Visit Auvergne

Where to Stay: The Grand Hotel Mont-Dore

The alpine town of Mont-Dore has been a “wellness paradise” for over a century. Yet, many of its original Belle Époque-era resorts have either disappeared completely or been sectioned into private apartments. The Grand Hotel Mont-Dore, fortunately, has not. Originally constructed in 1855, the Grand Hotel is a châteauesque work of art that would not […]

Winter in Auvergne: Dog-Sledding Adventures

In Auvergne, winter frequently arrives without warning. One minute the sun is shining and the weather is mild enough for a jean jacket, and the next the wind descends like a screaming chorus of banshees, frantically dumping snow onto everything in sight. When this happens, the tramontane dells of Sancy and Cantal — with their […]

Where to Stay: Clos Beaumont

Tucked away on the periphery of Clermont-Ferrand, Clos Beaumont is a stately hotel that once belonged to a family of winemakers.

What to See: The Strange Chapel Built Inside a Volcanic Monolith

Deep in the heart of the Cantal mountains lies a quiet, out-of-the-way village called Fontanges. Overshadowed by the larger, more far-famed towns of Aurillac and Salers, it’s the sort of place that doesn’t appear on most trip itineraries. In fact, most tourists have never heard of it. Yet Fontanges possesses a one-of-a-kind treasure: the Monolithic […]

A Wellness Paradise: Mont-Dore and the Fountain of Youth

Mont Dore is a charming resort for the tourist, the holiday-maker, the rest-seeker who wishes for lovely scenery, mountain air, and all the light-mindedness and amusement of an exclusively French watering-place. The antiquarian can combine business with pleasure; for while he sits in the shade at one of the little white-topped tables outside the Café […]