Auvergne-Rhône Alpes region
Departments: Ain, Allier, Ardèche, Cantal, Drôme, Isère, Loire, Haute-Loire, Puy-de-Dôme, Rhône, Lyon Metropolis, Savoie, Haute-Savoie.
Population: 8.2 million.
Prefecture: Lyon
Area: 69,711 km
Specialities: Beaujolais, Côtes du Rhône and Savoie wines, Lyon specialities (quenelles, cervelles de canut, saucisson, etc.), Auvergne potée, Savoyard specialities (raclette, fondue, tartiflettes, diots, crozets), cheeses (Beaufort, Reblochon, Cantal, Bleu d'Auvergne, Salers, Saint-Nectaire, etc.), green lentils from Le Puy, waters (Évian, Thonon, Volvic), verbena, Chartreuse.
Sports clubs: Olympique Lyonnais, AS Saint-Etienne, Clermont Foot 63, Grenoble Foot 38 (football). ASM Clermont, Lyon OU, FC Grenoble, Stade Aurillacois, US Oyonnax (rugby), ASVEL Villeurbanne (basketball), Chambéry (handball), Brûleurs de loup Grenoble, Pionniers de Chamonix (ice hockey)
Competitions: Women's Football World Cup, skiing competitions (Critérium de la Première Neige in Val d'Isère), Tour de France mountain passes, Critérium du Dauphiné.
Economy: (8th European region) cutting-edge industries, automotive (Berliet), metallurgy, rubber, plastics, chemicals, electronics, agri-food, textiles, digital, banking, universities, government, viticulture. Tyres (Michelin). Design. New technologies (Inovallée). Winter and summer tourism.
Festivals: Festival of Lights in Lyon / Nuits de Fourvière in Lyon / Quais du polar in Lyon / Design Biennial in Saint-Etienne / Classical Music Festival in La Chaise-Dieu
Tourist attractions: Old Lyon and Croix-Rousse, Puy-en-Velay Cathedral, Lake Annecy, Chambéry Castle, winter sports in Isère, Savoie and Haute-Savoie, Cantal, spa resorts, Auvergne volcanoes. Pont d'Arc Cave. Grignan Castle. Grenoble Bastille. Vulcania. Parc des Oiseaux.
Websites and social media:www.auvergnerhonealpes.fr
CANTAL (15)
Population: 144,200
Prefecture: Aurillac
Sub-prefectures: St Flour, Mauriac
Area: 5,726 km²
Specialities: 5 AOP cheeses (Cantal, Salers, Saint-Nectaire, Bleu d'Auvergne, Fourme d'Ambert), charcuterie (sausage, pâté, fritons, local ham, etc.), truffade (made with potatoes and Tome du Cantal cheese), pounti (sweet and savoury flan with prunes), bourriols (galettes), Cornet de Murat, Tarte à la Tome (desserts), Gentiane Couderc, Avèze, Salers, Le Birlou, Le Tonton (aperitif and liqueur), Croquants de Salers and Trizac.
Sports clubs: Stade Aurillacois Cantal Auvergne (rugby, Pro D2), Football Club Aurillac-Arpajon (Women's Ligue 2, men in CFA 2), Saint-Flour Handball (N1)
Competitions: Ultra Trail du Puy Mary-Aurillac, La Pastourelle (hiking, mountain biking, running), Marcolès International Cycling Criterium, l’Etape Sanfloraine (Cyclosportif) and L’Antonin Magne (Cyclotourisme)
Heritage: Puy Mary, the villages of Salers and Tournemire, St-Flour, 8 small towns of character, the Garabit Viaduct built by Gustave Eiffel's company, Chaudes-Aigues and the source of the Par, whose water flows at 82°C, the Lioran resort, the castles of Val and Anjony, and Lake Saint-Etienne Cantalès.
Festivals: International Street Theatre Festival in Aurillac, International Tattoo Festival in Chaudes-Aigues, Hautes Terres Festival in St-Flour, Hibernarock Festival, Fête de l'Estive in Allanche, Boogie-Woogie Festival in Laroquebrou, Chestnut Fair in Mourjou, etc.
