain of 80 cones in a row that you can see from Clermont, that you climb on foot or by train, and one of which has a Roman temple at its summit. The Chaîne des Puys and the Limagne fault have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2018. To pick your summits and plan your day, our guide to the volcanoes of Auvergne covers the whole chain. Around it, a real city (Clermont-Ferrand), a high mountain massif (the Sancy), five Romanesque churches among the finest in France, and hot water pretty much everywhere. Here's how not to miss any of it.
The Puy-de-Dôme at a glance
- The volcanoes: the Chaîne des Puys, 80 volcanoes over 32 km, the youngest volcanic group in mainland France (the last one became extinct 8,400 years ago). UNESCO-listed in 2018.
- The city: Clermont-Ferrand, built in black lava stone, the birthplace of Michelin.
- The mountains: the Sancy massif to the south, with the Puy de Sancy (1,885 m), the roof of the Massif Central.
- The season: all year round. Hiking and volcanoes from April to November, skiing in winter in the Sancy, thermal baths all year.
1. The Chaîne des Puys, UNESCO-listed
The Puy de Dôme (1,465 m) is the giant of the chain. You reach the summit on foot by the Muletiers path (45 minutes to an hour's climb from the Col de Ceyssat) or effortlessly by rack railway, the Panoramique des Dômes. At the top, a panorama over the whole chain and the remains of the Temple of Mercury, a Gallo-Roman sanctuary. It's also one of the finest paragliding sites in France: Action Parapente takes off from the summit. Right next door, the Puy de Pariou shows the most perfect crater of the massif, which you reach by a wooden staircase.
2. The volcanoes you can visit
To understand volcanism without walking: Vulcania, the volcano theme park (allow the whole day), and the Volcan de Lemptégy, a real volcano that you visit on foot or by little train, shorter and rawer. The two are five minutes from each other, in the heart of the Parc naturel régional des Volcans d'Auvergne, the largest regional nature park in mainland France.
3. The Sancy massif
To the south, high mountains. The Puy de Sancy, 1,885 m, can be climbed by cable car or on foot. The cable car is closed for works from 31 August to 18 December 2026: during that period, it will be on foot. The Chaudefour valley reserve offers the finest hike in the area, and Lac Chambon is the family swimming spot of the summer. Don't miss the viewpoint over the Roches Tuilière and Sanadoire, two volcanic pinnacles facing each other. For the details, we have a dedicated guide: the best things to do in Le Mont-Dore.
4. Clermont-Ferrand
The capital of Auvergne is a city to explore on foot. The old town, all in black Volvic stone, revolves around its cathedral and the Notre-Dame-du-Port basilica, Romanesque and UNESCO-listed as part of the Santiago de Compostela pilgrim routes. Take a breather at the Jardin Lecoq, dive into the history of the tyre at L'Aventure Michelin, or into painting at the Musée d'Art Roger-Quilliot.
5. The five major Romanesque churches
Romanesque art in Auvergne is a school in its own right, and the Puy-de-Dôme has most of it. Three masterpieces you really have to see: the Orcival basilica, the church of Saint-Nectaire set on its hill, and the Saint-Austremoine abbey church in Issoire with its colourful capitals. With Notre-Dame-du-Port in Clermont and the church of Saint-Saturnin, they make up the five major Romanesque churches of Auvergne.
6. Thermal baths and wellbeing
In Auvergne, there's no shortage of chances to settle into hot water. A stone's throw from Clermont, the Royatonic in Royat, modern and open to day visitors. In the Sancy, the Thermes du Mont-Dore and their neo-Byzantine architecture.
7. Castles, villages and craftsmanship
- The Château de Murol, a medieval fortress on its basalt promontory, with costumed entertainment in summer.
- The Château de Tournoël in Volvic, one of the finest feudal ruins in the region.
- Cutlery in Thiers, the French capital of the knife since the Middle Ages.
- Montpeyroux and Usson, two of the Plus Beaux Villages de France (the Most Beautiful Villages of France), and the village of Saint-Floret, to explore on foot over an afternoon.
- The Grotte de la Pierre de Volvic, to understand where the region's black stone comes from.
8. Swimming and the outdoors
The département is dotted with volcanic lakes: Lac Chambon and Lac d'Aydat for supervised swimming (at Aydat, the Sauteyras beach has been under works since September 2026, and supervised swimming is announced there for summer 2027), Lac Pavin for its almost perfect circle, the Gour de Tazenat in the north for its low profile. To choose, see our tour of the volcanic lakes and our best spots for wild swimming.
Where to eat, where to stay
Clermont-Ferrand is where most of the choice is: bistros, regional-cuisine restaurants and places with a younger feel around place de Jaude and the Saint-Pierre market. For a nature weekend, aim instead for the villages of the Sancy (Murol, Besse) or of the Chaîne des Puys.
When to come
April to June and September to October for the volcanoes without the crowds or the heat. July and August for swimming and events, but book. Winter for skiing in the Sancy and at Super-Besse, and thermal baths all year.
To wrap up
The Puy-de-Dôme is Auvergne in a nutshell: volcanoes you climb, a city with character, Romanesque art and hot water, all within 100 km. If you only have one day, climb the Puy de Dôme at sunrise, then head back down to Clermont. If you have a weekend, add the Sancy.
