Le Mont-Dore Overview

In an isolated valley where the Dordogne River is little more than a trickle, Le Mont-Dore (luh mohn-dohr; pop. 1700) sits at the foot of the largest volcano in a dormant range. Puy de Sancy, the highest peak in the Massif Central, is only 3.5km from the centre-ville, making the town a premier ski resort and a hiking mecca. The town brims with chalets and rustic, timbered lodges—with an atmosphere of natural luxury. For centuries, its famous thermes have attracted summer curistes (spa-goers) seeking rejuvenation in the warm, mineral-rich hot springs that seep through cracks in the lava. Visitors find an interesting melange of these two worlds in the centre-ville, where ski and mountain-bike rental shops sit side by side with wine caves and lace boutiques.

Trains: Pl. de la Gare (☎04 73 65 00 02). Ticket office open M-F 5:25am-7:45pm, Sa 5:25am-7:30pm, Su 9:30am-7:30pm. To Clermont-Ferrand (2hr., 2-3 per day, €12) and Paris (6hr., 2 per day, €57).
Taxis: Taxi Thierry Barlaud (☎04 73 65 09 32). Taxi Sepchat (☎06 88 19 82 66).
Bike and Ski Rental: Bessac Sports, rue de Maréchal Juin (☎04 73 65 02 25), near the top of the hill. Bikes €12 per ½-day, €18 per full day. Ski packages €13-27 per day. Snowboard packages €16-21. ID deposit. Hiking equipment also available. Open daily May-Sept. 9am-noon and 2-7pm; from early to mid-Dec. and from mid-Jan. to Apr. 9am-noon and 1:30-7pm; from mid-Dec. to mid-Jan. 8:30am-7pm. MC/V.

Orientation And Practical Information

Le Mont-Dore is bounded by two major streets: avenue de la Libération on the west side of the Dordogne River and route de Clermont on the east side.

Tourist Office: Av. de la Libération (☎04 73 65 20 21). From the station, head up av. Michel Bertrand, through pl. Charles de Gaulle, onto rue Meynadier. Turn right onto allée Georges Lagaye; the office is across the ice-skating rink. English-speaking staff offers city guide, hiking trail map (€7), hiking guidebooks (€7-50), and hotel booking. Open July-Aug. M-Sa 9am-7pm, Su 10am-noon and 2-6pm; Sept. and May-June M-Sa 9am-12:30pm and 2-6pm, Su 10am-noon and 2-6pm; Oct. M-Sa 9am-noon and 2-6pm.
Laundromat: Pl. de la République. Open daily 9am-8pm.
Police: Av. Michel Bertrand (☎04 73 65 01 70).
Pharmacie de Garde: Alternates between Pharmacie du Parc, 17 rue Meynadier (☎04 73 65 02 86; open M-Sa 9am-noon and 2:30-7pm) and Pharmacie de l’Établissement, 3 pl. du Panthéon (☎07 43 65 05 21; open M-Sa 9am-12:30pm and 2:30-7:30pm).
Hospital: 2 rue du Capitaine-Chazotte (☎07 43 65 33 33), off pl. Charles de Gaulle.
Internet Access: Sancyber (☎04 73 65 28 84), behind the casino. €2.50 per 30min. Open daily 2-11pm.
Post Office: Pl. Charles de Gaulle (☎07 43 65 37 10). ATM and currency exchange. Open M-F 8:30am-noon and 2-5:30pm, Sa 8:30am-noon. Postal Code: 63240.

Accommodations And Camping

Le Mont-Dore has over a dozen hotels, and rooms start around €20, making it relatively easy to find an affordable bed in town. Even so, reservations are recommended during summer and peak skiing season.

Hôtel Artense, 19 av. de la Libération (☎04 73 65 03 43; www.artense-hotel.com), near the tourist office. Wood-paneled rooms are clean and comfortable. Breakfast €5. Internet access. Reception 8am-7pm. Open Dec.-Oct. Singles and doubles €20-40; triples with bath €40-45; quads €43-53. MC/V.
Castel Medicis, 5 rue Duchatel (☎04 73 65 30 50; www.castel-medicis.com). Rustic ambience. Bright, clean rooms with wood floors. Breakfast included. Internet access. Reception 8am-7:30pm. Singles €34; doubles €38. Extra bed €10. MC/V.
Auberge de Jeunesse “Le Grand Volcan” (HI), route du Sancy (☎04 73 65 03 53; www.auberge-mont-dore.com), a 3km uphill walk from town. From the station, climb av. Guyot-Dessaigne, which becomes av. des Belges. Continue on D983 (through several name changes) into the countryside. The hostel is on the right, after the chairlifts. Take a taxi from town (€10) or the navette from the train station and the tourist office (4 per day, last at 5:55pm; €2.30). Cozy ski-lodge atmosphere and tiny but clean 1- to 7- bed dorms. Steps from skiing and hiking trails. Outdoor kitchen, bar, pool table. Breakfast included. Internet €4 per hr. Ski and snowboard packages from €34. Reception 8am-noon and 6-8pm. Dorms €16, ages 5-10 €8, under 5 free. Cash only.
Des Crouzets, av. des Crouzets (}/fax 04 73 65 21 60), across from the train station. In a hollow on the Dordogne. Well kept but lacks trees or hedges for privacy. Reception M-Sa 9am-noon and 3-6:30pm, Su 9:30am-noon and 4-6pm. Open from mid-Dec. to mid-Oct. €3.10 per person, sites €3.20. Electricity €3.60-4.

