Panoramique des Dômes, Rack railway at Puy-de-Dôme, France.
The Panoramique des Dômes travels 5.2 kilometers up the volcanic mountain, reaching an elevation of 1,465 meters in a 15-minute electric train journey.
The initial railway operated from 1907 to 1926 using the Hanscotte system, connecting Clermont-Ferrand to the mountain top before the current line opened in 2012.
The railway provides access to the Temple of Mercury ruins, the largest mountain temple from Roman Gaul, located at the summit of Puy-de-Dôme.
The railway operates daily from 10 AM to 5 PM with varying ticket prices throughout the year, ranging from 15.40 to 18.60 euros for adults.
Four articulated motor cars, each 36.5 meters long, transport 200 passengers per journey while offering views of 80 dormant volcanoes in the region.
Location: Puy-de-Dôme
Inception: 2012
Official opening: May 26, 2012
GPS coordinates: 45.76670,2.96860
Latest update: May 28, 2025 02:59
Clermont-Ferrand sits at the edge of a volcanic landscape in the Massif Central, offering a mix of geological formations, medieval architecture and urban spaces for photographers. The Cathedral of Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption, built from black volcanic stone, rises above the historic center, while Puy de Dôme, a 4,800-foot (1,465-meter) dormant volcano, shapes the surrounding terrain. The city combines industrial history with architectural heritage, from the Romanesque design of the Basilica of Notre-Dame-du-Port to modern facilities like the Michelin Museum. The city center preserves its medieval street pattern in neighborhoods like Rue des Gras and Rue du Port, where dark stone buildings line narrow lanes. Place de Jaude forms the main square, featuring the equestrian statue of Vercingetorix and the Renaissance-era Fountain of Amboise. Parks such as Jardin Lecoq and Parc Montjuzet provide green spaces within the city, while cultural institutions like the Musée d'art Roger-Quilliot and Centre de Photographie Fontfreyde display contemporary and historical collections. The surrounding area includes several volcanic cones, among them Puy de la Vache, as well as the Chemin du Volcan hiking trail and the remains of the Gallo-Roman Temple of Mercury atop Puy de Dôme.
Puy de Dôme
738 m
Puy Pariou
3.4 km
Temple of Mercury
639 m
Puy de Côme
4 km
Puy de Clierzou
3.2 km
Puy des Goules
4.9 km
Camp de la Fontaine du Berger
4 km
Le Grand Suchet
2.9 km
Petit Suchet
2.6 km
Golf des volcans
2.9 km
Puy de Fraisse
4.2 km
Puy de Laschamps
3.8 km
Puy de Monchier
2.6 km
Croix de Ternant
4.9 km
Villars standing stone
5 km
Golf de Royat-Charade
5.1 km
Chapelle Saint-Aubin
2.5 km
Puy Pariou Stairway
3.5 km
Chaîne des Puys - Limagne fault tectonic arena
1.4 km
Puy de Montrodeix
2.6 km
Arboretum De Royat
4.5 km
Église Saint-Martin d'Allagnat
4.3 km
Nid de la Poule
1.4 km
Église Saint-Julien d'Orcines
3.9 km
Église de la Visitation de Beaune
4.7 km
Église Saint-Aubin de Manson
4.3 km
Puy de Barme
4.3 km
Château d'Allagnat
4.4 kmReviews
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