Temple de Mercure

Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans d'Auvergne


An enigmatic imprint of the distant past stands atop the summit of Puy de Dôme: a 1st-century Gallo-Roman temple undergoing gradual restoration. Constructed here to allow it to be visible all the way from Augustonemetum (now Clermont-Ferrand), the temple lay in ruins until its rediscovery in the 19th century. There's a visitors centre that explains the region's Roman history.

The visitors centre follows the opening hours of the Panoramique des Dômes.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans d'Auvergne attractions

1. Vulcania

3.04 MILES

The Auvergne's long-extinct volcanoes are brought back to life in spectacular style at Vulcania theme park, 15km west of Clermont on the D941. Combining…

2. Volcan de Lemptégy

3.11 MILES

Feel the Auvergne's smouldering terrain beneath your feet at this mined volcanic site, across the main road from amusement park Vulcania. In summer, at…

3. Musée de la Résistance

5.02 MILES

In a simple, schoolroom format, this small museum details the chronology of events following 21 June 1940, when Nazi troops marched into Clermont-Ferrand…

4. Place de Jaude

5.67 MILES

Just southwest of the old city, lined with bars and hotels, Clermont-Ferrand's monumental pedestrianised square is overlooked by a statue of heroic Celtic…

5. Statue of Vercingétorix

5.67 MILES

Since 1903, ancient Gaul's 'warrior king' has assumed a fearsome stance atop a horse in the middle of place de Jaude. The statue was created by Frédéric…

6. Église St-Eutrope

5.71 MILES

Sprouting from the 5th-century site of one of Clermont-Ferrand's oldest churches is this magnificent 12th-century church, crowned with a prickly Gothic…

7. Cathédrale Notre Dame

5.86 MILES

Clermont-Ferrand’s skyline broods with volcanic stone, but its most impressive edifice is Cathédrale Notre-Dame, whose 108m twin spires pierce the sky…

8. Fontaine d'Amboise

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Two blocks north of the cathedral, this early-16th-century fountain has three tiers carved in a delicate Gothic style. It's the focal point of a pretty…

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