In July 2023, we set off with the favorite photographer to discover Auvergne, and specifically Clermont-Ferrand and its surroundings. This region in the center of France inherited its name from the Celtic people of the Arverni, and I talk about it a bit more in my article on Gergovie. The Clermont metropolis, which now counts 21 municipalities, is the historical capital of Auvergne. It is an economic, industrial (with the Michelin company), cultural, and athletic city, very dynamic, and also a city with many students. Indeed, Clermont-Ferrand is now a city of 300,000 inhabitants including its metropolitan area, of which 35,000 are students, making it an important university city. It is located at the heart of the largest chain of volcanoes in Europe, an impressive setting, and therefore possesses an exceptional natural heritage. Furthermore, since 2018, the Chaîne des Puys and the Limagne Fault have been inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The favorite photographer also came to discover the city once before in November 2021 as part of the Tous pour l’Architecture Biennale, which is held in a different city each time and is a free event open to all! So, I have also added to this article some discoveries and visits he made at that time.
Practical Information
- Getting there by train from Paris: Departure via Intercités train from Gare Paris Bercy and arrival at Gare Clermont-Ferrand (allow for about a 3.5-hour trip) / prices between €20 and €30 one way.
Table of Contents
What to see and do in Clermont-Ferrand?
We were lucky enough to explore the city with Grazia, a tour guide who has been showing people the city and its history for 23 years! Its history is as interesting and fascinating as it is complicated to understand for a non-Auvergnat, and I will try to give you a short summary. After the Roman invasion following the Gallic Wars (I talk about this in a bit more detail in my article on Gergovie, link in the “what to do around Clermont-Ferrand” paragraph below), the Gallo-Roman period saw the establishment of the first city, Augustonemetum, ideally located on the Roman road that led to Lyon. In the 4th century AD, the city took the name Arvernis (linked to the Arverni people, obviously), and the name Clermont (which means “clear mount,” which consisted of local light-colored stone, arkose) finally only appeared in the 8th century.
Today, people often identify the city with the Volvic black stone (scientific name Trachyandesite), a stone that is light gray at first and darkens over time due to an oxidation phenomenon, but which only appeared in the city’s constructions starting with the building of the Gothic cathedral in the 13th century. But let’s return to the 12th century, when the city was separated into two towns: Clermont and Montferrand. Indeed, episcopal power and the Counts of Auvergne were opposed, and the King of France forced the Counts at that time to move away and found the town of Montferrand in the 12th century. It wasn’t until 1630 and the Edict of Troyes that the two cities were unified. In 1731, Louis XV added another layer because the unification was going poorly. But the real union only materialized with the creation of the Michelin company (which I talk about below in the article), which still employs about 9,000 people today in the Clermont area and 127,000 worldwide.
I highly recommend that you walk around the center of Clermont to discover the volcanic and historical past of the Auvergne capital and its great figures: Vercingetorix, Urban II, and Blaise Pascal. Below, as usual, I offer a small selection of things to do and see if you come for a stay in Clermont-Ferrand or the region.
Also to see: the Ambroise Fountain dating from 1515; the Port district, which was an old suburb of the city; the central plateau, a district situated around the cathedral, the former site of the Gallo-Roman city forum; the courtyard of the 16th-century private mansion of Hugues Savaron, advisor to François I (on Rue des Chaussetiers; today a creperie is set up in this magnificent location, and access is still possible); the Place de Jaude, the epicenter of the city.
The cultural bonus: all the city’s museums (Resistance Museum, Musée Bargoin, Roger-Quilliot Art Museum, Henri-Lecoq Museum, Vine and Wine Museum, Allier Inland Navigation Museum) are free for everyone on the first Sunday of each month!
Clermont Auvergne Tourism Office
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Visit the Basilica of Notre-Dame du Port
This magnificent 12th-century Romanesque church is built of arkose stone and is one of the major Romanesque churches of Auvergne. These Romanesque buildings in Auvergne were, in fact, built on the model of the Romanesque cathedral of Clermont, which was destroyed to build the Gothic cathedral. Things to see in the church: the very beautiful set of historiated capitals; the polychrome chevet with historiated capitals as well.
