Situated almost in the centre of France, the department takes its name from the Puy de Dôme mountain, an extinct volcano just 10km from the prefecture of Clermont-Ferrand, which is deeply engrained in French popular consciousness.
The mountain has an elevation of 1,465 metres, and from the top you can see all the way to Mont Blanc on France’s eastern border on a clear day, or far into the rich farmland of the Creuse and Limoges plateau in the other direction.
Many people have admired the view – a mountain road and railway were built early, initially for an observatory and a military radio post, but they also soon served a restaurant.
Cars are now banned from the road, but there is a train service to the top – or you can walk up.
Some decisive stages of the Tour de France have also been held there.
However, it is not the only high ground in the department.
The Monts Dore further south boasts the department’s highest point, Puy de Sancy, and relaxed ski resorts. Another low mountain range, the Monts du Forez, runs along the east of the department and has to be crossed to reach Saint-Etienne or Lyon.
A volcano-related theme park, Vulcania, is now open from March to November not far from Clermont-Ferrand – and is well worth a visit.
No fewer than six thermal spas are also a feature of the department, making use of the very pure water – Volvic bottled water comes from Puy-de-Dôme.
Transport links to Clermont Ferrand are good, as long as you do not want high-speed trains or busy international airports.
The A71 autoroute runs from Paris, and then south of the city becomes the A75 heading for Spain.
From the west, the A89 from Bordeaux, completed in the early 2000s, makes a swerve to the north to avoid the Puy de Dôme beauty spot, then continues to Lyon.
SNCF runs a service to Paris taking three-and-a-half hours – but it has become a political hot potato as lack of maintenance means trains are frequently cancelled or delayed.
Clermont-Ferrand airport usually has three Air France flights a day to and from Paris Charles de Gaulle in Paris, and Ryanair operates twice-weekly services to Porto in Portugal and Fez in Morocco.
The airport is expanding its flight roster and a seasonal route to the UK will soon begin.
Outside Clermont-Ferrand, the department is very rural, with lots of small roads winding through the hills.
Around 10% of the housing stock is second homes, with property prices away from Clermont-Ferrand tending towards the cheap end of the market.
The following were available at the time of writing:
Under €50,000
For those not afraid of hard work, this pretty 1805-built stone cottage in the commune of Vergheas, in the west of the department, has good walls and roof and is on the market for €26,000.
€26,000iadfrance.fr
Previous owners started renovating so the interior is messy. However, a week or so of clearing will result in decent living quarters while you work on the rest of the renovation.
The estimated living space, once work is complete, is 100m2 over two floors.
The property has an entrance on the road but is orientated to look over the 700m2 field which comes with it. Attached to the house is a small stone shed.
This six-bedroomed house in the village of Rochefort-Montagne is built on the side of a hill, with 700m2 garden rising behind it. There is a terraced orchard, and a paved terrace to sit on.
It is on the market for €189,000, including solar panels installed under an ‘auto-consumption and sell the surplus’ system.
The interior looks as though it has been redone fairly recently with new pine bannisters on the stairs, and there is a large shed/workshop out the back.
€189,000agencehautedordogne.fr
A small studio apartment of 24m2 has been made on the ground floor, which could provide some rental income, although the DPE of E due to oil central heating might complicate things.
The village is 40 minutes via windy roads from Clermont-Ferrand and just 20km from the ski resorts of Mont-Dore.
There is an agricultural lycée in the village, along with schools and a collège, and the village has a baker and shops.
Built in the Belle Epoque era just before World War One, this resort-type villa is in the spa village of Châtel-Guyon, and was modernised, probably in the 1970s.
€189,000agencehautedordogne.fr
On the market for €1.65million, it has nine bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a huge living room, opening onto a terrace overlooking the surrounding 4,000 m2 of parkland and surrounding countryside.
The total living space, over three floors, is 625m2, and the bedrooms on the upper floors open onto balconies to catch the morning sun.
There is also a small swimming pool / large jacuzzi in the house.
