La Bourboule, located on either side of the Dordogne river at an altitude of 850 metres, is both a spa resort known for its curative water and an approved Green Resort (resort paying particular attention to its natural environment) and Station Kid (resort making childrens' facilities and activities a priority). It attracts a large number of spa patients and even more kids! Les Grands Thermes thermal baths, featuring typical belle-époque architecture, specialises in treating respiratory and skin conditions. It also offers well-being and fitness breaks.

Not far from the baths is the charming Parc Fenestre, a beautiful wooded park to wander round and relax in.

The spa resort's very green surroundings are a favourite destination for walking fans who go there for sites like La Vernière and Plat à Barbe waterfalls, and Banne d'Ordanche and Roche Vendeix mountains.

Le Mont-Dore is both a spa resort and a winter sports resort in a particularly attractive natural setting surrounded by beautiful mountains. This peaceful destination is perfect for both fans of relaxation, thanks to its well-being centre, and sporty types, offering numerous hiking trails in summer and a ski resort on the north side of the Puy de Sancy mountain in winter.

Puy de Sancy mountain, part of the Dore mountain range in the Auvergne Volcanic Regional Nature Park, reaches an altitude of 1,886 metres, making it the highest peak in the Massif Central. Accessible during the summer season either via cable car or a path with 864 steps, the summit offers a magnificent view of the unspoiled landscapes of the Dore, Cézallier and Cantal mountains. In winter, Puy de Sancy's snowy slopes, which can be reached via the ski resorts of Super Besse and Le Mont-Dore, are very popular with skiers and snowboarders.

Built on a basalt outcrop overlooking the Couze valley and Chambon lake, the Château de Murol is a medieval fortress complete with keep, rampart walk, fortified gatehouse and towers. Modified over the centuries and bearing traces of the Wars of Religion, this listed historic building described by French writer George Sand in her novel Jean de la Roche is a must-see site for fans of medieval architecture.

Monday: 10:00 AM – 06:00 PM
Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 06:00 PM
Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 06:00 PM
Thursday: 10:00 AM – 06:00 PM
Friday: 10:00 AM – 06:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM – 06:00 PM
Sunday: 10:00 AM – 06:00 PM

Nestling in a peaceful, green setting in the heart of the Auvergne Volcanic Regional Nature Park between the Dôme and Dore mountains is Notre-Dame d'Orcival basilica, a masterpiece of Romanesque art built most likely at the start of the 12th century by the Counts of Auvergne and the Bishop of Clermont. It boasts a magnificent chevet and, inside, fantastic carved capitals and a striking statue of the Virgin in Majesty that attracts numerous pilgrims on Ascension Thursday. One of the most beautiful churches in the Auvergne!

Chambon lake is located in a beautiful wooded setting in the heart of the unspoiled scenery of the Auvergne Volcanic Regional Nature Park not far from Chaudefour valley and near the town of Chambon-sur-Lac. The calm water of this vast, 60-hectare lake attracts both sporty types and those looking for relaxation. Among the many activities on offer are swimming (supervised in July and August), canoeing, kayaking, windsurfing, fishing, walking and horse riding around the lake, a children's playground and pedalos. The ideal destination for both recharging your batteries and getting fit!

Famous for its cheese of character of the same name, the peaceful village of Saint-Nectaire in the Monts Dore mountain area is dominated by its superb 12th-century Auvergne Romanesque church built by the monks of La Chaise-Dieu abbey in honour of Saint-Nectaire. This listed historic monument houses no fewer than 103 stunning carved capitals, as well as a treasury containing, among others, a bust of St Baudime in gilt copper and one of the Virgin of Mt Cornadore. It is absolutely stunning!

At the foot of the church lies Saint-Nectaire-le-Bas, a spa town with over 40 springs, and the Maison du Saint-Nectaire cheese centre dedicated to the famous creamy cheese with hints of hazelnut.

With a surface area of 395,000 hectares, the Auvergne Volcanoes Regional Nature Park is the biggest Regional Nature Park in mainland France! Straddling the departments of Puy-de-Dôme and Cantal, this vast territory is ideal for hiking and contains four volcanic massifs, which are the Chaîne des Puys, the Mounts of Dore, the Cézallier and the Mounts of Cantal, as well as an old granite plateau, the Artense.