Economy: agriculture, year-round tourism, thermal spas, agri-food, crafts, furniture manufacturing, plastic packaging, pharmaceuticals and umbrellas. Production and distribution of industrial and medical gases.
Websites / FB / Twitter:www.cantal.fr /www.cantal-destination.com /www.lelioran.com / www.puymary.fr /http://www.caleden.com /https://www.facebook.com/cantaldestination/?ref=hl /https://twitter.com/cantald /https://www.facebook.com/cantalauvergne/ /https://twitter.com/cantalauvergne
Km 15.3
Marcolès (Pop. 600)
On the border between Cantal and Aveyron, Marcolès has retained its medieval character and its role as a commercial and craft centre. The medieval village is typical of southern Cantal. It is built of granite stones and covered with canal tiles or slate. Two medieval gates in the fortifications of Marcolès remain, including the lower gate, which is listed as a historic monument. The village has retained its medieval layout, with tightly packed plots and narrow streets.
The commune has been part of the Petites Cités de Caractère network since 2014 and was listed among Les Plus Beaux Villages de France (The Most Beautiful Villages of France) in 2024. The Auberge de la Tour, run by chef Renaud Darmanin since 2010, has been awarded one star in the Michelin guide.
The town is well known to cyclists for its post-Tour criterium, held every year in early August since 1998. In 2025, Valentin Madouas won the race, but the local favourite was Romain Bardet, who has won four times.
Fortifications
Construction: 15th century.
History: in the Middle Ages, the town was surrounded by a fortified wall, the layout of which has been preserved, along with two town gates. The upper gate (west) was rebuilt in the 19th century. The lower gate (east) has retained most of its medieval features: a barrel-vaulted passageway, a groove for the portcullis, a façade defended by cruciform arrow slits and decorated with the coat of arms of the Boisset family (15th century).
Listed as: historic monument in 2003. Saint-Martin Church
Construction: 15th century.
Style: Southern Gothic.
History: built in the 15th century on the site of a fortified priory, the church consists of a square choir with two bays and a flat chevet, surmounted by a bell tower and preceded by a nave with five bays and side chapels. The whole structure is vaulted with lowered ribbed vaults resting on bases, in accordance with the principles of Southern Gothic architecture. Inside, there are Gothic sculptures, rich 19th-century painted decoration, woodwork and furniture.
Listed as: historic monument in 2003.
Km 25.4
Lacapelle-del-Fraisse (Pop. 390)
Veinazès Museum
Open during the summer months, the museum presents life in the 20th century in the former canton of Montsalvy. Covering more than 600 m², it displays rural workshops, agricultural tools and machinery (tractors, engines, traction engines) which are brought to life during the visit, craft workshops (carpentry, forging, clog making), shops (Au Petit Bazar - Souvenirs d'Auvergne) and folk art (raw, naive, unique). Each year, temporary exhibitions tell the story of the Veinazès region.
Km 48.3
Carlat (Pop. 390).
Since the 8th century, a castle stood on the rock overlooking the village, its position overlooking the entire valley making it impregnable. King Henry IV had it dismantled stone by stone in 1604. Louis XIII later entrusted the viscountcy of Carladès to Honoré II of Grimaldi, Prince of Monaco, and Gabriella, the daughter of Prince Albert, is now Countess of Carladès. The village is home to two other picturesque castles, Château de Celles (17th century) and Manoir de Courbesserre, listed as a historic monument in 1990.
In December 2008, the Communist mayor of Carlat, Alain Cousin, launched the idea of twinning with the hamlet of Bruni, part of the Italian municipality of Vallarsa. The aim of this partnership between Carlat and Bruni was to associate the two municipalities with the name of Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, the wife of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, and to benefit from tourist publicity for the village. In July 2010, the twinning was made official.
Carlat Castle
Construction: 10th century. Demolished in the 17th century.
Style: medieval fortress.
