Auvergne, a region you have to earn and that repays a hundredfold
Auvergne is not a destination that gives itself up straight away. What you find there: a landscape shaped by volcanoes, five cheeses under protected designation of origin, Romanesque buildings that specialists cite as references, and spa towns inherited from the 19th century that have kept their architecture.
The classic problem for a first-time visitor: Auvergne is vast, the distances between sites are real, and trying to see everything in two days ends in exhaustion. So this guide offers four distinct itineraries, each built around a specific interest. Choose one, stick to it, and you'll leave with clear memories rather than a string of rushed stops.
Itinerary 1: Nature and wide open volcanic spaces
Who it's for: lovers of hiking, open panoramas and quiet forests.
Saturday is spent in the Volcans d'Auvergne Regional Nature Park, Sunday in the Montagne bourbonnaise. You don't need to be a seasoned hiker to enjoy it, but you have to be willing to walk and leave the car in the car park.
Saturday morning: the Bois de la Reine, Besse side
First walk: the Bois de la Reine trail, a 4.8 km loop starting from the Besse tourist office, in the Parc des Volcans d'Auvergne. Allow 2 hours for this route of moderate difficulty, which can be done with an all-terrain pushchair.
Saturday afternoon: Saint-Nectaire and the Saillant waterfall
On the way down to Saint-Nectaire, stop at the Saillant waterfall, 1 km from the village of Saint-Nectaire in the direction of Issoire: you reach it from the main road, then turn right in the hamlet of Saillant. The Couze Chambon runs through a lava flow there, creating a waterfall 7 metres high. Car park and picnic area on site; swimming is strictly forbidden both upstream and downstream of the waterfall.
Sunday: Rocher Saint-Vincent, Allier side
For a change of scenery, head up into the Montagne bourbonnaise to the Rocher Saint-Vincent, on the D995, 2 km north of Lavoine. This 925-metre rock rises above the Sichon valley, and an orientation table helps you read the landscape. The raven, a protected species, nests on the main rock: don't disturb it, especially from January to June. Plan to be there late in the afternoon: the low light over the valley justifies the wait.
Itinerary 2: Gastronomy and local produce markets
Who it's for: travellers who plan their trips around meals, markets and producers.
Auvergne has five cheeses with AOP status: Saint-Nectaire, Cantal, Salers, Bleu d'Auvergne and Fourme d'Ambert. It's a solid starting point for building a weekend around the table.
Saturday morning: Vichy covered market
The Vichy covered market, whose hall dates from 1935, brings together local producers offering charcuterie, Auvergne cheeses and locally grown vegetables. It's the most direct place to taste the terroir in a single stop, without having to string together several stages. Arrive early to choose at your own pace.
Saturday afternoon: Hall des Sources, Vichy
Vichy lends itself to half a day of wandering. At the Hall des Sources, a gallery with metal architecture built in 1903, access is free and the water from the Célestins spring can be tasted for free; the hall's other springs are reserved for curistes (people taking the cure).
Saturday evening: Clermont-Ferrand, Les Canailles
If you end your day on the Clermont-Ferrand side, Les Canailles, a wine bistro on the place du Marché-aux-Poissons, in old Clermont, is a good place to make the evening last.
Sunday lunch: Le Numéro Trois, Clermont-Ferrand
For Sunday lunch, Le Numéro Trois, an Italian restaurant that has been in Clermont-Ferrand since 1991 (38 rue Georges-Clemenceau), serves artisan pizza and fresh homemade pasta: generous, home-style cooking. It isn't Auvergne gastronomy, but the place lives up to its promise.
Itinerary 3: Romanesque heritage and medieval history
Who it's for: lovers of architecture and history.
Auvergne has a dense Romanesque heritage, particularly in the Clermont-Ferrand, Riom, Issoire triangle. This weekend focuses on two complementary sites: an abbey church with sculpted capitals, then the château of the dukes of Bourbon.
