48h in Clermont-Ferrand

Two days in Clermont-Ferrand, the only French city built from Volvic stone, the grey lava that gives its cathedral an almost black silhouette. The trip opens at Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption and its stained glass, then climbs the Puy de Dome on the Panoramique des Domes, a rack railway reaching the 1,465-metre summit and the remains of the temple of Mercury. Vulcania, the volcano discovery park, the Place de Jaude with its statue of Vercingetorix, then Montferrand, the twin medieval town with its Renaissance mansions, close the stay. The Panoramique des Domes runs from April to November and should be booked online on busy days. Allow a full day for Vulcania with children. Truffade and aligot are served all over the city centre.