History: a castle once stood on the rock of Carlat, seat of the Viscounty of Carlat. Constantly reinforced during the Middle Ages, the enclosure is flanked by towers, notably the Black Tower and the Gailhar Tower. Inside, around a vast parade ground, were the commander's quarters, the Bridoré palace which became the viscount's residence, the parish church of Saint-Avit and the commandery of the Temple, which was handed over to the Knights of Saint John of Jerusalem after 1312. In the 15th century, under Jacques d'Armagnac, Duke of Nemours, and his wife Louise of Anjou (first cousin of Louis XI), the fortress reached the height of its splendour. Around 400 people lived there when Louis XI ordered the siege of the town in 1476. Jacques d'Armagnac surrendered after a month. He was executed on 4 August 1477. The castle was neglected until "Queen Margot", the first wife of King Henry IV, took refuge there in 1585 and had work carried out on it. Henry IV finally ordered the destruction of the fortress in 1604. Louis XIII then ceded the land to the Prince of Monaco and the fortress, which had been under threat for a time, was returned to the Grimaldis in 1914.
Special feature: at the tourist office, you can admire a 1/25 scale model of the castle as it was in 1603 when it was dismantled on the orders of Henry IV.
Km 60.7
Raulhac (Pop: 280)
Raulhac is the final resting place of Louis Cambon, the Auvergnat to whom Georges Brassens pays tribute in his song Chanson pour l'Auvergnat. In the 1950s, Cambon ran a "bougnat" (coal merchant's shop) in Paris 14th arrondissement, where he helped out the singer when he was down on his luck. The commune is particularly worth a visit for the superb Château de Messilhac.
Château de Messilhac
Construction: 13th to 16th centuries.
History and characteristics: it is a perfectly preserved example of a 13th-century stately home that was modified in the 16th century. It stands on an elongated platform. Outbuildings are attached to the north and it is surrounded by an enclosure whose relief is obtained by cutting into the rock. The château is a long building ending in two large square towers. At their summit runs a covered walkway with machicolations and watchtowers. The château was transformed in the 16th century. The windows, main door, staircase, fireplaces and crowns indicate a transition, but the sculpture and composition of the door belong to the Renaissance period. The central main building, constructed in 1531, has three floors with four rooms each, which have retained their French ceilings and monumental fireplaces.
Current use: Messilhac Castle is open to visitors during the summer months.
Trivia: it appears in Bertrand Tavernier's film, La Princesse de Montpensier. In the film, it is the residence of the Prince and Princess of Montpensier. Some of the rooms open to visitors in the château are recognisable in the film.
Listed as: historic monument in 1921.
Km 62.8
Jou-sous-Monjou (Pop: 110)
Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption Church
Construction: 12th century.
History: this Romanesque church was built on the ruins of a Carolingian site and remodelled after the Hundred Years' War, then again in the 15th century with the construction of two side chapels.
Characteristics: it has remarkable modillions decorated with pairs of animals (wolves, deer, cows, snakes, birds) which originally adorned the chevet but were later moved under the cornice of the side chapels. The portal is very simple: three arches, four columns with capitals decorated with chevron motifs. The choir is narrower than the nave, undoubtedly symbolising the gap between the earthly world and the heavenly world, between the faithful and the clergy.
Special feature: the church is in danger due to subsidence and damp. A fundraising campaign sponsored by the Fondation du Patrimoine has been launched to finance the restoration work.
Listed as: historic monument in 1925.
Km 68.6
Pailherols
The village has a Nordic area with 45 km of marked and groomed trails that run between 980 and 1,500 metres above sea level through forests and mountain pastures. It is the birthplace of Olivier Bertrand, CEO of the Bertrand Group, which runs most of the largest Parisian brasseries (Lipp, Flo, Le Procope) and has owned the Burger King brand since 2014.
AVEYRON (12)
Population: 279,595
Prefecture: Rodez
Sub-prefectures: Millau, Villefranche-de-Rouergue
Area: 8,735 km²
Region: Occitanie
Specialities: Aligot, Estofinade, Roquefort, Fleur d'Aubrac (meat), Veau d'Aveyron, gâteau à la broche, Farcous, Truffade, Fouace, Soleil de Marcillac, Tripous, cheese soup, Flaune Aveyronnaise, etc.
