Puy de Dom Volcano

The Puy de Dome volcano is one of the main natural attractions of France. It is located in the same department, near Clermont-Ferrand. The Puy de Dom mountain range is a chain that includes several extinct volcanoes. Despite the fact that little remains of the former greatness, the volcano makes a powerful impression with its monumental craters, the remains of frozen lava.

The Puy de Dom volcano is located on a granite plateau extending at an altitude of about a thousand meters above sea level. In ancient times, this volcano was a sacred place, which was honored not only by the Gauls, but also by the Romans. In the Roman era, a temple of Mercury was built on top of the mountain, preceded by an earlier Gallic temple. Historians believe that the name of the mountain is partly due to the presence of a cult building here, because the word "puy" is translated from French as "mountain", and "dome" - "cathedral".

The surroundings of the volcano are picturesque and diverse - here you can find both traces of volcanic activity and dense vegetation, rivers, lakes. Among travelers, the surroundings of Puy de Dome are very popular, since there are opportunities for a variety of recreation - climbing, paragliding or hang-glider flights. In good weather from the top of the mountain offers a magnificent view of the famous Mont Blanc.