Clermont-Ferrand, Puy-de-Dome and the Parc National des Volcans

Roger and I enjoyed a one day excursion to Clermont-Ferrand and the surrounding area.  Clermont-Ferrand is the only large city in the Auvergne and is known to historians as the home of Vercingétorix, who rallied the Arvernes to defeat Julius Ceasar in 52 BC.  The city has a busy commercial center and is the headquarters for the Michelin tire company.  There is a small old center dominated by the Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de l'Assomption.  It was built of special black volcanic stone enabling its pillars to reach record heights at the time.

We found the Parc National des Volcans about 1/2 hr. from Clermont-Ferrrand.  Stretching 90 miles, north to south, the park contains about 80 dormant volcanos. They are relatively young, 60,000 to 80,000 years old, which explains why their shapes are so well preserved.  We headed out on what I consider the most challenging and fantastic hike of my life!  We hiked to the top of the Puy-de Dome, the highest volcano in the Mont-Dome range, for a magnificent panoramic view of extinct volcanos, craters, domes, and caldera cones and basaltic plateaus.