Main sports clubs: Rodez Aveyron Football (D2), CSO Millau, Team Focus Aveyron VTT, Vélo 2000 Onet, Vélo Club Laissac
Sporting events: Roc Laissagais, Trans Aubrac (trail and ultra-trail), Rallye du Rouergue, La marmotte d'Olt (Gran Fondo), Natural Games, Eiffage race at the Millau Viaduct in Aveyron, 100 km de Millau (long-distance running race), Festival des Templiers (trail running), L'Aveyronnaise Classic (enduro)
Heritage: Soulages Museum, Millau Viaduct, Conques Abbey, Roquefort Caves, Lévézou Lakes, Aubrac Plateau
Festivals: Nocturnes de Conques (May to October), Pueblo Latino in Arvieu (12 and 13 June), Roquefort Festival in Roquefort-sur-Soulzon (13 and 14 June), Sylvanès Music Festival (sacred music, 14 July to 25 August), Jean le Fol in Séverac d'Aveyron (sound and light show, 30 July to 7 August), Hier un village in Flagnac (sound and light show, 23, 24, 30, 31 July and 1, 6, 7 August), Millau en Jazz (12-18 July 2020), Estivada in Rodez (interregional festival of Occitan cultures, 23 to 25 July).
Economy: Livestock market in Laissac Séverac l'église (2nd largest market in France), University in Rodez, Bosch (1,600 employees), RAGT (1,261 employees), Caves de Roquefort (1,210 employees), etc.
Website / FB / Twitter:www.aveyron.fr /www.tourisme-aveyron.com /https://twitter.com/dept_aveyron /https://twitter.com/tous_en_aveyron /https://www.facebook.com/departement.aveyron /https://www.facebook.com/tourismeaveyron
Km 74.6
Thérondels (Pop: 360)
Notre-Dame de Thérondels Church
Construction: 12th, 15th and 19th centuries.
History and characteristics: 12th-century church, remodelled in the 15th century with the addition of chapels and the extension of a north aisle. The building comprised a nave with three bays, a central section supporting the original bell tower (which collapsed in 1600), a choir with two bays and an apse with nine sides on the outside and a semicircular shape on the inside, vaulted with a cul-de-four. The connecting arcades were built underneath, preserving the Romanesque barrel vault. The 19th-century bell tower is characteristic of Rouergate architecture.
Special feature: the church houses a remarkable 12th-century painted Christ, which was honoured by the Quai Branly Museum for its inaugural exhibition.
Listed as: historic monument in 1975.
CANTAL (15)
Population: 144,200 inhabitants
Prefecture: Aurillac
Sub-prefectures: St Flour, Mauriac
Area: 5,726 km²
Specialities: 5 AOP cheeses (Cantal, Salers, Saint-Nectaire, Bleu d'Auvergne, Fourme d'Ambert), charcuterie (sausage, pâté, fritons, local ham, etc.), truffade (made with potatoes and Tome du Cantal cheese), pounti (sweet and savoury flan with prunes), bourriols (galettes), Cornet de Murat, Tarte à la Tome (desserts), Gentiane Couderc, Avèze, Salers, Le Birlou, Le Tonton (aperitif and liqueur), Croquants de Salers and Trizac.
Sports clubs: Stade Aurillacois Cantal Auvergne (rugby, Pro D2), Football Club Aurillac-Arpajon (Women's Ligue 2, men in CFA 2), Saint-Flour Handball (N1)
Competitions: Ultra Trail du Puy Mary-Aurillac, La Pastourelle (hiking, mountain biking, running), Marcolès International Cycling Criterium, l’Etape Sanfloraine (Cyclosportif) and L’Antonin Magne (Cyclotourisme)
Heritage: Puy Mary, the villages of Salers and Tournemire, St-Flour, 8 small towns of character, the Garabit Viaduct built by Gustave Eiffel's company, Chaudes-Aigues and the Par spring, whose water flows at 82°C, the Lioran resort, the castles of Val and Anjony, and Lake Saint-Etienne Cantalès.
