Auvergne in 5 days
In the middle of France, some 80 dormant volcanoes line up along the Chaîne des Puys, a UNESCO World Heritage site. You ride a rack railway to the top of the Puy de Dôme, look down into the deep blue of Lac Pavin, then taste Salers cheese in the mountain huts of the Cantal. Green, volcanic country that the crowds have mostly left alone.
The plan, day by day
Day 1
- Morning
Puy de Dômeabout 2 hThe 1,465-metre giant of the Chaîne des Puys, reached in 15 minutes by rack railway or on foot along the old mule path.
Day 2
- All day
Vulcaniaa full dayA volcano theme park among the puys, mixing rides and simulators with real science that works for teenagers and parents alike.
Day 3
- Morning
Clermont-Ferrandfree · about 2 hThe regional capital, with a black Gothic cathedral of Volvic lava stone and the UNESCO-listed Romanesque basilica of Notre-Dame-du-Port.
- Afternoon
Saint-Nectairefree · about 2 hA village with a fine Romanesque church, a spa and the cheese of the same name, plus cave cellars and petrifying springs to visit.
- Late afternoon
Lac Pavinfree · about 1 hA round crater lake, 92 metres deep, left by the youngest volcano in mainland France; a shaded path circles it in an easy hour.
Day 4
- Morning
Puy Maryfree · about 1 hThe pyramid-shaped peak of the Cantal, climbed in 30 minutes by steps from the Pas de Peyrol, with glacial valleys fanning out below.
- Afternoon
Salersfree · about 1 hA village of turreted houses in black lava stone at 950 metres, its ramparts looking out over the Cantal hills and lyre-horned Salers cows.
Day 5
- Morning
Le Puy-en-Velayhalf a dayA town on volcanic pinnacles where the Way of St James begins: climb 268 steps to Saint-Michel d'Aiguilhe, then see the UNESCO-listed cathedral.
Where to sleep in Auvergne
- Hôtel Albert Elisabeth · €65 a night
- Artyster · €75 a night
- Hôtel Beaulieu · €65 a night
- Hôtel Littéraire Alexandre Vialatte · €125 a night
- Hôtel Le Lion · €115 a night
- Hostellerie du Beffroy · €120 a night
- Hôtel Radio · €190 a night
- Princesse Flore · €230 a night
- Hôtel Mildiss · €170 a night
Plan this trip
Hotel prices per room per night, checked when written. Some links are affiliate links: we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.