Basilica of Notre-Dame du Port
Rue Notre-Dame du Port, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand
Free entry during church opening hours
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Visit the Cathedral of Clermont-Ferrand
The construction of this Gothic cathedral dedicated to the Virgin, located on the route of the pilgrimage to St. James, began in 1248 and replaced an earlier Romanesque church built of arkose (light-colored stone). However, it was not completed until the 19th century by Viollet-le-Duc. It was built with black stone highly resistant to erosion coming from Montpeyroux. The cathedral hosted the marriage of Philip the Bold (son of Saint Louis and Blanche of Castile) to Isabella of Aragon in 1262. On this occasion, stained glass windows were gifted by the king, similar to those of the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris, which are truly a must-see during your time in the city. Inside the cathedral, one can also see a Romanesque Virgin of Auvergne, very specific to the region.
In front of the cathedral, you can also see the Urban II fountain (dating from the 19th century), which commemorates the latter’s preaching of the departure of the First Crusade in 1095.
Cathedral of Clermont-Ferrand
Place de la Victoire, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand
Free entry during church opening hours
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Visit L’Aventure Michelin
L’Aventure Michelin is a 2,000 m² scenographic route in which spaces with different atmospheres and contents succeed one another. It’s an opportunity to discover the history, current events, and future of the Michelin company. The tour takes us from the first removable tire to the new Michelin Vision Concept, which aims to achieve 100% recycled and recyclable tires by 2050, through maps (from 1905-1910), guides, not to mention the legendary Bibendum! The museum, created in 2009, is located in a former workshop on the Cataroux industrial site. For my part, I mainly discovered that Michelin is a company that has been interested in mobility in its entirety throughout its history.
The history of Michelin began in 1889 with the alliance of the 2 Michelin brothers, who took over and transformed the family farm machinery company. In 1891, they made a name for themselves with the invention of a removable bicycle tire. We also discover that the company, from its origins, participated in numerous competitions, which constitute a research laboratory for it and a way to make itself known. The company’s colors, yellow and blue, are also the colors of the Montferrand coat of arms (gold and azure).
During the visit you will be able to discover numerous Michelin innovations:
- Breguet 14 bomber planes during the First World War.
- The railcar on tires with the “Michelines,” which is somewhat the ancestor of the subway and tramway.
- The company’s advertising icon, Bibendum (born in 1898) or the Michelin Man.
- The arrival of rubber in Auvergne, which came from English colonies (material that comes from the Hevea tree, or “weeping tree”), in Asia and Latin America.
- The black color of tires from the 1920s with the integration of a petroleum derivative to increase the tire’s longevity.
- The birth of tourism with the 1st Michelin guide in 1900, which offered a list of services and was free (it became paid in 1920) and reserved for mechanics to be able to advise customers if the repair was going to last a long time.
- The creation of the Route Office starting in 1908 in Paris and London (ancestor of Via Michelin), which provided free information for people who were traveling. In 1910, the first maps and guides. In 1926, the first stars awarded to restaurants recommended by the guide, and in the 30s, the green guide.
- The development of road signs and signage as well.
- The creation of the radial tire, which would give Michelin its hegemony; the tire casing was changed with a better distribution of shocks. Patent filed in 1946 and production started in 1949.
L’Aventure Michelin
32, rue du Clos Four, 63100 Clermont-Ferrand
Rates: €12 adult / €8 youth between 7 and 17 years old / free -7 years oldGetting there: board the tramway (since 2006 and with Michelin tires) towards Les Vergnes – stop Delille to stop Stade Marcel Michelin (about a 7-minute trip)
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Visit the Musée Bargoin
This archaeology and textile museum is housed in the former residence of Mr. Bargoin, from whom it takes its name, in a neoclassical building. The museum has rich and original collections with one part devoted to local archaeology from the Paleolithic to the Gallo-Roman period, and the other to non-European textiles from the 18th to the 21st century.
We especially took advantage of our visit to the museum to discover the temporary exhibition “The Time of the Meridian, 5000 years of history under the A75 motorway,” which was held at the museum from July 2023 until May 19, 2024. This exhibition, conceived with the INRAP (the National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research), presented the archaeological discoveries made between 2018 and 2020 during the widening works of the A75 motorway. These mainly concern the period from the Neolithic to the Gallic period. Personally, as an archaeologist by training, I found the exhibition particularly well-made because it succeeds in making a discipline understandable and legible that is not really so for the uninitiated normally. The objects are not necessarily at the center of the exhibition, and videos, scale models, and 3D views allow us to dive back in time to meet the ancient inhabitants of the Clermont region.