Festivals: International Street Theatre Festival in Aurillac, International Tattoo Festival in Chaudes-Aigues, Hautes Terres Festival in St-Flour, Hibernarock Festival, Fête de l'Estive in Allanche, Boogie-Woogie Festival in Laroquebrou, Chestnut Fair in Mourjou, etc.
Economy: agriculture, year-round tourism, thermal spas, agri-food, crafts, furniture manufacturing, plastic packaging, pharmaceuticals and umbrellas. Production and distribution of industrial and medical gases.
Websites / FB / Twitter:www.cantal.fr /www.cantal-destination.com /www.lelioran.com / www.puymary.fr /http://www.caleden.com /https://www.facebook.com/cantaldestination/?ref=hl /https://twitter.com/cantald /https://www.facebook.com/cantalauvergne/ /https://twitter.com/cantalauvergne
Km 81.4
Saint-Martin-sous-Vigouroux
The village, beautifully situated on the right bank of the Brezons, lies in a very pleasant landscape; a huge basalt rock 150 metres high shelters it from the north winds. At the top of this rock, a viewpoint and information panel allow visitors to discover the magnificent Brezons valley (one of the most beautiful in Europe with its trough shape, according to volcanologist Haroun Tazieff).
Lescure Castle
Construction: 11th, 15th and 17th centuries.
History: part of it belonged to the Brezons family, whose heiress was the Duchess of Harcourt in 1668. Another part belonged successively to the Gasc family and then to the Bonnafos de Bélinay family, until Marguerite de Bonafos married Guillaume de Lastic-Vigouroux in 1714.
Characteristics: it comprises a four-storey rectangular tower topped with machicolations, with a main building added in the 17th century. The tower, built in the 11th century, was accessible from the first floor by a ladder. It was partially destroyed during the Hundred Years' War, then restored in the 15th century with one floor less, as it stands today.
Trivia: it was acquired by Voltaire as repayment for a usurious loan he had made to M. de Lastic, an act that was annulled by a decision of parliament.
Current use: guest rooms.
Listed as: historic monument in 1995.
Km 85
Brezons (Pop: 180)
This ancient glacial valley, which ranges in altitude from 785 to 1,813 metres, was described by vulcanologist Haroun Tazieff as one of the most beautiful in Europe. With 968 hectares listed as a Natura 2000 site, half an hour's walk from Plomb du Cantal opening onto the resorts of Lioran and Prat de Bouc, Brezons' isolation also makes it a privileged place to rest in the Cantal mountains.
Château de La Boyle
Construction: 15th century.
Style: medieval.
History: the first seigneurial castle, built on the Meynial rock, the highest in the Brezons valley, was burned down by Renaud de Murat in the 14th century. Rebuilt in the 15th century, the castle, of which only the keep remains today, was owned by the lords of Brezons until 1622. At the end of the Wars of Religion, it was partially dismantled in 1628 on the orders of Richelieu. Two of the three towers were destroyed. The keep that remains seems to have been the main part of the castle.
Characteristics: this building has a rectangular layout with a three-sided turret in the middle of the south-west façade, containing the spiral staircase leading to the three floors. The ground floor is divided into two vaulted rooms. Each of these rooms has a large fireplace. The largest room was used as a kitchen. Each floor has the same layout, with a few differences: the rooms have wooden ceilings and the upper rooms do not have fireplaces. The staircase leads to the top of the rampart walk with machicolations. It has arrow slits at the corners.
Listed as: historic monument in 1958.
Km 100.7
Paulhac (Pop: 430)
Born in Paulhac, Jean-Marie Chauvet discovered in 1994 the cave in Ardèche that was named after him and where the Tour de France stopped in 2016. The Church of Saint-Julien has been listed as a Historic Monument since 1968. There are several châteaux in the commune, including Château de Paulhac (13th century) in the centre of the village and Château de Bélinay, also of medieval origin.
