PUY-DE-DÔME INFORMATION
PUY-DE-DOME Geography
Puy-de-Dôme is part of the current region of Auvergne and is surrounded by the departments of Allier, Cantal and Haute-Loire, in the Limousin region by the department of Corrèze and Creuse, and in the region of Rhône-Alpes by the department of Loire.
The department is in the Massif Central and boasts more than 80 volcanic craters.
It is three hours from Paris and an hour from Lyon by highways A71 and A72. The A75 links it to the Mediterranean Sea.
Main cities are Clermont-Ferrand, Thiers, Riom, Issoire, Ambert and Cournon-d'Auvergne.
Puy de Dôme (Occitan: Puèi Domat, Puèi de Doma) is a large lava dome and one of the youngest volcanoes in the Chaîne des Puys region of Massif Central in south-central France. This chain of volcanoes including numerous cinder cones, lava domes, and maars is located far from the edge of any tectonic plate. Puy de Dôme is located approximately 10 km away from Clermont-Ferrand. The Puy-de-Dôme département (with hyphen) is named after the volcano.
In more recent times, Puy de Dôme has served as an occasional stage finish in the Tour de France. It was here in 1964 that Raymond Poulidor battled with Jacques Anquetil in one of the race's most famous moments, racing side by side up almost the entire climb. Also on this peak in 1975 Eddy Merckx was punched in the stomach by a spectator.
The road is only open for cyclists during very limited periods (when other vehicles are prohibited). In 2006 this is 7-9am on Wednesdays and Sundays between 1 May and 30 September.
PUY-DE-DOME Tourism
The Puy de Dôme is one of the most visited sites in the Auvergne region, attracting nearly 500 000 visitors a year. It is a well-known centre for paragliding. The summit offers expansive views of the Chaîne des Puys and Clermont-Ferrand. A restaurant and shops are available, as well as a visitor centre giving information on the history and geology of the area.
During week-ends and holidays in June and September and all through July and August, there is a bus that starts right outside the Clermont-Ferrand railway station and goes to the summit of Puy de dome. It costs 5.2 E for a round-trip and has 4-5 intermediate stops on the way.
Tourists have a choice of two ways to reach the top. A pedestrian path (Le sentier des muletiers), formerly a Roman way leads to the Temple of Mercury. Alternatively, there is a 6 km/4mile motor road with a gradient of 12%. At busy times, private cars must be parked at the bottom and the ascent made by bus.
Hikers can also reach the Puy using a footpath on the northern side, which runs past the Nid de la Poule crater. The GR 4 long-distance path uses this footpath and the sentier des muletiers to traverse the mountain.
PUY-DE-DÔME Administration
Department number : 63
Region : Auvergne
Prefecture : Clermont-Ferrand
Subprefectures : Ambert, Issoire, Riom, Thiers
Arrondissements : 5
Cantons : 61
Communes : 470
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