Musée Bargoin
45 rue Ballainvilliers, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand
Open Tuesday to Sunday, closed Monday
Temporary exhibition “The Time of the Meridian, 5000 years of history under the A75 motorway”
From July 7, 2023 to May 19, 2024
Rates: €5 / reduced €3 / free -18 years old, students, job seekers, and recipients of minimum social benefits / free for all on the 1st Sunday of the month and during European Heritage Days
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A performance venue in Clermont-Ferrand? The Comédie de Clermont
This venue with quite impressive architecture, which is registered as a Historic Monument, takes place in a former bus station that was rehabilitated and expanded with a contemporary extension in 2015 to house the Comédie de Clermont, which is a national stage. It is obviously a performance venue, but many cultural events also happen here.
Visited in 2021
Comédie de Clermont
69 Bd François Mitterrand, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand
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Visit the free temporary exhibitions at the Salle Gilbert-Gaillard
The Salle Gilbert Gaillard is an emblematic venue of the city, located in the historic center of Clermont, and it regularly offers free temporary exhibitions. During his visit to the city in 2021, the favorite photographer discovered the exhibition “One building, how many lives? Transformation as an act of creation.” This hall is also installed in a historic building dating from 1778, which was originally a warehouse.
Visited in 2021
Salle Gilbert Gaillard
2 rue Saint-Pierre, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand
Open access and free
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Visit the Frac Auvergne
Created in 1982 at the initiative of the Ministry of Culture, on the basis of a State-Region partnership, the regional funds of contemporary art constitute an important tool for supporting contemporary creation. They are also a place for raising public awareness. The Frac Auvergne was created in 1985, and the identity of its collections is defined around painting. Every year, the Frac Auvergne conceives three exhibitions in its venue installed at the heart of Clermont-Ferrand next to the cathedral and deploys around twenty exhibitions throughout the regional territory.
Visited in 2021
Frac Auvergne
6 Rue du Terrail, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand
The good deal: free open access for everyone
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Visit the Hôtel Fontfreyde, photography center
This photography center has been housed since 2010 in the Hôtel Fontfreyde, a former Renaissance private mansion. It is an opportunity to discover this remarkable building, a flagship of Renaissance architecture in Clermont-Ferrand and classified as a Historic Monument. The favorite photographer visited it in 2021 to discover the “Grand Remix Urbain” temporary exhibition as part of the Tous pour l’Architecture Biennale! Its artistic programming is expressed through 4 temporary exhibitions per year, which favor contemporary photography, while still regularly leaving a place for historical photography.
Visited in 2021
Hôtel Fontfreyde, photography center
34 Rue des Gras, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand
Open Tuesday to Saturday from 2 PM to 7 PM
open access and free
My favorite addresses in Clermont-Ferrand
As usual, you will find below my selection of great addresses in Clermont-Ferrand (two accommodations and several restaurants) that we had the opportunity to test during our various stays with the favorite photographer. These addresses often offer the chance to discover local products and some regional specialties to taste if you come to Auvergne.
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Where to have lunch on a terrace in Clermont-Ferrand? Pavillon Lecoq
This nice spot is worth it especially for its setting, installed in the heart of the charming Jardin Lecoq. Obviously, I recommend you go there during sunny days in order to be able to enjoy the terrace. I regretted, however, that the address doesn’t offer local wines by the glass or local beers; it’s a shame, I think.
To taste: thyme-roasted Auvergne poultry supreme and sage sauce (€18.20); for dessert, the frozen verbena soufflé from Le Puy (€7.90) or the café gourmand.
Tested in 2023
Pavillon Lecoq
2 Bd Lafayette, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand
Price: dish of the day from Monday to Friday at €12.90
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Where to eat on the go in Clermont-Ferrand? Les Filous
This address, installed under the arcades, offers very well-made Mediterranean street food. And the prices are very accessible. For our part, we tasted an assortment of the address’s mezzes (€6 per mezze). And then, the team is young and friendly, which doesn’t hurt.