In the department of Puy-de-Dôme, nature-lovers must be sure to explore the Chaîne des Puys range, whose most famous - and most frequented - site is the Puy de Dôme. There are exceptional views of the Auvergne volcanoes from the top! Further south, the top of the Puy de Sancy also offers a superb view, of the Mounts of Dore landscapes this time.

The Tuilière and Sanadoire rocks (remains of ancient volcanoes separated by the Fontsalade Valley), Lake Guéry (the highest lake in Auvergne), the Chaudefour Valley and its nature reserve, the Chambon, Pavin and Aydat lakes, the peaceful Cézallier mountains, or Murol Castle and the Romanesque churches of Orcival and Saint-Nectaire are some of the places worth discovering.

Places to visit: Vulcania, the European volcanology park, located near the Puy de Lemptegy in the municipality of Saint-Ours-les-Roches. This is a fun and interactive information centre devoted to the world of volcanoes and volcanic phenomena around the world.

To find out more about the Auvergne Volcanoes Regional Nature Park, the Park House (Maison du Parc) at Montlosier Castle in Aydat offers plenty of information, exhibitions and themed hikes.

Aydat lake, located in the Dôme mountains in the Auvergne Volcanic Regional Nature Park, is the largest natural lake in the Auvergne and a special site that's a popular destination with holidaymakers and fans of water-based activities. Edged by wooded shores, a beach with amenities and a water sports centre, it offers numerous activities, including windsailing, kayaking, catamarans, dinghies and pedalos.

Enjoying a unique natural setting in the Sancy mountain area in the heart of the Auvergne Volcanic Regional Nature Park, the village of Besse-et-Saint-Anastaise features narrow paved streets, pretty boutiques and black lava stone houses with slate and lauze stone roofs. The medieval and Renaissance quarter is lovely to stroll around and home to historic buildings and monuments like the half-Romanesque, half-Gothic Saint-André church, which contains beautiful historiated capitals, the Maison de la Reine Margot, home to the Skiing museum (Musée du Ski), a bell tower and the Château du Bailli (former bailiff's castle). All this, as well as the many outdoor activities on offer in the surrounding countryside, make it an ideal destination for a summer or winter holiday.

As for fine food, Besse-et-Saint-Anastaise is located in the heart of AOC Saint-Nectaire production country. Attention all cheese lovers!

Nestling on the banks of the Bort-les-Orgues reservoir, in the municipality of Lanobre in Cantal, Val Castle is a beautiful medieval building from the 14th and 15th centuries, flanked by six pepper box towers with machicolations.

Once overlooking the Upper Dordogne Valley, before the dam was commissioned in 1952, the majestic Val fortress is now a very romantic sight, with its peninsula bathed by the lake's peaceful waters and its green surroundings.

A listed Historic Monument, the castle fort welcomes you for a guided or audioguide tour, a very special experience during which you will discover the Gothic chapel dedicated to St. Blaise, the monumental staircase, the beautiful Renaissance fireplaces, the wall walk and its splendid views of the surroundings, or the ceremonial courtyard planted with flowers.

In the vicinity of the castle, lovers of outdoor pursuits can enjoy a landscaped beach where bathing is supervised in July and August, and a water sports centre with pedalos, canoes, licence-free motor boats and inflatables. You can also take a boat cruise on the lake between May and September.

Monday: 10:00 AM – 12:00 AM, 02:00 PM – 06:00 PM
Tuesday: Fermé
Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 12:00 AM, 02:00 PM – 06:00 PM
Thursday: 10:00 AM – 12:00 AM, 02:00 PM – 06:00 PM
Friday: 10:00 AM – 12:00 AM, 02:00 PM – 06:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM – 12:00 AM, 02:00 PM – 06:00 PM
Sunday: 10:00 AM – 12:00 AM, 02:00 PM – 06:00 PM

The ski resort of Super Besse was built in 1961 and is located at an altitude of 1,350 metres on the south side of Puy de Sancy mountain not far from the village of Besse-et-Saint-Anastaise. Its ski area comprises both downhill and cross-country ski runs and has the benefit of being linked to the pistes of the resort of Le Mont-Dore. Super Besse also has a swimming pool and an ice rink.

