Regions of France : Auvergne

Every Francophile has heard of the Auvergne but not that many know exactly where it is. It was hoped that Vulcania, a proposed scientific theme park, would finally put the region on the map in 2001 but its opening date has been put back to 2002.

The Auvergne is the volcanic core of the country gobbling up most of the vast tranche of the central plateau of the Massif Central.

Clermont-Ferrand is the region’s commercial centre with its distinctive black buildings made from volcanic rock.

Vichy still reigns today as the queen of all spa towns, though its name may still be familiar from its WWII associations. Puy en Velay with its lava peaks is a strange sight and the massive craters of Puy de Dôme dominate the landscape.

Flights to nearby St Etienne make the region easily accessible for a short break.

Novotel Thermalia Vichy
Guests at the Thermalia, a quick walk from Vichy centre and surrounded by a beautiful garden, can unwind in the hotel?s spa and then enjoy regional specialities in its restaurant. The hotel is ideal for families thanks to facilities including a ...
Kyriad Hotel Clermont-Ferrand Aéroport
Entirely renovated in 2008, this hotel is ideal for a stopover in Clermont-Ferrand (Auvergne) and offers direct access to the A71, A75, A89 motorways. Kyriad Hotel Clermont-Ferrand Aéroport boasts good connections and forms the ideal base from ...
An exceptional cheese
If there is just one marvel of which you absolutely must bring back a sample from your stay in Saint-Étienne, then it is well and truly Fourme de Montbrison cheese. Like its sibling from Auvergne, Fourme d'Ambert, it was first created in the 8th ...

Allier - Hotels Allier

Belle époque splendour at Vichy draws torrents of visitors keen to take the waters

Former Bourbon Dukes’ capital Moulins is still important as a trading centre

Besbre valley includes Château Lapalisse and the pink sandstone Château de Thoury

Cantal - Hotels Cantal

Aurillac’s theatre festival in August is a continental Edinburgh fringe

Renaissance Salers with beautifully preserved turreted houses carved from local lava

Puy Mary at over 1,700 metres looks over the Cantal volcano and is a great picnic spot

Haute-Loire - Hotels Haute-Loire

The romanesque cloister and streets in unspoilt medieval Lavadieu overflow with geraniums in summer

Monuments and churches adorn the three volcanic peaks in Puy en Velay

Parade of the "black Madonna" (carved from cedar) on 15 August

Puy-de-Dôme - Hotels Puy-de-Dôme

Clermont-Ferrand is the ville noire with buildings made of black volcanic rock – including the cathedral

Medieval quarter in Clermont-Ferrand reminiscent of Edinburgh back streets

The massive Puy de Dôme has stunning views across the extinct volcanoes