We tasted: the homemade lemonade (€2.50); “Le Boeuf on Fire” sandwiches, a little spicy and very nice (€9 for the classic version); Greek salad (€5.50); hummus and bread; zucchini fritters with feta (super good); Halloumi; for dessert, the banoffee proves to be quite light (€4.50) and perfect for finishing the meal on a sweet note.
Tested in 2023
Les Filous
8 Bd Desaix, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand
Open every day during the sunny season
Price: Set menu 1 mezze + one fry + one drink (€15) / 1 sandwich + one drink €10
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A Bistrot in Clermont-Ferrand? Le Bistrot d’à Côté
This restaurant located in the city center of Clermont-Ferrand offers French and colorful bistronomic cuisine. In the kitchen, chef Ludovic Raymond harmonizes a short menu that changes every month and is created only with seasonal products.
To taste: an Auvergne beer from the Brasserie des Sagnes; but also a nice list of wines and cocktails.
Tested in 2021
Restaurant Le Bistrot d’à Côté
16 Rue des Minimes, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand
Price: set menus at €33 and €41 / lunch sets at €21.50 and €37
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Where to stay in Clermont-Ferrand? Hôtel Alexandre Vialatte
The Société des Hotels Littéraires owns several addresses in Paris, Rouen, Biarritz, and Clermont-Ferrand. These 4-star hotels are dedicated to book lovers with a unique decor inspired by the world of a writer. They offer personalized rooms dedicated to a character or a work, original watercolors by Jean Aubertin in each room, a library of over 500 books, and exhibition spaces with collections of works of art, creative bindings, rare books, and manuscripts. The Société des Hotels Littéraires is also committed to sustainable tourism, and all their hotels have received the Green Key label.
During our stay in Clermont-Ferrand with the favorite photographer in 2023, we stayed at the Hôtel Alexandre Vialatte, which pays tribute to this 20th-century “notoriously unknown” writer (I humbly admit that I didn’t know him before this stay). He wrote nearly 900 columns for the newspaper La Montagne, for which he reinvented the literary genre. The hotel therefore allows one to discover this author through its library, quotes from the writer that are scattered everywhere in the hotel, and an exhibition of works of art. The hotel has 63 rooms including an apartment. Our room, located at the top of the hotel, offered a magnificent view of the city.
My advice: go up to the top floor of the hotel (there is a small terrace accessible next to the breakfast room) to enjoy one of the most beautiful views of Clermont-Ferrand with a superb panorama of the Chaîne des Puys!
Tested in 2023
Hôtel Alexandre Vialatte ****
16 place Delille 63000 Clermont-Ferrand
Room rates starting from € in low season
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Where to stay bis in Clermont-ferrand? Hôtel Artyster
This design hotel was where the favorite photographer stayed during his getaway to Clermont-Ferrand in 2021. This brand offers urban hostels in two cities in France (Clermont-Ferrand and Le Mans). The Clermont-Ferrand establishment is installed in a beautiful Art Deco building in the city. Additionally, this hotel is really affordable and offers rooms at low prices.
Tested in 2021
Hôtel Artyster ***
6 rue Sainte-Rose 63000 Clermont-Ferrand
Hotel price: starting from €54 per room for one person
What to do around Clermont-Ferrand?
This destination at the heart of Auvergne is as rich in historical sites to visit as it is in villages with character to discover! I propose below to share with you some discoveries made in the surroundings of Clermont-Ferrand and particularly in the south of the city, in the Mond’Arverne territory.
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Visit the Gergovie site
If you go to Clermont-Ferrand, the Gergovie site is located just 15 km south of the city. Do not hesitate to make a detour to discover this symbolic site of French history.
My complete article on Gergovie
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Discover the Mond’Arverne territory
This territory, which brings together 27 municipalities, is located south of Clermont-Ferrand and notably includes the Plateau of Gergovie, which I just told you about.
Mond’Arverne Tourism
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Go on a roaming Investigation Game
The Mond’Arverne Tourism Office launched a brand new concept of roaming investigation game in 2023. The principle: on board an authentic 2CV, you head off for a day to discover the 3 small towns with character in the territory: La Sauvetat, Saint-Saturnin, and Vic-le-Comte. You pick up the car and the equipment for the investigation at the Saint-Saturnin Tourist Office, and you return to the same place after your trip. And then you discover an experience that combines observation, reflection, and cooperation.