Saturday: Abbey of Mozac
The abbey of Mozac, near Riom, is a Benedictine abbey whose abbey church, partly rebuilt in Gothic style after the destruction of the 15th century, is known for its sculpted Romanesque capitals. The Resurrection capital is regularly cited in books on Romanesque art. The treasury holds the shrine of Saint Calmin, a piece of Limousin enamelwork. The Pays d'art et d'histoire Riom Limagne et Volcans offers guided tours there of the nave, the capitals, the treasury and the lapidary museum.
Take the time to look at these capitals, some of them carved with narrative scenes: they are among the most significant ensembles of religious sculpture in Auvergne.
Sunday (Saturday from September to February): Château des Ducs de Bourbon, Montluçon
The Château des Ducs de Bourbon overlooks Montluçon from the heights of the old town. Completed in the 15th century by Louis II of Bourbon and his sons, it reopened in November 2025 as a museum open to the town and its history, which also hosts exhibitions. From 1 September to 28 February, it welcomes you Tuesday to Saturday, from 10:00 to 17:00: in those months, it is closed on Sunday. From 1 April to 31 August, it welcomes you Tuesday to Sunday, from 10:00 to 18:00. Annual closure in March. Full price: €6.50 (2025-2026 rates).
Montluçon's old town deserves an hour's stroll after the château visit. The medieval quarter gathers its half-timbered houses around the château.
Itinerary 4: Thermal relaxation and the spa town
Who it's for: travellers who want to slow down or simply discover 19th-century resort architecture.
Vichy is the central destination of this itinerary. The spa town has inherited a town plan specific to cure resorts: parks, galleries, Belle Époque façades, and that particular atmosphere of towns where people come to look after themselves.
Saturday: Vichy, from the market hall to the springs
Start at the 1935 covered market for breakfast or provisions. Then move on to the Hall des Sources, where the water from the Célestins spring can be tasted for free. Take the time to wander through the parks alongside the Allier. In the afternoon, explore the town's spa architecture on foot. The façades, the glazed galleries and the buildings linked to the history of the cure form a coherent ensemble that you appreciate better walking than driving.
Sunday: Royat, a spa town above Clermont
Royat is a spa town perched above Clermont-Ferrand, in a wooded setting. The Parc Thermal de Royat, freely accessible all year round, runs alongside the Tiretaine: a spa building from the 1850s, the Eugénie drinking fountain (buvette) with its bluish mosaics, remains of Gallo-Roman baths. The walk gives an idea of what Royat represented at its peak as a resort destination.
Practical address book
Where to eat and have a drink
- Les Canailles, place du Marché-aux-Poissons, Clermont-Ferrand. Wine bistro in old Clermont.
- Le Numéro Trois, Clermont-Ferrand. Italian restaurant since 1991, artisan pizza and fresh homemade pasta.
- Le Grand Marché de Vichy, the covered hall and its hundred or so traders, Tuesday to Sunday morning.
Natural sites
- Bois de la Reine trail, 4.8 km loop starting from the Besse tourist office (2 hours).
- Saillant waterfall, hamlet of Saillant, Saint-Nectaire. Free access, car park and picnic area, swimming strictly forbidden.
- Rocher Saint-Vincent, on the D995, 2 km north of Lavoine (Montagne bourbonnaise). Altitude: 925 m. Free access every day in 2026, free car park.
Heritage
- Abbey of Mozac, Mozac (near Riom). Guided tours offered by the Pays d'art et d'histoire Riom Limagne et Volcans.
- Château des Ducs de Bourbon, Montluçon. Tuesday to Saturday 10:00 to 17:00 from 1 September to 28 February, Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 18:00 from 1 April to 31 August; annual closure in March. Full price €6.50 (2025-2026 rates).
Thermal baths and experiences
- Hall des Sources, Vichy. Free access, free tasting of the water from the Célestins spring.
- Parc Thermal de Royat, place Allard, Royat. Free access, all year round.
How do you choose your itinerary?
If this is your first weekend in Auvergne and you're coming from far away, the nature itinerary (volcanoes, forests, Rocher Saint-Vincent) gives the most representative picture of the area. If you've been before and want to go deeper, the heritage itinerary, from Mozac to Montluçon, is the right choice. Gastronomy and spa tradition combine naturally with any of the other itineraries: Vichy is a stop in its own right, not just an interlude.
