Puy de Mercœur, Dormant volcano in Chaîne des Puys, France.

Puy de Mercœur is a dormant volcano in the Chaîne des Puys with a broad crater that remains clearly visible today. Its slopes are covered in low vegetation, and from the summit you look out across an entire chain of similar volcanoes stretching across the Massif Central.

Puy de Mercœur is a Strombolian-type volcano whose activity built a simple, regular crater that is now completely closed. It lies just north of the puys de Lassolas and de la Vache, in the commune of Saint-Genès-Champanelle. On 26 and 27 May 1986, fifteen earthquakes with a focal depth of twelve kilometres were recorded beneath it, the only volcano in the Chaîne des Puys where seismic activity has been observed.

The name Mercœur is shared with the village of Mercœur in Corrèze, a reminder that place names in the Massif Central often travel between regions. The volcano lies on the land of Saint-Genès-Champanelle, just north of the puys de Lassolas and de la Vache, and its closed grassy crater is crossed by walking routes linking these neighbouring cones.

The ascent is possible via marked hiking trails starting from different access points with varying difficulty levels. Visitors should bring sturdy footwear, as the path can be rocky and conditions vary depending on the season.

In the 1980s, earthquakes were recorded beneath this peak, setting it apart from others in the chain. This seismic activity suggests that geological processes continue to occur below the surface.