- Saint-Saturnin: Camped on a basaltic hill, between the Monne and Veyre valleys, this village, which has the “Petite Cité de Caractère” label, is the former residence of the barons of the Tour d’Auvergne. You must visit the Romanesque church Notre-Dame de Pitié, which is one of the five major Romanesque churches in Auvergne (built of arkose and volcanic stone), and the 13th-century feudal castle (royal castle of Saint-Saturnin, which is open for visits).
- Vic-le-Comte: The capital of the County of Auvergne was marked by the wars of religion. It is remarkable for the diversity of its architecture, its timber-framed houses, and its Sainte-Chapelle, a jewel of the Renaissance, built to house the relics of Christ’s Holy Crown of Thorns.
- La Sauvetat: You must also wander through the alleys of this former Hospitaller Commandery established in the 13th and 14th centuries. At the heart of this village fort, there is a church that houses a “Virgin in Majesty” offered in 1319 by Odon de Montaigu, Grand Prior of the Hospitaller Order.
Roaming Investigation Game
Up to 6 players / from 8 years old
2CV rental with Auvergne en 2CV (€90 half-day and €150 full day)
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Where to stay in Saint-Saturnin? Chambre d’hôte du Bistrot d’ici
This address is primarily a restaurant, but it also offers gîtes and bed-and-breakfast rooms. Our room, very spacious, faced the front of the establishment, so it was a bit noisy at night because the road in front is quite busy, and as it was hot, we were forced to leave the window open. But once again, you know me, I am extremely sensitive to noise. In the morning, we had our breakfast in the sun on the establishment’s terrace, and it was very pleasant.
Bistrot d’ici
Place du 8 Mai 63450 St-Saturnin
Rates: starting from €75 per night
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Where to have a gourmet meal? Restaurant Toit pour toi in Orcet
This semi-gourmet restaurant has been run since 2016 by a couple from the region, Christine and Didier Cozzolino. There, you will find cuisine based on fresh products and, as often as possible, local ones, which harmonizes flavors learned elsewhere and the chef’s childhood memories. For wine, I recommend you take a look at the nice selection of regional wines. The address also has a small terrace at the front of the restaurant for sunny days.
Restaurant Toit pour toi
1 Rue de la Narse, 63670 Orcet
Price: tasting menu at €59 / cozzy menu (the one we had) at €39 (with 3-glass food and wine pairing for €24) / wine by the glass between €5.90 and €9.20
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Where to buy Saint-Nectaire? Visit the Ferme du Clos
Obviously, if you come to the area, it’s impossible to leave without cheese! Unless you don’t like it, of course… There exists in the region a Route des Fromages AOP d’Auvergne with Cantal, Saint-Nectaire, Bleu d’Auvergne, Fourme d’Ambert, and Salers.
For our part, we went to discover the Ferme du Clos. This family farm, which counts about 10 employees and produces farmhouse Saint-Nectaire (made with raw milk, whereas dairy Saint-Nectaire is made from pasteurized milk), has about 300 dairy cows (Jerseys and Holsteins) and produces about 180 cheeses per day. It has existed for several generations and has been making Saint-Nectaire since 2003. During the guided tour, you can see the milking (which takes place twice a day all year round) and also the cheese aging cellars. Did you know: it takes 14 liters of milk to make one Saint-Nectaire!? This Auvergne pressed-paste cheese requires at least 4 weeks of aging and is produced at the heart of the Auvergne Volcanoes Regional Natural Park between Puy-de-Dôme and Cantal.
Earl de la Ferme du Clos
Chabannes 63 450 Cournols
The shop is open from Monday to Saturday from 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM and from 3 PM to 7 PM
The good deal: guided tour of the farm with free tasting on Thursdays and Fridays at 5 PM in July and August (other days and the rest of the year by reservation)
Thanks to the Clermont Auvergne Tourism Office and Mond’Arverne Tourism for organizing this great stay to discover Clermont-Ferrand and its surroundings.
I hope that with all this, I have made you want to visit Clermont-Ferrand, and if you too have your favorite addresses and tips for this destination, do not hesitate to share them in the comments below!
Photo credits: Nicolas Diolez Photos not rights-free, photographer's authorization mandatory before any use