Km 108.5
Albepierre-Bredons (Pop: 240)
Its territory extends to Plomb du Cantal, the highest point in the department. At the foot of Plomb du Cantal is the Prat de Bouc winter and summer sports resort. Bredons developed around a former priory dependent on the Abbey of Moissac and founded in the 11th century. Its church has been listed since the first list in 1840.
Saint-Pierre Church in Bredons
Construction: 11th century.
Style: Romanesque.
History: Byzantine Romanesque building dating back to the 11th century. The church was built in 1074 by Guillaume, Viscount of Murat, and Bernard d'Henry, Lord of Bredons. It was served by monks from the Order of Saint Benedict, dependent on Moissac Abbey.
Characteristics: large nave with aisles, quarter-circle vaulted ceiling, flat chevet, sacristy. Wooden vaulted nave, stone barrel vaulted choir. Square bell tower above the choir.
Listed as: historic monument in 1840.
Km 112.7
Murat (Pop: 1,770)
In the 11th century, Murat was a powerful viscountcy, with a castle built on the rock of Bonnevie by the family of the Viscounts of Murat. In the 12th century, this viscountcy was at its peak: it had 25 fortified castles, 29 castles, 59 villages and 110 fiefdoms. The town was home to a population of craftsmen, merchants and lawyers. Its medieval fairs and markets were renowned. During the Revolution, Murat became the canton town until 1926. Many changes took place thereafter, notably the arrival of the railway in 1866, which opened up the town.
In June 1944, in retaliation for the death of SS Captain Geissler, head of the Gestapo in Auvergne, the Germans carried out an arbitrary roundup of 115 residents of Murat, all of whom were deported to the Neuengamme concentration camp. The Murat Deportation Memorial, opened in 2009, recounts this tragedy. During the war, three women from Murat saved Jewish people: Alice Ferrières, Marthe Barnet Cambou and Marie Sagnier, teachers at the town's secondary school. With the help of their pupils, they hid, sheltered, fed and smuggled dozens of Jewish people. They were recognised as Righteous Among the Nations.
Listed as a Petite Cité de Caractère (Small Town of Character) and a Ville et Métiers d'Art (Town of Arts and Crafts), Murat has no fewer than eleven buildings listed as historic monuments, including its collegiate church, market hall and several town houses. In 1995, Murat was the starting point for a stage of Paris-Nice to Saint-Étienne. Château d'Anterroches
Construction: 15th century, 16th century, 17th century, 18th century, 19th century.
History: originally a 13th-century fortified farm, the building was embellished with a rectangular keep in the early 15th century. At that time, a dwelling was added, flanked by a stair tower and another round tower to the east, as well as a low building connected to the main body by an arch and containing the old chapel and bread oven. In the 18th century, the west wing was added to the keep. The castle was restored and refurbished between 1890 and 1906 by the architect Jean Delpirou in the Neo-Gothic style. A wooden grand staircase was built in the northern part of the keep, under a 15th-century beamed ceiling. The rooms on the ground floor were decorated in a variety of styles (large living room with a neo-Renaissance wooden fireplace). On the first floor, the new chapel incorporates the remains of the baroque altarpiece from the original chapel.
A little history: one of its illustrious occupants, Joseph Charles Alexandre d'Anterroches, is famous for being the author of the quotes "Gentlemen of England, fire first!" (spoken during the Battle of Fontenoy) and "Impossible is not French".
Listed as: historic monument in 2008. Chapel of Saint-Antoine in Chastel-sur-Murat
Construction: 11th or 12th century. 15th and 16th centuries.
History: begun in the 11th or 12th century, the building was given two rib-vaulted chapels in the 15th century, forming a false transept. A small sacristy was added in the 16th century.
Characteristics: it is a rectangular building with a single nave and a slate roof, incorporating a canopy protecting the entrance and a semi-circular apse. The sturdy bell tower, with powerful buttresses and an external access staircase, has two open arcade windows, only one of which has a bell.
Listed as: historic monument in 1947.
