It’s hard to imagine a place further removed from Paris or the Côte d’Azur than Clermont-Ferrand. Edinburghian weather and Gothic, Edinburghian stone to match, and a history at once explosive and laced with witchcraft. Clermont-Ferrand is a city for those who like moody views, little-explored hiking trails and cheese. Lots and lots of cheese.
Slap-bang in the centre of the “diagonale du vide” (empty diagonal), the least populous area that cuts a deserted swathe across France, it’s even relatively inaccessible for the French. There are as yet no TGV high-speed trains (a long-hoped for line from Paris was planned to debut in 2030, but the debate about its construction rumbles on), so most people get there by car.
With the launch of twice-weekly direct flights from Stansted from late March, however, it’s about to become an easy weekend trip for plenty of British holidaymakers.
Clermont-Ferrand is odd-looking. On the first of many visits that started more than a decade ago, I struggled to put my finger on it at first. Then I realised – how rare it is to visit a large city with no river. Even with the twin spires of the 13th-century cathedral towering more than 100 metres above street level, the lack of a river makes it hard to orient yourself.
Both the cathedral and old town look blackened by time and industry as in a Dickensian novel, but actually, they’ve always been this way.
Clermont-Ferrand stands at the foot of the Chaîne des Puys volcanoes which have stood dormant for over 8,000 years, and it is built from volcanic stone.
Its cathedral is magnificent and monstrous in equal measures, and oppressive in its darkness. It’s the sort of place which looks like it has frightened centuries of townsfolk into extreme God-fearing. Underground is a labyrinthine network of tunnels, designed for evacuating the city’s residents in the event of invasion.
In practice, until very recently they were largely used for storing cheese – Saint-Nectaire ages better underground. At the city’s food market, Halle Gourmande Saint-Pierre, La Maison du Bon Fromage serves what it says on the tin – very good cheese, including Saint-Nectaire, largely aged on straw in volcanic caves.
Few of the tunnels are open to the public, but for the best of Clermont-Ferrand behind closed doors and after dark, it’s possible to join an English-language ghost tour run by the suave American historian Dr Drew Manns.
Stops include a poisoner’s laboratory, a school where demonic séances took place and the vestiges of a prison where members of the Knights Templar were accused of sorcery and tortured.
It took a long time for Clermont-Ferrand to decide that perhaps it looked a little too sombre, but in 2016, several street artists started spicing up industrial buildings with some much-needed colour.
Now there are dozens of mosaics by Invader, yarn-bombed trees and entire buildings covered with kaleidoscopic murals. The five largest murals are easy to see without a guide, using a map available at the tourist office.
The closest volcano, Puy-de-Dôme, topped with an observatory for measuring climate change, is visible from the city. It’s a hike of roughly 90 minutes to the summit (from Col de Ceyssat car park, 15 minutes from Clermont-Ferrand), or a 15-minute journey on the cog train.
While much quieter than popular alpine trails, millions have gone before you. The Temple of Mercury at the summit, built in the 2nd century, has been a popular pilgrimage site for centuries.
Clermont-Ferrand has another claim to fame. In 1889, the Michelin brothers opened their tyre factory here, launching, in 1900, the first Michelin guide. Originally it was a way to encourage motorists to explore the country and therefore buy more tyres. Car geeks can see the first Michelin tyres on carriages at L’Aventure Michelin museum, as well as a giant Bibendum Michelin man.
For the most part, Clermont-Ferrand’s restaurants favour hearty, Auvergnian fare over fine dining, but Michelin-starred Apicius has the fanciest menu in town, with almost every dish served with enough edible flowers to make a bouquet. Meanwhile, one-star L’Ostal has an additional Michelin Green star for its championing of local producers.
Much maligned Auvergnian wine is on the rise, and Suzanne Bar a Manger serves plenty of local, organic wines and cheap, hearty tapas. However, beer still reigns supreme here, and La Bamboche is a fail-safe for craft brews.
If you visit the city by plane, book hold baggage. One of the most historic trades in Clermont-Ferrand is knife-making; schoolchildren often learn to forge them. With a day to spare, you can make your own – the closest workshops are led by blacksmith Mathis in Vertaizon, 20km away.
Clermont-Ferrand feels leaps ahead since my first visit, 12 years ago, when betting bars outnumbered craft breweries and the stone buildings hadn’t had their street art glow-up. If the TGV finally arrives, expect the speed of change to accelerate further.
Getting there Ryanair launches twice-weekly flights from Stansted to Clermont-Ferrand on 30 March.
Staying there Hôtel Littéraire Alexandre Vialatte, named after a local author, even has a bookshop in the bar. Doubles start at €101 (£84).
More information clermontauvergnevolcans.com
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