The Puy de Dôme, at 1,465 metres, is the highest point of the Chaîne des Puys — the chain of extinct volcanic cones that frames Clermont-Ferrand to the west — and the dominant landmark of the Auvergne. On clear days the view from the summit encompasses the entire volcanic chain (80 peaks visible at once), the Massif Central to the south, and on exceptional days the Alps to the east. The Clermont city below looks small from here.
The summit is accessible by a rack railway (Panoramique des Dômes) from the car park below, or by a 45-minute hiking trail. The rack railway is the more comfortable option for families; the trail is steeper but rewarding. At the top, the ruins of a Gallo-Roman temple to Mercury are visible, excavated in the 19th century and partially consolidated. The plateau around the summit is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site (Chaîne des Puys – Limagne fault tectonic arena). On summer weekends the summit is crowded; weekday mornings are much quieter.