Nestling in a pine, beech and spruce forest not far from Besse-et-Saint-Anastaise is a beautiful volcanic crater lake called Lac Pavin (surface area 44 hectares, depth 92 metres). Take the footpath surrounding the lake for a peaceful and very romantic hour-long walk. The water is teaming with trout so it's also a popular place for fishing enthusiasts.

Based in the Dordogne valley on the borders of Corrèze and Cantal, the municipality of Bort-les-Orgues has many attractions for lovers of the great outdoors. To the west of the small town, a remarkable geological curiosity called the Bort Columns (Orgues de Bort) has made the town famous. Towering majestically over the place, this giant cliff of over 2 kilometres in length by 80 to 100 metres in height makes for an astonishing sight with its impressive basalt columns, formed over 15 million years ago when a thick and viscous lava flow cooled down there. This famous natural site, whose peak is 789 metres above sea level, is also exceptional thanks to the amazing panorama it offers over the town of Bort-les-Orgues, the Dordogne valley and the Auvergne mountains! Belvederes and orientation tables can be reached by a small path and enable visitors to see the full extent of these stunning landscapes. The most daring can enjoy a spot of rock-climbing.

Bort-les-Orgues is also known for its large hydroelectric dam and its vast reservoir, which you can discover by exploring the northern part of the municipality. Not far from there, towards Lanobre, there are guided cruises on the lake from April to the end of September, departing from the pier at the foot of the magnificent Val castle.

Around two kilometres south-east of the town, a pleasant stroll through the countryside will take walkers to the lovely site of the Saut de la Saule.

The 1,465-metre-high Puy de Dôme is the symbol of the département and the highest volcano in the Chaîne des Puys mountain range. Part of the Monts Dôme range in the heart of the Massif Central mountain region, around 15km from the city of Clermont-Ferrand, this high peak is a designated "Great Site of France" and can be reached by foot via a Roman path from Col de Ceyssat pass or by cog railway. At the summit are ruins of a Gallo-Roman temple dedicated to Mercury, a meteorological observatory and a visitor information centre that includes a room devoted to volcanology. However, this natural site that has been dormant for around 12,000 years is above all worth visiting for its wonderful panoramic view, on a clear day, of the Chaîne des Puys, Monts Dore and Monts du Forez mountains, Clermont-Ferrand and its suburbs, and the Limagne plain. A footpath around the top with several viewpoint indicators is the perfect way for visitors to fully appreciate the beauty of the place.

The Puy de Dôme is also a favourite launching point for paragliding and hang-gliding enthusiasts.

The pearl of the Pays Vert, the little town of Condat, with its beautiful slate-roofed houses, is located in the north-east of Cantal, in the Auvergne Volcanoes Regional Nature Park, near Riom-ès-Montagnes and Super Besse. A listed green holiday resort, this pleasant health resort town benefits from a favourable location, between Puy Mary and Puy de Sancy, at the heart of a green, wooded valley.

In this idyllic natural setting where three rivers meet, leisure activities like fishing, horse-riding and hiking near the town await lovers of outdoor activities, not forgetting the natural sites nearby. These include the Cornillou falls in the middle of the woods, the picturesque Natura 2000-listed La Rhue gorges, which have their own footpath, and the national forest of Maubert and Gaulis, filled with fir and beech trees…

The old village of Saint-Saturnin, where the Counts of Auvergne once lived, towers above the Monne gorges from the top of a lava flow and has inspired a whole host of painters and writers. Its places of interest include a 12th-century Romanesque church topped with a fine octagonal bell tower, a medieval fortified castle that was once the property of the queens Catherine de Medici and Marguerite de Valois, a Renaissance fountain and picturesque narrow streets – all of which have contributed to it being recognised as one of France's Most Beautiful Villages.

The elegant spa resort of Royat, located west of Clermont-Ferrand, specialises in the treatment of osteoarthritis and cardio-arterial diseases.

It possesses a recreational well-being and spa centre, Royatonic, where the emphasis is on recharging your batteries through thermal baths, massage jets, steam rooms, saunas and jacuzzis.

A stop on the Route Historique des Châteaux d'Auvergne discovery trail, the Château de La Batisse near the village of Chanonat is an elegant 15th- to 18th-century, southern-French-style manor house flanked by round towers and surrounded by formal gardens by the school of French landscape architect Le Nôtre. The guided tour of the interior highlights beautiful 16th-, 17th- and 18th-century furniture, as well as frescoes and tapestries.

