La Tour-D'auvergne: Hotels for Culture and Nature

La Tour-D'auvergne brings together several specific themes for planning your trip: Romanesque and Gothic architectural history, religious tradition, and Lac de La Tour d'Auvergne, with its circular trail and seasonal activities. If you are looking for a hotel, these highlights can help guide you in deciding what you would like to focus on during your stay. The church and chapel represent different historical connections; the circular trail and seasonal activities at the lake offer another focus.

Church and Chapel: Different Historical Connections

The Église de Saint-Pardoux is classified as a historic monument and is known as the “little cathedral of the fields.” Its architectural features span two centuries: the base, portal and nave date from the 12th century, while the Gothic structure dates from the 13th century. This makes it possible to distinguish between Romanesque and Gothic elements, rather than viewing the church as a building from just one period. If architecture is a focus of your trip, the sequence of its architectural features offers a specific way to explore the history of the place.

Guided tours of the Église de Saint-Pardoux are offered during school holidays. If you would like to plan a guided tour, check the dates before your trip.

North of the village, the Notre Dame de Natzy chapel stands on Natzy Hill. It was built following a healing considered miraculous and completed in 1870. Its historical connection differs from the architectural history of the Église de Saint-Pardoux: here, the focus is on a religious tradition, while the church is distinguished by its sequence of Romanesque and Gothic architectural styles.

The Lake and Its Circular Trails

Lac de La Tour d'Auvergne is an artificial lake created in 1969 in a natural setting at an altitude of 940 metres. The Tour du lac de La Tour d'Auvergne circular trail runs for just over a kilometre around the lake. Along the way, views open up of Natzy Hill and its statue, as well as the village of La Tour d'Auvergne, which sits on a promontory. The route therefore combines views of the lake with two named viewpoints.

Lifeguarded swimming is available at the lake throughout the summer. As this is a seasonal service, check the information in effect for your travel year. Fishing is also possible; trout and carp are among the fish species listed. Check the applicable seasonal rules and periods in advance.

An orienteering course starts at the Plan d'Eau in La Tour-d'Auvergne. It opened in 2014 and is recognised by the Ligue d'Auvergne. Ask locally for the map. The Espace Sport Nature de la Stèle is also located within the commune, on the western slope of the Puy de Sancy.

Plan a Village Walk and Market Visit

The booklet “Le tour de La Tour vaut le détour” offers a narrated walk with two village routes lasting 30 and 50 minutes. These two durations give you different options when planning a walk around the village.

The food and craft market at Place de la mairie is scheduled for Saturday mornings in 2026, through and including 19 December. This lets you include a market visit in your schedule if your stay falls on a Saturday morning.

Discover more destinations: Saint-Victor-Montvianeix, Le Vernet-Sainte-Marguerite, Pionsat, Murat-Le-Quaire, La Roche-Noire, Thiers, La Chapelle-Agnon, Bertignat.

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