Nestled in the heart of the Bourbonnaise Mountain, Arfeuilles cannot be missed. Many pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela stop here, the crossroads of the ancient Roman roads, located on trail GR3.

The remains of the medieval fortress crown a steep rock that overlooks a loop in the young Loire River.

At the heart of the Gorges de l'Alagnon and near the A75 motorway which crosses the Massif Central, Blesle is one of the "most beautiful villages of France". This village has an exceptional history and its isolation has preserved it from the ravages of time.
Don’t miss: St-Pierre Romanesque Church, the 11th-century keep of the Barons of Mercoeur (old château), the 17th-century Notre-Dame de la Chaigne Chapel, the bell tower of the old Church of St-Martin from the 14th century, the old quarters with their half-timbered houses and the Coiffe Museum (traditional head-dresses).

One of the "most beautiful villages of France" built on a feudal mound, Charroux is a magnificent example of the civil architecture of the Middle Ages. Beyond its medieval character, Charroux is now also famous for its mustard produced by a local craftsman.

Overlooking the picturesque Vallée de l'Aumance, the ruins of the château from the 12th and 13th centuries are a reminder of the close ties this village had with the Hundred Years’ War.
The Church of Chateloy, which overlooks it, welcomes a classical music festival every summer.

Located some ten kilometres south-east of Brioude, Lavaudieu is one of the "most beautiful villages of France". Alongside the Senouire River, the village grew up around the old women’s abbey, which was a dependence of the Benedictine Monastery of La Chaise-Dieu.
Don’t miss: St-André Church, whose spire on the octagonal bell tower was truncated during the Revolution, the Romanesque cloister, the Museum of Folk Arts and Traditions or the stained-glass window centre (master glassworker)

The origins of Marcolès are lost in the mists of time. Called "Pagus Marculiscus" in the 11th century, it was just a village at the time. Its special location in the centre of the Châtaigneraie (Chestnut Grove) probably explains why it was to grow and prosper.
Fortified at the start of the 13th century, the town still has remains from the Middle Ages, notably the beautiful 15th century gate with its arches and coats of arms.
Inside the walls can be found the gorgeous homes built mainly along the long street reserved for notable citizens and craftsmen.
Marcolès is remarkable for its porches, its picturesque alleyways, its well in the Faubourg Saint-Martin and its vaulted cellars...
   Village of Marcolès

Fortified village overlooked by a square 13th-century keep.
Shaded alleyways, pleasantly restored houses and many arts and crafts shops. Montpeyroux used to have arkose and sandstone quarries.

At the foot of the Mézenc, the village of Moudeyres shows the face of the traditional rural homes of the high Vellave plateaux: volcanic stone, thatched cottages...
Over the past twenty years or so, one of these thatched homes, the farm belonging to the Perrel brothers (1st “Maisons de Pays” – “Country Houses” – label), has been transformed and restored to house a Museum of Folk Arts and Traditions.

Located in one of the most surprising sites in the Cantal département. The town, at mid-height along the valley, groups together its lauze-shingled houses under the enormous Bonnevie Rock, which hangs over them. This rock is part of a set of three sharp volcanic spears strictly lined up on either side of the town.
Murat was fortified several times throughout its rich history: at least three successive walls protected the various quarters. In 1944, Murat was one of the strongholds of the French Resistance in the Cantal département. Now an important market town and a small industrial centre, Murat is notably one of the showcases of Cantal tourism.
Don’t miss: Maison de la Faune (“House of Fauna” – presenting mammals and birds in their biotopes and a large collection of insects).

   Murat

An old coal basin, Noyant now has an unexpected side to it. A Buddhist community made up of refugees from Indochina has replaced the miners’ village and has built a pagoda and several statues of Buddha not far from a fortified keep.

This Vivaroise city, now the gateway to the Velay region to the south, has kept its lovely architectural heritage in the old town: Saint-Clément and La Verdette Gates, Sainte-Reine fountain, Mazouric House, Notre-Dame Chapel. At an altitude of 1,150 metres, you can admire the wide panoramas overlooking the Margeride, the Allier, Naussac Dam and the Mézenc.

The village of St-Arcons d'Allier, set high up between the Sioule and the Allier, is a model of restoration of the traditional homes.
Don’t miss: the church, the 15th century château, the alleyways and houses with their old charm, the Tinplate Museum, unique in France.

Saint-Floret, a pretty village on the banks of the Couze Pavin, hemmed in between two basalt cliffs. The old château, paintings from the 14th century. La Pède Bridge (16th century), a little oratory housing a Romanesque Madonna.   Village of Saint-Floret

Charming village perched on a ridge of the Cheire d'Aydat, between the Gorges de la Monne and the Vallée de la Veyre.
Château, the old residence of the Barons of Latour d'Auvergne. Sainte-Madeleine Chapel, Romanesque Church from the 12th century.

One of the marvels of Auvergne, both for its site and for the old charm of its High Town. The remains today basically give it the character of a town from the 15th or early 16th century.
Fragments of the walls remain, along with two gates. Around the central square there are lovely dark lava-stone houses with corbelled turrets and pepper-box roofs, forming a unique décor.
The Gothic church has some remarkable works of art.
A magnificent panorama from the Promenade de Barouze, an esplanade overlooking the valley.

Built on the side of the mountain overlooking the Vallée de la Doire, the town of Tournemire is remarkable for the beauty of its architecture.
The 12th-century church is very well preserved.
Some houses in the old village date from the period of the Château de Tournemire, which has since been destroyed and whose origins date back to the 9th century.
The present château is representative of some of the most striking 15th-century military architecture in Upper Auvergne.
The seigniorial estate continues to be inhabited by the family of its builder.

The Peak of Usson is a basalt peak with splendid columns. The Romanesque church was refurbished in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries. In the chapel called the "Queen’s chapel", there are two exceptional paintings: a Resurrection of Lazarus (Flemish School – late 15th century) and a Crucifixion by the Swiss painter, Deutsch (early 16th century).