Food

Le Mont-Dore’s setting makes it an ideal spot for mountaintop picnics; you can find St-Nectaire cheese, flavored dry sausage, and other regional products at the specialty shops between place de la République and place du Panthéon. Another option is the Spar supermarket on rue du Cap-Chazzotte. (Open M-Sa 7am-12:30pm and 3-7:30pm, Su 7am-noon and 4-7pm.) Restaurants take a back seat to outdoor pursuits in Le Mont-Dore. However, after a long day on the slopes or trails, small spots serving regional dishes like truffade —potatoes with melted cheese—or its creamed cousin aligot are ideal. Many restaurants in Le Mont-Dore are affiliated with a hotel and give discounts to guests.

Café de Paris, 8 rue Jean Moulin (☎04 73 65 01 77). Classy 1920s salon with a small-town atmosphere. Frequent jazz concerts. Truffade €13. Omelettes €6. Open Dec.-Oct. daily 8am-8pm. Kitchen open noon-3pm. Cash only.
La Grignote, 35 pl. André (☎04 73 65 09 89; www.lagrignote.com), behind the church. Bicycles, bathrobes, and boxing gloves hang from the ceiling. Quirky couple offers an enormous menu of pizzas (€7-13) and seafood specialties (€13-15). Salads €7-13. Menus €16-24. Open July-Aug. daily noon-2pm and 7-9:30pm; Sept.-June Th-Sa noon-2pm and 7-9:30pm, Su noon-2pm. Cash only.
Le Bougnat, 23 rue Georges Clemenceau (☎04 73 65 28 19). Romantic atmosphere. Regional fare. Plats €12-17. Open daily noon-1:30pm and 7-8:30pm. AmEx/MC/V.

Sights

Établissement Thermal. Every morning during the thermal season (May-Oct.), curistes seeking the healing power of Le Mont-Dore’s springs descend upon this establishment—a tradition that has sustained the town for centuries. The eight springs used today were originally channeled by the Romans, who discovered that the water did wonders for their horses’ sinuses. Today, a French-language tour of the thermes takes visitors through the building’s Neo-Byzantine interior and ends with a dose of the celebrated douche nasale gazeuse, a tiny blast of carbon and helium that evacuates sinuses better than any sneeze. (1 pl. du Panthéon. ☎04 73 65 05 10; fax 65 09 37. Tours from late Apr. to late Oct. M-Sa every hr. 2-5pm; €3.30, ages 10-15 €2.30, under 10 free.)

Hiking

Over 650km of trails run through the region’s dormant volcanic mountains, spanning dense forests and grassy mountainsides, passing rushing waterfalls, and running along jagged rocks. Scaling the peaks is relatively easy—the summit of Puy de Sancy (1886m) is a manageable 1½hr. climb—and day-long rambles along the grassy ridges bordering the valley overlook the town. Those embarking on an extended hike should confer with the tourist office, which offers maps and good advice. Leave an itinerary of multi-day routes with the peloton de montagne (mountain police; ☎04 73 65 04 06 or 65 24 38), on rue des Chasseurs or at the base of Puy de Sancy. A map is a must; while a few of the most popular trails feature yellow signs indicating the distance and direction to nearby destinations, many less-traveled trails are left unmarked. The tourist office, bookstores, and newsstands around town sell the comprehensive Massif du Sancy Carte de Randonnée (€7), which includes all the hiking trails within a 20km radius of Puy de Sancy. Hikers should also be sure to consult weather reports—mist in the valley often signifies hail or snow in the peaks.

For all the views without all the exertion, the téléphérique (cable car) runs from the base by the hostel to a station just below Puy de Sancy; a 20min. climb up steep wood stairs leads to the summit. (☎08 20 82 09 48. Every 10min. July-Aug. 9am-7pm; Sept. and May-June 9am-12:30pm and 1:30-5pm; Oct.-Nov. schedule varies; Dec.-Apr. 8:45am-4:45pm. €5.60, round-trip €7.30; under 10 €4.20/5.70. MC/V.) Farther north, the funicular departs from near the tourist office to Salon des Capucins, a rocky outcropping high above town. (Every 20min. daily 9:30am-12:10pm and 2:10-6:40pm. €3.30, round-trip €4.20; under 10 €2.65/3.30. MC/V.) Both can be used to access other hikes or to save weary knees from a final descent. The following recommendations represent only a few hiking possibilities; innumerable routes can be planned. Distances and times given are for round-trip hikes from the trailhead.

