Chaîne des Puys, Volcanic mountain range in Puy-de-Dôme, France.
The Chaîne des Puys is a volcanic mountain range in Puy-de-Dôme featuring approximately 48 cinder cones, 8 lava domes, and 15 natural craters across central France. The formation runs about 40 kilometers from north to south through the region.
The final volcanic eruption in this mountain range occurred around 4040 BCE, ending an active period that shaped the landscape visible today. Thousands of years before that, the various volcanic forms developed gradually through repeated phases of volcanic activity.
The mountain range earned UNESCO World Heritage status in 2018 for representing continental breakup processes visible in its geology. Local communities and visitors connect this landscape to Auvergne identity and its dramatic volcanic past.
The highest point, Puy de Dôme at 1,465 meters (4,807 feet), is accessible via a rack railway operating daily from Clermont-Ferrand. Multiple hiking trails and viewpoints are scattered throughout the range, offering varying difficulty levels for all visitors.
The volcanic field contains maars, crater lakes formed by groundwater interacting with magma during eruptions and now filled with water. These water-filled features create an unexpected element within this otherwise rocky landscape.
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