The statue of Notre-Dame de France, Le Puy-en-Velay, France.

© Joaquin Ossorio-Castillo/Getty Images/iStock

Notre Dame de France

Auvergne


At 16m tall and weighing a svelte 110 tonnes, this crimson Notre Dame de France (Virgin Mary) statue makes an imposing guardian over Le Puy. Since 1860, she has been watching over the city from the Rocher Corneille, a 757m-high volcanic pillar. You can share her view by climbing a ladder right inside her haloed head. The statue was fashioned from 213 cannons captured during the Crimean War.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Auvergne attractions

1. Cathédrale Notre Dame Cloister

0.1 MILES

A peaceful 12th-century cloister adjoins Le Puy's cathedral, its multicoloured bricks and columns alluding to strong Moorish influences. Upstairs is a…

2. Musée Hôtel-Dieu

0.12 MILES

Within this museum and cultural centre, the highlight is a 19th-century pharmacy, elegantly panelled in walnut and wild cherry wood. Upstairs, French…

3. Cathédrale Notre Dame

0.12 MILES

A chequerboard of grey and white stone perched on a volcanic stone crag, Le Puy's cathedral is the monumental starting point for pilgrims embarking on the…

4. Le Camino

0.13 MILES

Interesting for armchair travellers, as well as committed walkers about to undertake the multiweek journey to Santiago de Compostela, this museum in the…

6. Chapelle St-Michel d'Aiguilhe

0.23 MILES

Le Puy's oldest chapel, first established in the 10th century, and rebuilt several times since, teeters atop an 85m-high volcanic plug, reached by…

7. Forteresse de Polignac

1.87 MILES

Sprouting from the sharp crags of a volcanic dome northwest of Le Puy, this late-11th-century castle was built by the powerful Polignac family, who once…

8. La Distillerie de la Verveine du Velay

3.79 MILES

See how Le Puy's green fairy gets her magic on a 45-minute guided tour of the verveine liqueur distillery in St-Germain Laprade. From Le Puy, drive east…

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