La Grande Cascade (4km, 2hr.; 222m elevation change). Starts from behind the Établissement Thermal in the centre-ville and ends above the falls on the Plateau de Durbise, a huge grassy plain high over the town that provides incredible views of the whole Sancy range. Area’s largest waterfall—the trail’s 30m high namesake—is well worth the hike. In summer, large rocks at the base of the falls provide an ideal setting for picnics or afternoon sunbathing; in winter, ice climbers converge on the spot to scale the frozen falls. From the thermes, follow rue des Desportes to the right and climb the stairs of chemin de la Bane on the left; at the top, turn right onto chemin de Melchi-Rose, which runs into route de Besse. After crossing the road, the trail winds up a narrow gorge. A quick climb up the metal stairway to the right leads to the top of the waterfall and the grassy field above. Descend via the same route.
Puy de Sancy (6.2km, 3hr.; 555m elevation change). 360° view from the summit of the Massif’s highest peak includes the entire region on clear days; views from the trail on the way up are nearly as good. Start at the base and ascend the mountain via Val de Courre, a picturesque cow pasture. Trail begins a few hundred meters to the right of téléphérique #2. Follow the wide rocky path in the center of the valley up Puy Redon. Trail veers left and narrows significantly at the top of Redon. Hikers should be careful on this upper section, especially on wet days, as there are no guard rails at the steep dropoffs. Trail heads upward toward the now-visible summit and eventually leads to a series of wood steps and up to a platform at the top. Descend via the same route.
Cascade de Queureuilh and Cascade de Rossignolet (5km, 1-2hr.; 60m elevation change). Easy, flat hike through a forest leads to 2 waterfalls. Queureuilh is arguably more spectacular, falling from a steep 30m cliff face. Follow the same staircase that leads to La Grand Cascade but turn left at the top onto chemin de Melchi-Rose, which runs into av. de Clermont. Turn left onto chemin de Monteyroux, then right onto route des Cascades. Trailhead marked by signs begins 300m up on the right at Prends-Toi-Garde.
Sancy to La Grande Cascade. Experienced hikers with lots of energy left after the climb up Sancy may consider the 8.9km hike along peaks between Sancy and La Grande Cascade. Difficulty rewarded by amazing views. Less traveled, often more peaceful. Beware that the largely unmarked trails are often little more than foot-wide dirt paths or muddy ditches where rainwater has eroded the trail. Trail particularly rugged between Puy des Crebasses and Roc de Cuzeau. From Sancy’s summit, head down the path on the opposite side of the platform from where you came up. After 700m, the path branches into 3 trails at Col de la Cabane. Take the leftmost path 300m to Pan de la Grange; at the fork in the road, take the right-hand trail. Walk 2km along the ridge to Puy de Crebasses. When the path branches off again, stay left and continue 1.3km to Roc de Cuzeau. Go downhill and onto the Plateau de Durbise. Follow the path to the road on the opposite side. 1.1km trail to La Grande Cascade begins to the left, mostly along the GR4. A good map is a must; find one at the tourist office.

Other Outdoor Activities

Bikers should visit the calm volcanic lakes, such as Lac Servière (15km northeast off D983), which pool in nearby craters. Most of the lakes have small pebble beaches suitable for windsurfing, sailing, and swimming. Lac d’Aydat, to the northeast, offers calm waters for pedal boating, as does Lac Chambon, 20km east of Mont-Dore via D996, near Murol. Lac Pavin, 25km southeast of town, has plenty of good fishing. Le Mont-Dore offers a spectacular winter wonderland. Skiers and snowboarders encounter pleasantly smaller crowds (and shorter lift lines) than elsewhere in France. A network of ski trails covers much of the Massif du Sancy; skiers can also venture down the other side of the valley into ritzy Super-Besse on clear days. Ski-rental shops fill the main village; rental packages generally cost €14-24 per day. Lift tickets for the entire Mont-Dore and Super-Besse area cost €19 per half-day and €24 per full day. At the base of Puy de Sancy lifts is a ski school (☎04 73 65 07 43). The area also features an extensive network of cross-country skiing trails; ask at the tourist office or call the central cross-country resort (☎04 73 21 54 32) for information.

Daytrips From Le Mont-Dore

La Bourboule. The region surrounding Le Mont-Dore has a number of small, picturesque towns within easy driving or hiking distance. La Bourboule (lah bohr-bool), which can also be reached by navette service from Le Mont-Dore, was established in 1875 upon the discovery of its thermal springs and became a widely popular destination in the 20s. The city, just 15min. from Le Mont-Dore, maintains its roaring atmosphere with exquisite, over-the-top Art Nouveau architecture, glamorous plazas, and charming hotels and restaurants. Information on therme visits, shuttles from Le Mont-Dore, and lodging is available at the tourist office, pl. de la République. (☎04 73 65 57 71; www.bourboule.com. Open July-Aug. daily 9am-7pm; Sept. and Apr.-June daily 9am-noon and 1:30-6pm; Oct.-Mar. M-Sa 9am-noon and 1:30-5:30pm, Su 9:30am-12:30pm.)