Orcines: Holiday Apartments and Holiday Homes

The Puy de Dôme is the highest volcano in the Chaîne des Puys – Limagne fault. At its summit in Orcines stands the Temple de Mercure, a Gallo-Roman temple dating from the 1st century AD. Anyone considering Orcines as a travel destination may wish to rent a holiday apartment.

Nature

The Puy des Goules is a 1,146-metre-high volcano with a regular crater measuring 200 metres in diameter and 40 metres in depth. Its summit offers views of the Grand Sarcoui, the Puy de Dôme and the southern part of the Chaîne des Puys.

The Grotte du Sarcoui lies on the slope of the Grand Sarcoui (Aydat/Orcines). It is a former Merovingian quarry carved into domite, where sarcophagi were made. Access to its interior is strictly prohibited by official order. The Grotte du Sarcoui can be viewed safely from the hiking loop around the Puy des Goules.

The viewpoint at the Croix de Ternant offers panoramic views of Clermont-Ferrand, the Limagne plain and the Chaîne des Puys.

Culture

The ruins of the Temple de Mercure were listed as a historic monument in 1889. The Maison de Site du puy de Dôme offers exhibition areas on the formation of the Earth and the Chaîne des Puys, as well as tourist information.

Getting around

The Panoramique des Dômes takes passengers to an altitude of 1,465 metres in 15 minutes. The journey includes audio commentary on the history of the Puy de Dôme. T2C bus route P36 runs directly to the departure station of the Panoramique des Dômes at the foot of the Puy de Dôme.

Hiking

The Chemin des Muletiers is the shortest and, at the same time, the most challenging route to the summit of the Puy de Dôme and has been used since antiquity. Le Tour du puy de Dôme is a hike around the largest dome of the Chaîne des Puys. In Orcines, Via d’Orciane is also designated as a walking route.

The Chemin de ronde runs around the summit of the Puy de Dôme and offers a 360-degree panoramic view of the landscape.

Other destinations: Olloix, Bas-Et-Lezat, Riom, Besse-Et-Saint-Anastaise, Sauxillanges, Randan, Saint-Jean-des-Ollières, Pontgibaud

To the higher-level travel overview: Puy-De-Dôme.