Puy-de-Dome: Volcanoes, Michelin, and Clermont-Ferrand
Puy-de-Dome is named after the volcanic peak that dominates the Chaine des Puys, a chain of roughly eighty dormant volcanoes inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2018. Clermont-Ferrand, the prefecture, is the home of Michelin, which was founded here in 1889 and still employs thousands. The city is built largely from dark volcanic stone, giving it a distinctive (some say austere) appearance.
The department sits at the heart of the Auvergne, a region historically viewed as remote and rural but now well-connected by motorway and a direct TGV to Paris. Vulcania, a volcano-themed park, and the summit of the Puy de Dome itself (reachable by a rack railway since 2012) draw visitors. Riom, Thiers (France's cutlery capital), and Issoire are significant secondary towns. The population is about 664,000.
Show more
Puy-de-Dome is named after the volcanic peak that dominates the Chaine des Puys, a chain of roughly eighty dormant volcanoes inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2018. Clermont-Ferrand, the prefecture, is the home of Michelin, which was founded here in 1889 and still employs thousands. The city is built largely from dark volcanic stone, giving it a distinctive (some say austere) appearance.
The department sits at the heart of the Auvergne, a region historically viewed as remote and rural but now well-connected by motorway and a direct TGV to Paris. Vulcania, a volcano-themed park, and the summit of the Puy de Dome itself (reachable by a rack railway since 2012) draw visitors. Riom, Thiers (France's cutlery capital), and Issoire are significant secondary towns. The population is about 664,000.
Country selected
Region selected
Optional — select or proceed