K 123.5 – Dienne(Pop: 240)Nestled in its valley a stone's throw from Puy Mary, the village of Dienne offers a picture-postcard welcome with its fields of daffodils in spring and wild flowers in summer. The beautiful houses in the village bear stone signs recalling their past as inns or coaching inns. Dienne was long located on the salt road. Château de la Cheyrelle
Construction: 19th and 20th centuries.
Style: Art Nouveau.
Characteristics: castle designed inside and out by Belgian architect and decorator Gustave Serrurier-Bovy (1858-1910) between 1903 and 1905, based on a building dating from 1867 and enlarged in 1884, to which he applied his aesthetic theories (clarity, rationality, functionalism). Serrurier himself carried out the interior design. It is the only one that has remained intact and retained some of its simple furniture.
Listed as: historic monument in 2007 Church of Saint-Cyr and Sainte-Julitte
Construction: 12th century, 15th century and 20th century.
Style: Auvergne Romanesque.
History and characteristics: the church dates back to the 12th century, except for the 15th-century side portal and the modern façade from 1902. The tile roof was replaced in the 19th century by a slate roof. The modern façade is topped by a large bell tower with an arcade, modelled on that of Beaulieu. The layout consists of a nave with two bays flanked by aisles, a transept and a choir preceding the circular apse. The south façade wall was modified in the 15th century to form an entrance porch in front of the first bay and a very narrow chapel in front of the second. In 1902, the nave was extended to accommodate a gallery.
Listed as: historic monument in 1944.
Km 135.8
Puy Mary-Pas de Peyrol (1,589 m)
Seventy kilometres in diameter and 4,000 metres high, it is the largest stratovolcano in Europe. Three million years after the end of its eruptions, the crater disappeared and seven glacial valleys radiating out from Puy Mary formed the Cantal landscape. The valleys are all named after the river that runs through them: the Impradine Valley, the Santoire Valley (Lavigerie, Dienne), the Petite Rhue Valley (Le Claux, Cheylade), the Mars Valley (Le Falgoux, Le Vaulmier, Saint-Vincent-de-Salers), Maronne (Saint-Paul-de-Salers, Salers), Aspre (Le Fau), Bertrande (Saint-Projet-de-Salers), Jordanne (Mandailles-Saint-Julien, Saint-Cirgue-de-Jordanne, Lascelle). The massif consists of a single volcano, unlike the neighbouring Puy-de-Dôme chain, which is a string of 80 volcanoes. All that remains of the Cantal volcano is a group of around sixty Puys (mountains), the highest of which is 1,855 metres (Plomb du Cantal).
Since 2012, the Puy Mary area has been listed as a Grand Site de France, comprising 13 municipalities plus four associated municipalities, covering 36,000 hectares. The label, which recognises sustainable management of the site through careful preservation and controlled development, was renewed in 2019. Puy Mary is also part of the Auvergne Volcanoes Regional Nature Park.
In 2020, Puy Mary was the finish line for the 13th stage of the Tour de France and Daniel Martinez claimed victory at the summit. The Tour rode the pass once again in 2024, with Tadej Pogacar leading the way before letting Jonas Vingegaard win on the finish line in Le Lioran.
Although the Pas de Peyrol climb has only been rated as a Category 1 climb once, it is renowned for the names of some of the men who have led the way up it: Federico Bahamontes (1963), Lucien Van Impe (1973 and 1983) and Richard Virenque (2004), the three main winners of the polka dot jersey in the history of the Tour. The first rider to cross it, in 1959, was Louis Bergaud from Auvergne, who passed away in 2024. Winner of two stages of the Tour de France, the "Flea of Cantal" finished twice in the top ten of the event in 1954 and 1958.
Km 152.2
Col de Pertus (1,309 m)
It was ridden for the first time by the Tour de France in 2011, with Dutchman Johnny Hoogerland in the lead. It was climbed a second time in 2016, then rated as a Category 2 climb, and Belgian Greg Van Avermaet was the first to reach the top before winning at Le Lioran. Finally, in 2024, Tadej Pogacar was leading the way at the top.
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