Puy de Pariou – Volcano of the Chaîne des Puys – Limagne fault (UNESCO)

Puy de Pariou is a young strombolian volcano, around 8,000 years old. This youthfulness explains the exceptional sharpness of its forms, making it one of the most emblematic and most visited natural sites in the Chaîne des Puys.

This type of volcano, characterized by fluid lava that rarely overflows(…)

Puy de Pariou is a young strombolian volcano, around 8,000 years old. This youthfulness explains the exceptional sharpness of its forms, making it one of the most emblematic and most visited natural sites in the Chaîne des Puys.

This type of volcano, characterized by fluid lava that rarely overflows the crater, is still active in Italy, whereas the volcanoes of the Chaîne des Puys are now dormant.

Nicknamed the “Vesuvius of Auvergne” for its elegant conical silhouette – a purely aesthetic comparison – Pariou is also one of Auvergne’s most photographed volcanoes, thanks to the perfect regularity of its crater. It is also famous for having served as the backdrop for the Volvic water advertising campaign.

The ascent to the puy is pleasant and accessible, thanks to wooden staircases that make the climb easy. From the summit, the landscape opens out onto the entire Chaîne des Puys – Limagne fault (UNESCO) and the volcano’s perfectly shaped crater. A breathtaking panorama, combining the tranquillity of wide open spaces with the beauty of volcanic landforms.