Orcines is a small tourist town in the Central Massif, at the foot of the famous extinct volcano Puy de Dôme. It is an excellent base for active tourism, especially for mountain hiking.
The surroundings of Orcines are known for their picturesqueness. They are surrounded by the UNESCO-listed Chaine des Puys, one of the largest clusters of extinct volcanoes in Europe. There are 80 of them here, and the panorama of the 32-kilometer range can be admired from the Panoramique des Dômes train.
The train, or rather a cog railway, enters the Puy de Dome volcano. At the top are the ruins of the Roman temple of Mercury. It is also a great viewpoint to the surrounding area, including the Puy Pariou Mountain Range, with a characteristic two-crater peak.
Orcines lies at the intersection of many hiking trails, thanks to which you can explore this part of the Central Massif. Cycling and paragliding are also popular forms of tourism.