The gardens are on France's official "Remarkable Gardens" list and their water fountains, rock-work grottoes, plant maze, rose garden and waterfalls make them a lovely place to wander around.

Monday: 10:00 AM – 05:00 PM
Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 05:00 PM
Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 05:00 PM
Thursday: 10:00 AM – 05:00 PM
Friday: 10:00 AM – 05:00 PM
Saturday: Fermé
Sunday: 03:00 PM – 05:00 PM

An impressive belvedere with views of the Dordogne and Diège gorges, the famous site of Saint-Nazaire, in Corrèze, is located 12 kilometres to the west of Bort-les-Orgues, in the municipality of Saint-Julien-près-Bort.

Nestling amid the greenery, this remarkable place is named after a legend: St. Nazarius is said to have driven the devil from the place. He left a forked hoof print on a rock as he fled in long strides… The statue of the saint, erected in 1901, still watches over the site, and a pilgrimage in his honour was organised every September along the Way of the Cross that ends opposite the abyss.

The pleasant and restful site of Saint-Nazaire is easily accessible on foot: you have to allow for 15 minutes' walk from the car park to reach the belvedere. Once you arrive, you can enjoy a wonderful view of the confluence of the Dordogne and the Diège! A peaceful and verdant setting, ideal for a picnic in the countryside…

Formerly called Merdogne plateau, the vast Gergovie plateau, located 15 kilometres south of Clermont-Ferrand, is famous for being the site of the famous Battle of Gergovia that took place between Vercingetorix and Julius Caesar's armies in 52 BC. A commemorative monument erected by Napoleon III in honour of Vercingetorix stands on one edge of the plateau. From this site, there's a fantastic view of Clermont-Ferrand, its suburbs and the Limagne plain below.

Worth visiting: the Maison de Gergovie, an information centre devoted to the geology, archaeology and history of the plateau.

Two not-to-be-missed events take place on the plateau: Les Arverniales, a weekend-long archaeology festival every July that features living history displays of the Gallic period; and Cervolix, an impressive annual kite festival every second weekend of October.

Clermont-Ferrand enjoys an ideal location between the Limagne plain and the Chaîne des Puys mountain range. The capital of the Auvergne region and the birthplace of the famous French mathematician and philosopher Blaise Pascal, it boasts a rich heritage of numerous fine mansions, like the Hôtel de Fontfreyde, Hôtel Savaron and Hôtel de Chazerat, and beautiful religious buildings in the old town, including the Gothic Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption cathedral which is made of black lava stone from Volvic and has preserved superb original stained-glass windows, and the Romanesque Notre-Dame-du-Port basilica, a UNESCO World Heritage Site containing a striking choir decorated with carved capitals and a crypt with a Black Virgin that attracts a large number of pilgrims each year.

Strolling around Clermont's old quarter, visitors will also see Rue Pascal street, which is lined with elegant houses, the picturesque Rue des Gras and Rue des Chaussetiers streets, and pretty lava stone fountains like the fantastic Renaissance Fontaine d'Amboise.

A must-see is the immense Place de Jaude square with an equestrian statue of Vercingétorix by sculptor Bartholdi in its centre – it's the liveliest square in Clermont-Ferrand and the heart of the city's shopping district.

The Bargoin archaeology museum located near the pleasant Jardin Lecoq gardens houses prehistoric and Gallo-Roman collections of objects unearthed during excavations in the region, including a striking group of 1st-century wooden votive offerings found in a shrine at the mineral springs known as the Source des Roches (rock spring) in Chamalières.

Events not to be missed: the famous international short film festival, which takes places each year at the beginning of February, and the Montferrand medieval festivals every June.

The Cantal section of the Rhue, an Auvergne river whose source is near Super Besse, in the Auvergne Volcanoes Regional Nature Park, has a lovely surprise in store for nature-lovers.

Halfway between Condat and Bort-les-Orgues, you can see superb, verdant gorges with woodland-covered slopes, the Rhue gorges: a Natura 2000 site spanning over 1,000 hectares of extraordinary biodiversity, home to many protected plant species.

Ramblers will be able to enjoy their favourite pastime here along the footpaths. Drivers can also enjoy some lovely viewpoints by following the picturesque little gorge road along the river for ten kilometres or so.

