This first stage starts in the Livradois-Forez Regional Nature Park, where the omnipresent natural environment offers you the chance to totally unwind. 

Activities :

• Visit the Château de la Barge.
• Hike in the Forêt de la Comté, a sensitive natural area.
• Go to Mont Bar, the only strombolian volcano in France to have a peat bog in its crater. 
• Climb aboard the ‘Trains de la découverte’ in Ambert for a journey from viaducts to tunnels to discover the landscapes of the Livradois-Forez.

Discover the Hautes-Chaumes du Forez in the Livradois-Forez Regional Nature Park. At an altitude of 1,200 metres, you'll find moorland, copses and peat bogs with a wide variety of flora and fauna. This area has been classified as a Natura 2000 site. You can visit the ‘Jasseries’ or ‘farms above’, where the famous Auvergne cheese ‘fourme’ was once made.

Patia, a speciality of potatoes preserved in cream. 

Riom is a must-see in the Auvergne! Stroll around this town, several hundred years old, where history and dynamism meet. A day's stroll will give you the chance to discover the different architectural styles, most of them built in Volvic stone, which will take you on a wonderful journey back in time!

Things to do: 

Visit the clock tower for an unbeatable panoramic view of Riom's rooftops and the Limagne plain.
Enter the town hall, which houses two works by Auguste Rodin
Visit the Sainte Chappelle and the courtyard of the Hotel Guymoneau
Take a look at the Palais de Justice, built in 1848
Take a cultural break at the Musée Mandet and the Musée Régional d'Auvergne!

A former mining village, Brassac les Mines is named in honour of its mining past. The village has preserved its headframe from the Bayard shaft. A stopover between history and a preserved environment. 

Activities : 

• Hike in the Cé valley.
• Visit the mining museum and discover 160 metres of reconstructed galleries. 
• Follow in the footsteps of the miners with the ‘From the black faces to the boatmen’ walk, 4km, duration approx. 1 hour.  

Take a relaxing break at the Vernet lake in Vernet-la-Varenne, where you can swim, pedal-boat and relax.

Pachade, a large rustic pancake similar to an omelette, made from a mixture of flour, water and milk. Try it sweet or savoury! 

Situated in the heart of the Cézallier, Anzat-le-Luguet, which means ‘domain of the sacred wood’, rises to an altitude of 1,130 metres.

Activities : 

• Visit the Forges du Luguet. 
• Go snowshoeing, tobogganing, Nordic skiing or mountain biking at the Parrot ski resort, depending on the season.
• Admire the Apcher waterfall. 
• Hike up to the Signal du Luguet at an altitude of 1551 metres to admire an immense panorama of the Monts Dore, Monts du Sancy and Cantal.

Between Murol and Anzat-le-Luguet, try your hand at the Vélorail du Cézallier, where you can ride along the railway line on one of these funny machines.

An Auvergne stew at the foot of the Cézallier!

From the top of its 1,885 m, come and admire the beauty of the Puy de Sancy, the highest point in the Monts Dore. Beneath its mountainous appearance, it's actually a volcano - in fact, it's the highest volcano in mainland France! Take full advantage of the many activities on offer: 

Activities : 

• Visit the medieval castle of Murol.
• Visit the crater of Puy de Montchal (1,407 metres above sea level), the youngest volcano in France!
• Hike to the Chiloza waterfall.
• Skiing on the slopes of the Super Besse resort (in winter).

Is it possible to have a beach in the mountains? Yes, at Lac Chambon in the Sancy massif! Enjoy a wide range of activities, including walks, picnics, swimming, fishing, hot-air ballooning and a variety of water sports... One of the most enjoyable relaxation breaks on this tour. Famille Plus label.

A truffade, this traditional Auvergne dish is made with fried potatoes and fresh tomme, a typical Cantal cheese. The name truffade is evocative, but has nothing to do with truffles. It takes its name from the name of the potato in Occitan Auvergne: trufa or trufla. 

Here you are in Saint-Nectaire, a stopover rich in heritage and unusual discoveries near the Couze Chambon valley.  For cheese lovers, this is where Saint-Nectaire cheese originated. 

Activities : 

• Walk to the Saillant waterfall and its dolmen.
• Hike to the Sainte Marguerite spring.
• Stroll through the town of Saint-Nectaire and discover its church, one of the most beautiful Romanesque churches in the Auvergne. 
• Visit the Marais Salé to discover an unexpected maritime biotope hundreds of kilometres from the sea. 

Visit the petrifying fountains of Saint-Nectaire. A timeless and unusual underground experience for all the family. The site has been awarded the Famille Plus label.

Saint-Nectaire cheese, of course! You can't leave this stage without tasting it. This cheese has an AOP (Protected Designation of Origin) and is made only in the Puy de Dôme and Cantal mountains. 

Murat-le-Quaire is a typical mountain village at an altitude of 1050 metres in the heart of the Sancy massif. Here you'll find houses built of lava stone with slate roofs.

Activities :

• Admire the view after a hike to the banne d'Ordanche (1515 metres above sea level).
• Take a walk near Lac de Guery and discover the waterfalls of the Mortes de Guéry, Roches Tuilières and Sanadoire.
• Hike to the Grande cascade du Mont Dore. The climb is a little difficult but the view of Mont Dore is well worth the diversions. 
• On the way to the last stage, you can stop off at the Trador waterfall.

Whatever you fancy: Visit the Toinette and Julien scenomuseum and travel back in time to the 19th century to discover the daily life of two mountain dwellers. Discover the Chèvrerie des Monts Dore, an educational farm, for a gentle moment of cuddling with the goats and bottle-feeding the kids, depending on the season. Both sites have the Familles Plus label.

Something to drink! Beer lovers beware: in the Sancy you'll find craft beers with original notes of chestnut, gentian or fruit. Serve with an Auvergne cheese (AOP Saint-Nectaire, AOP Bleu d'Auvergne, AOP Cantal, AOP Salers, AOP Fourme d'Ambert) for an Auvergne aperitif. 

breathtaking panorama from the summit of the Puy de Dôme over the Chaîne des Puys and the Limagne fault, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Take advantage of this last great breath of air in Auvergne to admire the sleeping volcanoes. You're in the heart of the Auvergne Volcanoes Regional Nature Park. 

Activities : 

• Go to the Belvédère du Puy de Moufle, and admire the view guided by the enamelled lava orientation table.
• Hike to the summit of Puy de Dôme (altitude 1465 m).
• Visit Vulcania and discover the world of volcanoes.

Enjoy a moment of relaxation and put time on hold at the Anschald lake. The lake offers an idyllic setting for a picnic, a swim or a game of pétanque.

You've reached the end of your journey and you've still got one of the dishes for which the Auvergne is famous: salted meats: Dry sausages, dry sausages and hams!