Discover Issoire

Issoire combines Romanesque architecture and city history with craft visits, cultural events and outdoor activities. If you’re looking for a hotel for your stay, these different highlights can guide your travel plans: would you like to explore historic buildings, take a guided workshop tour or discover a themed walking trail? The Plan d’eau du Mas is also among the destinations described in Issoire.

Romanesque architecture and city history

The Abbey Church of Saint-Austremoine in Issoire is one of the five major Romanesque churches of Basse-Auvergne. The church has also been protected as a historic monument since 1840. These regional classification and protection details answer different questions: the first identifies the church’s place in Basse-Auvergne, while the second dates its historic monument protection to 1840. If you’re interested in Romanesque architecture, the abbey church offers a specific focus for exploring this aspect of your trip.

Another chapter of the city’s history awaits at the Tour de l’Horloge. It is a former municipal bell tower dating from the 15th century. Its viewing point offers views of Issoire and the surrounding Sancy, Chaîne des Puys and Cézallier mountain ranges. In this way, the tower’s former municipal function is linked to a view encompassing the city and the three named landscapes.

Cultural events and crafts

The Tour de l’Horloge hosts changing exhibitions, conferences, film screenings and workshops. The programme varies, so check the dates if a particular event is important to your travel plans. This means you can plan a visit around a specific event, rather than focusing on the tower’s enduringly described history as part of the city.

The Atelier Philippe Allemand offers guided tours introducing traditional cabinetmaking and fine marquetry. The workshop has been practising art furniture-making since 1985. This offers a different cultural focus for your stay than the historic buildings: the guided tour covers two specific areas of craftsmanship. If you’re particularly interested in traditional crafts, you can include this activity in your travel plans accordingly.

Water and a themed walking trail

The Parcours des biefs is a free themed walking trail in Issoire. It brings the still-visible canals of the historic irrigation network to life. Its focus sets it apart from a general walk: the emphasis is on the canals and the history of the irrigation system. The Parcours des biefs is a permanent visitor trail.

The Plan d’eau du Mas offers a different focus. It is an artificial lake in Issoire covering 9.5 hectares. Unlike the Parcours des biefs, which focuses on visible canals and the historic irrigation network, the lake is described by its size. The two destinations therefore offer different subjects to explore as you plan your trip, without sharing the same focus.

The offers also differ over time: events at the Tour de l’Horloge change, while the Parcours des biefs is described as a permanent visitor trail. If you’d like to plan your trip around an exhibition, conference, film screening or workshop, check the relevant dates. For the trail, its focus on the canals provides a specific point of reference for your decision.

Discover more destinations: Bromont, Miremont, Chambon-Sur-Dolore, Mareugheol, Vernines, Orcines, Mirefleurs, Sauxillanges.

For the overarching travel overview: Puy-De-Dôme.