Mountains, valleys, dormant volcanoes, volcanic Lakes, plateaus and plains come together to form two of France's largest Regional Parks called the Volcanic Park and The Livradois Forest Park.
It is also well served by both rail, with links to Paris, Lyon and the South of France and motorway by the A75 which runs right through the centre of the Auvergne. Travelling around the City has never been so easy with the Tram now fully open and which links Aubiere to the South and Riom to the North of Clermont and also encompasses the old historical district of Montferrand.
Chateaus and Romanesque Churches are in abundance here with the Chateaus at Murol, Saint Saturnin and Parentignat(near Issoire) being well worth visiting with the Churches of Saint Nectaire/Orcival being of particular historical note.
Cyclists are also well catered for and rock climbing and aerial sports entusiasts can find many centers dedicated to these sports at the local tourist offices in any major town.
Fishing, kayak/canoeing is extremely popular on the departments with over 7,500 km of rivers most notably the River Allier at Issoire and Vic le Compte and also a variety of lakes including Lac Chambon, Lac Pavin and Lac d'Aydat.
For both downhill and Cross Country skiers the Sancy Mountain range contains three towns of note which are Le Mont Dore (North Facing) and Superbesse (South Facing) for downhill, both are around 1000m with gondolas to just below the summit of the Puy de Sancy at over 1850m. There is a link connecting the two resorts and this will keep even the most experienced skier happy because the lift queues are virtually non existant out of school holiday periods! La Bourboule and the surrounding countryside caters for the Cross Country Skier extremely well with very challenging trails.
The area is famous for its thermal springs and Spas providing treatments and therapies for many ailments three of these are Le Mont Dore, La Bourboule and Saint Nectaire.