Aubière between Nature and Heritage

Aubière combines nature at the Puy d’Aubière with traces of different periods. This offers different ways to plan your trip: walks in a designated natural area, a marked hiking trail, or architectural and cultural history. You can give these themes different priorities according to your interests. This brings the natural area, river landscapes, and historic buildings into view as different facets of a stay in Aubière.

Nature and Walks

The Puy d’Aubière is recognized as a locally designated sensitive natural area (ENSil) and is suitable for walks and recreation. There is an information board at the summit, where views open up. The dry limestone slopes are home to dry grasslands where orchids grow; 64 bird species have also been recorded at the Puy d’Aubière. These features appeal to different interests: at the summit, orientation and views go hand in hand, while the slopes are notable for their dry grasslands and orchids. The recorded bird species add wildlife to the nature experience.

The Artière also offers idyllic landscapes both upstream and downstream, inviting visitors to take walks. Another option for planning is the Quartier des caves circular trail: the hiking route is marked and 5.6 kilometers long. The two descriptions differ in their practical focus: for walks along the Artière, the river’s course and landscapes are key; the circular trail offers a specific distance and markings to guide you. You can decide whether to choose your route based on the river landscape or a clearly defined hiking trail.

Buildings and Heritage

The Menhir des Sauzes is a 2.30-meter-high granite megalithic monument from the Late Neolithic and is listed in the general inventory of cultural heritage. Its dating offers a contrast in time with the medieval buildings and the church’s reconstruction in the 19th century.

The medieval Pont de Beneilh spans the Artière on Rue Saint-Verny in Aubière. The Porte du Rossignol is the last visible remnant of the enclosure of Aubière’s feudal castle. The gate also provided access to the Seigneur’s cellar, which is now used as a museum.

Aubière’s church was completely rebuilt in the neo-Gothic style between 1853 and 1855. The dates of these landmarks therefore span from the Late Neolithic through medieval buildings to a 19th-century reconstruction. The Maison du Phylloxéra is located at the corner of Rue du Chambon and Grand Corridor in Aubière. Only four Ramaclés remain in Aubière today.

Cellars are also part of the area’s local character: some are still used to store wine or mature cheese. This use connects two specific local products, wine and cheese, with Aubière’s cellars.

More destinations

Discover more destinations: Thônes, Riom, Sainte-Agathe, Fournols, Boudes, Giat, Saint-Jacques-D'ambur, Saint-Genès-La-Tourette

View the overview of destinations in the wider area: Puy-De-Dôme.