The 7 Most Beautiful Villages Around Clermont-Ferrand (2026)

Montpeyroux, the Medieval Jewel of the Auvergne Volcanoes

Some 45 kilometres south of Clermont-Ferrand, Montpeyroux rises like a silhouette of black basalt against a backdrop of vines. The village has been part of the "Most Beautiful Villages of France" network since 1989 — a designation that owes nothing to chance: the cobbled lanes date back to the Middle Ages, the volcanic stone houses retain their arched doorways, and the grey slate roofs catch the low morning light in a way that is hard to put into words.

The église Saint-André (12th century) remains the focal point of the village. Less spectacular than the great abbeys of the region, it compensates with a sobriety that suits the character of Montpeyroux: no superfluous ornament, just Romanesque mastery in its most pared-back form. Walk around the building to see the apse from the lower lane — this is the angle that best reveals the basalt architecture.

What surprises further is the presence of the vineyard at the foot of the ramparts. The village has been producing wines under the AOC Côtes d'Auvergne designation (predominantly Gamay) for centuries. Several estates offer tastings by appointment, and the volcanic terroir — the same basalt that forms the village walls — lends the wines a characteristic minerality that Loire enthusiasts will recognise. In September, during the harvest, the village changes pace and colour: a particularly rewarding time to visit if your schedule allows.

Park at the bottom of the village (free car park) and walk up: the slope is short, but the stone can be slippery in wet weather. The Cave coopérative de Corent, nearby, brings together a number of producers if you want to taste without scheduling multiple appointments. In July, Montpeyroux hosts a night market that draws residents from neighbouring villages — a local event rather than a tourist spectacle, worth stopping for if the timing works. Allow two hours on site.

Charroux, Bourbonnais Authenticity and Its Legendary Mustard

Charroux (Village de Charroux, 03140 Charroux) lies 80 kilometres from Clermont, in the Allier department. Technically outside Puy-de-Dôme, it still sits within the natural orbit of a day trip from the prefecture. Two things put Charroux on the map: the "Most Beautiful Village of France" label and Charroux mustard, a stone-ground old-fashioned mustard that several producers sell directly from their workshops on site.

The medieval ramparts still encircle the village. The Clock Gate is the natural entrance: pass through it to find yourself on the main street lined with half-timbered houses and working craftsmen's studios. The Museum of Ancient Pharmacy, an 18th-century dispensary left virtually intact with its faience jars and period medical instruments, is worth an hour's stop for anyone with an interest in arts and crafts.

Charroux is quiet on weekdays and livelier on spring weekends when artisans open their workshops. The walk along the ramparts takes about thirty minutes and opens up views over the Bourbonnais plains. For the mustard, look for producers who still use stone-grinding: the difference in texture and heat on the palate compared to an industrial mustard is immediately apparent.

Usson, the Refuge of Queen Margot

Perched on a volcanic outcrop 35 kilometres south-east of the city, Usson owes its fame to a historical episode that reads like a novel. In 1586, Marguerite de Valois, the Queen Margot, was placed under house arrest here by her brother Henri III. She was meant to stay for a few months. She stayed for nineteen years, until 1605, gradually transforming her exile into a literary and artistic court where she wrote part of her Memoirs.

What you find today is a village of around one hundred inhabitants, a monumental statue of the Virgin (Notre-Dame d'Usson) crowning the summit of the outcrop, and a 360-degree panorama over the Limagne plains and the first foothills of the Massif central. The medieval fortress, once reputed one of the most impregnable in the kingdom, was dismantled on Richelieu's orders in 1634; only traces remain at ground level, but the site itself is enough to understand why the position was so coveted.

The climb from the car park takes about ten minutes on a steep but waymarked path. The Romanesque church of Saint-Maurice, where the queen came to pray, preserves fine sculpted capitals. Usson can be visited in two hours, ideally in the morning when the light comes from the Puy-de-Dôme and visitor numbers are still low. Combine it with Issoire (12 km to the north, abbaye Saint-Austremoine) for a full day in this area.

Saint-Floret, the Forgotten Frescoes of the Couze Pavin

Saint-Floret does not carry the "Most Beautiful Village of France" label, but it possesses something none of the previous six villages can claim: 14th-century medieval frescoes depicting scenes from the legend of Tristan and Iseult, painted directly on the walls of the seigneurial keep. Located 35 kilometres south of the prefecture, in the Couze Pavin valley.

The château de Saint-Floret (Saint-Floret, 63400 Saint-Floret, rated 4.6/5 on Google with 89 reviews) consists of a square keep (14th century) and an adjoining ground-floor hall. The mural paintings cover the walls with a narrative quality one would more readily associate with an illuminated manuscript than an Auvergne stronghouse: characters from Arthurian legend, court and tournament scenes, in ochre and brick-red tones that have survived six centuries with remarkable resilience. The visit is guided (around 45 minutes) and clearly explained, even for visitors with no particular background in medieval studies.

The village stretches along the Couze Pavin, a trout river whose banks are accessible from the centre. The Romanesque chapel higher up in the village is worth a five-minute climb for its sculpted doorway. Saint-Floret pairs naturally with a hike to Lac Pavin, a volcanic maar some thirty kilometres to the south-west, for a full day in this lesser-known part of Puy-de-Dôme.