Puy de Lassolas, Volcano in Puy-de-Dôme, France

Puy de Lassolas is an extinct volcano in the Chaîne des Puys range in Puy-de-Dôme, formed entirely from basalt rock. The mountain rises above the surrounding landscape and forms a distinct peak within this volcanic chain.

Puy de Lassolas and its twin Puy de la Vache were born from the same eruptive fissure 8,400 years ago, making them the youngest volcanoes in the Chaîne des Puys. Their strombolian eruption built two scoria cones, and the simultaneous lava emission left both craters open to the south. The joint lava flow ran 15 km southeast to the sites of Saint-Saturnin and Saint-Amant-Tallende.

The French name comes from the old Occitan "Las olas", meaning "the cauldrons", a reference to the craters of this volcano and those around it. The English Wikipedia gives a different Occitan form, L'Assolelhat, "the sunburnt mountain". The twin Puy de la Vache shares the same eruptive fissure and the same crater breached to the south.

You can reach this peak by following marked hiking trails that connect through the natural landscape of Auvergne Volcanoes Regional Park. The paths link this mountain to nearby volcanoes, making it easy to explore the entire chain.

The lava flows created natural barriers across valleys, which later allowed lakes to form and fill the landscape. These water bodies are still visible today and show how the volcanic eruption reshaped the entire region.