A landscape written by fireThe Chaîne des Puys — also called the Monts Dôme — is a chain of around 80 volcanoes stretching more than 45 kilometres across the Dômes plateau in the northern Massif Central, west of Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne region of France. Together with the neighbouring Limagne Fault, it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List on 2 July 2018 as a 'tectonic high place'. A textbook of volcanismAligned along a north-south axis, the volcanoes rise from a plateau that stands above the Limagne rift, the two separated by a dramatic fault escarpment. The eruptions belong to the Quaternary: the first occurred around 95,000 years ago and the most recent only about 8,600 years ago, recent enough that scientists consider renewed activity possible. Almost all are monogenetic — built by a single eruptive episode — which is why they are so compact, most rising between 100 and 300 metres. The Puy de DômeAt the heart of the chain, the Puy de Dôme dominates the others, reaching 1,465 metres and standing roughly 550 metres above the surrounding plateau. Alongside the classic cones, the chain includes maars and lava domes, offering a remarkably complete illustration of continental volcanism in a single, walkable landscape. VisitingThe volcanoes lie within the Volcans d'Auvergne regional nature park, laced with hiking trails; a rack railway climbs the Puy de Dôme itself, from whose summit the whole chain unfolds. Location: West of Clermont-Ferrand, Puy-de-Dôme, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, FranceExtent: ~80 volcanoes over 45 km; eruptions 95,000–8,600 years agoHighest point: Puy de Dôme, 1,465 mStatus: UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2018 (with the Limagne Fault)Visiting: Regional nature park with trails; rack railway to the Puy de Dôme summit
