Le puy de Dôme

The Puy de Dôme is the best-known volcano in the Chaîne des Puys. Reaching a height of 1,465 metres, it overlooks a group of 80 volcanoes.
This Pelean volcano is the result of a succession of eruptive phases. At 11,000 years old, it is now dormant. This volcano has no(…)

The Puy de Dôme is the best-known volcano in the Chaîne des Puys. Reaching a height of 1,465 metres, it overlooks a group of 80 volcanoes.
This Pelean volcano is the result of a succession of eruptive phases. At 11,000 years old, it is now dormant. This volcano has no crater: when it erupted, the lava accumulated to form a dome.
The puy de Dôme was built on top of the petit puy de Dôme, a small cone of slag that looks like a strange little bulge.

Classified as a “Grand Site de France”, Puy de Dôme is the most distinctive and emblematic volcano in the Chaîne des Puys. It is considered the landmark and mascot of this volcanic region, recognizable by its antenna at the summit.
The jewel in the crown of the Chaîne des Puys, its power and majesty fascinate. The volcano is a vast space of nature and discovery.

The puy probably takes its name from “Dumias”, a local deity likened to Mercury, or from “douma”, meaning “steep eminence” in Celtic, or from the Latin “domus”, meaning “mansion”. From the 18th century onwards, the word can also refer to a mountain in the shape of a dome. It wasn’t until the 20th century, with the eruption of Mount Pelée, that the term “dome” took on a volcanological meaning.

It lies some 15 km from Clermont-Ferrand (in the heart of the Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans d’Auvergne).
The puy offers a range of activities, including interpretation areas, walks to the summit, a visit to Mercury’s temple, a landscape-reading table and a 360° panorama.