Auvergne, a land of volcanoes, naturally wanted to offer the public an insight into the world of volcanism. It achieved this in 2002 by opening the Vulcania theme park, in the municipality of Saint-Ours in Puy-de-Dôme, around fifteen kilometres from Clermont-Ferrand.

Located in the middle of the Puys range at the heart of a Regional Natural Park - which led to objections by defenders of nature when the project was first announced - Vulcania is now an unmissable attraction for anyone wishing to discover and understand the mechanism of earthquakes and how our planet works.

This site dedicated to volcanology is half underground and conical in shape, like a volcano. It was dug into a 30,000-year-old lava flow.

It makes learning fun, thanks to the experiences on offer: 5D films, dynamic platforms, animatronics, interactive exhibitions, a scientific theatre, a tethered balloon and more. Vulcania also offers an expedition to learn about deep oceanic volcanism, aboard the bathyscaphe "Abyss Explorer" at depths of 2,500 metres; an encounter with the Jurassic giants; and a giant screen adventure about the lives of tornado hunters.

You might be bowled over by one of Vulcania's most popular attractions, a 4D animation that answers the following question: what would happen if the volcanoes of Auvergne were to re-awaken?

To complete the visit with an immersion in the site's environment, Vulcania offers visitors a scenic tour of around ten minutes aboard the "Volcanbul", a GPS-guided electric vehicle. For a more spectacular experience, climb aboard the "Ballon des Puys" tethered balloon to admire volcanic landscapes from 100 metres above ground, an attraction that's unique in Auvergne!

The famous Green Meridian runs through Ussel, a town in the last foothills of the Millevaches plateau in north-east Corrèze. Nestling on the borders of Auvergne and the Limousin, between the Diège and Sarsonne valleys, the welcoming small town invites you to discover its rich past through its historic monuments.

To discover Ussel's architectural heritage, head to the old centre, which has a series of old houses with turrets and elegant houses like the ducal house of the Ventadours built in the 16th century, a very beautiful Renaissance edifice built with stones from the ruined old castle… Also, don't miss the charming Pelauds fountain on Place Joffre, the Roman eagle on Place Voltaire, and a granite funerary sculpture dating from the 2nd-3rd century!

The Church of St. Martin is listed on the Inventory of Historic Monuments and was built in the 12th and 13th centuries. Its choir and chevet are typical of the Romanesque style and it houses some beautiful stalls from the 18th century as well as a polychrome wood Pietà dating from the 16th century.

A museum devoted to the history, arts and traditions of the Ussel area invites you to discover its collections, spread across several sites: the Bonnot de Bay mansion from the 18th century, with exhibits including tools from yesteryear, liturgical books and tapestries from Marche; the Moncourier-Beauregard house, which contains a reconstruction of a traditional Ussel home interior; the Imprimerie, an old house with a turret devoted to the world of lithographic and typographic printing; and the 15th-century Chapel of the Penitents, which contains some remarkable pieces of religious art, including a magnificent Baroque altarpiece that is a listed Historic Monument.

Dominated by the Puy Mary, the little town of Riom-ès-Montagnes is located at the heart of the Auvergne Volcanoes Regional Nature Park. This green holiday resort is the capital of Pays Gentiane, an authentic territory of mountain pastures, ponds, forests, lakes and waterfalls. A paradise for lovers of walks and outdoor activities, where fishing is especially popular.

In Riom itself, you will be able to visit the 12th-century Church of St. George, in the Auvergne Romanesque style, with a 15th-century bell tower that was once fortified. The choir's remarkable capitals are adorned with carved motifs illustrating various themes.

The trading town of Riom has its own local aperitif, Avèze, which you can try. Made from fresh gentian roots, it has a subtle and bitter taste. At Espace Avèze, you can watch a slideshow to learn about the steps in its manufacturing process, as well as the secrets of gentian, followed by a tasting.

For an unusual way to discover the landscapes of Pays Gentiane, jump on board the Gentiane Express for a fabulous train ride between the Sancy Massif and the Puy Mary. Running from April to mid-October between Riom-ès-Montagnes and Lugarde, this quaintly charming tourist train will take you to the Cézallier plateau, at an altitude of over 1,000 metres…